Summer is right around the corner, and you may be making plans. After the isolation of COVID, many of us are excited to get back to traveling, seeing family, and visiting friends. One of the best things about retirement is the free time – in some ways, it’s like a 30-year summer vacation. Or longer! And what was better than summer vacation spent with friends when you were a kid? Why not rekindle some old friendships in retirement?
Relationship researchers find that after people finish school, they end up wishing that they had more time to spend on their friendships. It’s easy to understand why; friends offer us support, advice, laughter, a shoulder to cry on, a hand to help you out, and a smile to cheer you up. And sadly, too often, we just don’t have enough time to nurture these relationships, and they end up taking a back seat to the other commitments in our lives. As time goes on, friends move to different places, get busy with their own lives, and start to drift away. That’s why we long for friendships like we had in our school years when you’d see your friends every day, and you had the freedom to spend your time doing whatever you wanted.
Well, the good news is that those days are coming back. Retirement is about freedom and time, making it the perfect opportunity to rekindle an old friendship, whether that means taking a trip to a different city or just having the free time for that long-put-off coffee date. Your retirement should be a celebration of everything you love about life, and that includes your friendships. To make the most of your retirement and have the resources to really enjoy the time with the people you care about, you’ll need to plan ahead.
We can help you create a plan that focuses on the financials while you focus on your lifestyle. It all starts with a complimentary review where we’ll sit down and discuss your goals and the things that are important to you. We’ll assess your current financial situation and talk about how we can help you achieve your goals without taking on unnecessary risks. Before you come in, try asking yourself this question: “Am I spending, or planning to spend each day on what I truly want to do?” If you realize or worry that you’ll have nothing to do each day in retirement, then you should start looking for a way to keep yourself social and occupied. Ask yourself how often you invited an old friend over for dinner last year or what parts of your community are important to you.
Then go ahead and reach out to that person you’ve wanted to see for a long time. Retirement is a wonderful time to rekindle your friendships. And with a proper plan in place, you’ll be prepared to embark on your never-ending summer vacation.
