If you are nearing retirement age or are starting to think about what you’ll do with yourself after you retire then you’re probably considering a list of objectives to achieve once you’re done working. You’ve likely had to put off a lot of things you planned on doing over the years due to work, family, and financial commitments, so retirement gives you the perfect opportunity to make those things happen.
Rather than creating a bucket list after you retire, it’s far better to plan early and start your preparations while you have plenty of time to set yourself up for retirement. If you leave it too late you may not have the financial resources, fitness, or skills to do whatever is on your bucket list, depending on how extreme that list is. Having a bucket list for your retirement also gives you a reason to motivate yourself while you are still working. It lets you goad yourself to do better so that you can reap the rewards once you have the time and means to achieve your goals.
Here are a few ideas that might work for your retirement bucket list.
Travel to places you’ve never been to.
Traveling and seeing the world is an obvious choice. You’ve probably done some traveling while on holiday. But the world is a big place and most people find themselves revisiting the same parts of it for their vacations, rather than exploring and experiencing unfamiliar regions. Break the mold you’ve set for yourself and make a list of places to travel that you’ve never been to, but are curious about. Once you start on this list you might find yourself planning to visit these places before you retire.
Take up an unusual sport or hobby.
There are lots of interesting sports that people play around the world and a huge number of weird and wonderful hobbies. If you do a bit of research on these topics you may find something that tickles your fancy and is worth adding to your bucket list. Sports can be tricky to organize as you generally need several people in your area all interested in the same sport to have someone to play with. This is why it’s a bad plan to make your bucket list after you retire, as you may need time to cultivate some of the things you want to do on that list. Hobbies are generally more flexible because you can do them by yourself. You’ve also got a much greater range of options with a hobby, and if an existing hobby doesn’t fill your needs then you can always invent one.
Start a small business crafting unusual items.
If you want a hobby that lets you make some money to help supplement your retirement income then starting a boutique business selling hand-crafted goods might also tickle your fancy. People will buy a huge range of things for a variety of reasons, so you will always be able to find something to make that appeals to you. If you enjoy working with your hands then making hand-crafted items can be very fulfilling. If you prefer working with your brain then you also have many options, with 3D printing and other modern technologies that will do the work for you and just leave you with the task of designing products. You can find many places locally to sell craft items and many websites online that let you sell them remotely.
Retirement is a great time to kick back and relax, but you can find yourself bored if you have nothing to do. A bucket list after you retire is a great way to fill your retirement with fun objectives that give you a reason to get up in the morning. You can also use your bucket list to encourage yourself to try out new things and new experiences. So start work on your retirement bucket list today, and see where it takes you.
