If you are already retired then I am sure you will remember the sense of heightened anticipation that began as soon as you realized that you were on the final countdown when it came to working for a living. If you are still working but coming up to retirement then I am certain that you will know what I mean! You cannot wait to have all the time in the world to kick back and enjoy life without being tied into a contract or having to work every day for no personal reward whatsoever. Retirement is something that we all look forward to immensely, but some seniors are mightily disappointed when they find out just how far away from the dream the reality actually is.

The honest truth about retirement is that it can be so boring that many lose the will to live, quite literally. With nothing to do but sit and stare out of the window, some seniors just give up. They do not appreciate the freedom of time they have because they no longer feel the sense of achievement that they felt during their working lives. However, retirement is what you make of it. It is possible to enjoy every minute, to revel in the freedom that effectively being our own boss brings. You just have to manage your time effectively. There are many ways to actually do that, but you need to come to terms with being retired and not having any obligations before you can fully appreciate just how wonderful a thing time management actually is.

The first step towards managing your time effectively is compiling lists, believe it or not. Make lists of what you enjoy doing, how you want to make the most of your time, what you want to do or achieve before you die, what activities your ideal day would involve and any other similar lists that come into your head.

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“To do” lists are wonderful things because they are designed to remind the person who wrote them exactly what they need to do. They manage your time, which is exactly what seniors need to do in order to enjoy their retired lives. If you write down exactly what you want to achieve on paper then it will not fall out of your head at a moment’s notice. The piece of paper that you use to list all of the above will act as a reminder of how you can enjoy life to the fullest in retirement, and you can refer back to it when you are bored!

Designating certain days to specific events may be a tactic that some seniors choose to employ. This gives you some sort of routine so you have the time to make sure that you are taking care of your general health as well as your mental well being. Establishing a routine will allow you to remain organized, visit your family, take care of your household chores and still leave time for social events and activities that put the fun into life. However, make sure that you do inject some sort of activity in there, because a staid and boring routine of household chores and family will only leave you wishing you were back at work. Retirees are not supposed to think like that at all so avoid it at all costs!

Planning your life according to a timetable takes all of the fun out of living, and spontaneity doesn’t have to go out of the window just because you are a senior! You should take every opportunity that is given to you. This could include anything, but especially refers to activities you have always wanted to do but never had the time for when you were working. Living every day as if it were your last is a good idea, regardless of age, so live every day by this philosophy and you won’t go far wrong.