Happiest Retirees – What Do the Happiest Retirees Do?

An enjoyable retirement requires both mental preparation and financial strategy. Establishing your retirement funds is certainly important, but that alone won’t guarantee a comfortable lifestyle in later years.

In this episode, I explore three non-financial traits shared by happy retirees that contribute to their happiness in retirement: social connections and curiosity.

1. Have Their Life in Order

Happy retirees know that life does not stop after leaving the workforce; they find ways to keep busy that fulfill them personally and are rewarding experiences.

These activities, often called core pursuits, serve to keep us moving when other things don’t make us happy. These could range from playing racquetball or squash, learning something new like scrapbooking, wood carving or cooking to volunteering and more.

To reach that point, it’s crucial that you develop an actionable plan. According to research by MassMutual, having a healthy portfolio alone won’t suffice – other components like having your home organized and staying socially connected must also be in place. Therefore, it is vitally important that you identify possible ‘happiness contingencies’.

2. Manage Their Time Well

Maintaining an untidy house makes it hard to relax and enjoy retirement, while the most content retirees take steps to organize both their life and home, such as taking the time to clean both thoroughly.

By keeping their time well spent and staying away from feeling overwhelmed, these activities help prevent time from being wasted and ensure there are various activities available to choose from so they can change things up whenever necessary.

Retirees who find happiness often do so by discovering core pursuits – basically hobbies on steroids they really enjoy doing. Finding meaningful pursuits gives retirees something to look forward to while also providing them with a sense of purpose which is crucial in retirement.

3. Hire a Pro

Happiest retirees often opt for professional assistance when managing their funds, giving them peace of mind and the freedom to focus on what matters most in life.

Happiest retirees take control of their happiness by actively seeking out activities and experiences that bring fulfillment – such as core pursuits (essentially hobbies on steroids). They love pets and prioritize socialization.

Many retired professionals enjoy working part-time after retirement to stay busy, generate income, and ease stress. If you’re interested in hiring these “boomerang” employees, offer them flexible scheduling arrangements as well as other benefits tailored towards older workers; these employees will bring institutional knowledge as well as mentoring roles for younger staff members.

4. Have a Healthy Lifestyle

As work provides purpose, retirement can often leave us searching for directionless paths of existence. But to enjoy retirement at its fullest extent and remain happy and contented requires having a clear sense of direction – something many happiest retirees possess in abundance.

Find a core pursuit. A core pursuit is like an expanded hobby: something you love and are eager to improve upon. This could range from golfing or volunteering – anything is up for consideration provided it remains something that keeps your interest over time.

An important step toward a happy retirement begins with organizing your finances properly. Learn about 5 simple financial habits and 6 non-financial traits shared by happy retirees in our new book “You Can Retire Sooner Than You Think”.

5. Spend Time with Friends and Family

As part of their retirement preparation, happy retirees strive to find outside friendships to rely on and detach themselves from work as much as possible. To avoid becoming isolated in retirement, successful individuals develop strategies such as investing in other hobbies outside their work world and have different identities from work altogether.

An engaged senior spends time with family, maintaining close ties to children and grandchildren. Furthermore, they find purpose through volunteerism or caring for a pet which gives them motivation each morning to wake up.

Financial planning is key to enjoying an enjoyable retirement, but that is only part of the equation – successful retirees also possess lifestyle secrets that help them enjoy life fully. Order Your Copy of You Can Retire Sooner Than You Think today to gain more insights!

6. Make Big Decisions

No matter if you are married or single, having a plan for retirement that addresses all the big decisions is key to having peace of mind in retirement. A budget, savings plan and whether or not insurance are all vital parts of making informed decisions in regards to retirement. Creating one may help alleviate worry over time.

Wes Moss, a certified financial planner, conducted an exhaustive survey with more than 2,000 retirees and people nearing retirement to write his book What the Happiest Retirees Know. From this data he discovered that non-financial traits commonly observed among happy retirees include social interaction, curiosity and having core pursuits.

Core pursuits are hobbies, interests, or activities which engage one in activity that generates stimulation that leads to learning and accomplishment, ultimately leading to happiness. On average, happy retirees have four core pursuits such as crafting hobbies, coaching sports teams or volunteering – this could include anything from craft hobbies to volunteering opportunities or even volunteering.

7. Enjoy the Ride

Many individuals look forward to their retirement with eager anticipation and hope, yet the reality can often differ considerably from expectations.

According to a survey conducted by MassMutual, 33% of retirees are no happier now than before they retired and 45% feel isolated by being at home alone all day long.

Happiest Retirees enjoy life to its fullest by seizing every opportunity and making the most of every moment. They find meaning in their work, have multiple streams of income, and keep learning and growing throughout retirement.

In order to have a fulfilling retirement, it’s essential that your finances are in order, you maintain social activities and hobbies outside of work, and live mortgage-free. By following these lifestyle secrets you may be able to retire earlier and lead an enjoyable retirement!