The New Retirement. Jan Cullinane

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      Now is a good time to complete the “Time on Your Hands” worksheet at the end of this chapter to get a preliminary sense of how you think you will/do spend your time. The results may be eye-opening. If part of a couple, compare and discuss your results.

       Personality and Goal-Setting

Are you a planner? Martha H. is. She took care of her grandchildren for about 10 years after leaving her primary career of teaching Environmental Science and running the Science/Math department at a community college. Martha commuted from New Jersey to Boston for several years, staying Monday–Thursday to babysit, and then for several more years she commuted from New Jersey to New York City to take care of her grandchildren from her other daughter. When the kids were older and the weekly babysitting stint was over, travel (deferred for a year because of Covid-19), reading, snowshoeing (at her second home in Colorado), genealogy, and walking are high on Martha's list of things to do – and she makes sure it happens. Family is at the forefront of many retirees' lists of what is important.

      On the other hand, my single friend Jean M. lives very much in the moment. She will go on a trip without hotel reservations, embraces each day as it comes, and is willing to drop whatever she's doing and help out family members if they need assistance, including caring for her mother for several years as her mom slowly succumbed to Alzheimer's.

      Gordon C. loosely structures his time. He plays occasional golf, some tennis, maintains the house, and is catching up on all the books he wanted to read as a busy professional but never had the time to do so. He also serves on the Board of his community association, and volunteers at a food bank. He and his wife care for their grandchildren at least once a week to give their adult children a break and to enjoy some quality time with the kids. As Gordon likes to say, “I feel youthful when I am useful.”

      Teresa G. divorced after a long marriage and a fulfilling career as a counselor, and is now a realtor. She lives in Florida, loves working with and helping people find their ideal place, and immensely enjoys her second career. She finds her counseling background provides many skills she can use in her new role.

      These examples of different people with different personalities share this in common: They all have goals they want to accomplish.

For most people goal setting is important. The research shows that people who aren't engaged in purposeful activities are generally not as happy as those who are. Whether you're talking about starting a new business, taking up birding, becoming a mentor, or trying out for a community theater production, it's best to be flexible, try out new things, have a natural curiosity about life, and have at least a general plan for your future.

      Make lists! Take the time to think about what you want to accomplish, and write down your goals. If you are part of a couple, set down both individual and joint ideas relating to family, working, travel, health, lifelong learning, volunteering, friends, making a difference, learning a new sport or language, or any other area. Recognize that each person in the relationship has valid needs and wants. Decide which interests you share, and recognize that having time apart for separate interests is also important. Brainstorm all possibilities, then evaluate and prune the unworkable ones.

       Be SMART

      I love mnemonics and acronyms. They make things much easier to remember. As a kid, you may remember “ROY G BIV,” a clever way of remembering the order of the hues of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. I took many, many science classes as an undergrad and grad student, and remember the taxonomic hierarchy of organisms by making up this crazy sentence (can recall it decades later) … Keep Putting Cheese On Fresh Gravy Soup … which represents Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order Family, Genus, Species.

      SMART is an easy-to-remember acronym describing the characteristics of goal-setting: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Sensitive. So, when coming up with your goals, be SMART. Rather than saying “I want to continue to learn new things,” say “I will sign up for a European history class at my local community college for the upcoming spring semester.” Rather than “I want to exercise more,” say, “I will walk from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.” Writing out your goals and posting them where they are visible will help reinforce them. Creating self-imposed deadlines can be very motivating.

You may already have a list of goals, or you may be open to suggestions. Let's take a look at some possibilities in the areas of education, sports, hobbies, volunteering, the world of work, and travel. The next chapter will address working or starting a business after leaving your primary career. The last chapter in the book will address leaving a legacy, financial or otherwise, so that will be addressed later.

Lifelong Learning

      “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Brilliant guy, that Mahatma Gandhi. Until relatively recently it was believed that once nerve cells (also called neurons) were formed, that was it – our brains were pretty much “fixed.” But, scientists have discovered that not only can neurons regenerate to an extent, but as importantly, the connections (called synapses) that allow nerve cells to communicate with one another can also sprout and create new pathways. This is called “neuroplasticity.” More about this concept in Chapter 6, Forever Young, but it's important to know what is needed to “grow” our neurons: novelty, active learning, upending routines, solving problems, social interactions, and mental and physical engagement.

      To quote Steppenwolf, let's explore ways to “get your motor runnin'” and mesh some of your SMART goals with these suggestions to wisely use those 168 hours a week.

       In-Person Learning

      There are suggestions for living in a college town in Chapter 5, but let's take a look at how you can enjoy learning for free/low cost in person at educational institutions such as universities, colleges, and community colleges. Most offer tuition-free classes on a space-available basis if you meet certain criteria. You may not be awarded any credits, and you'll need to pay for any books and perhaps some associated fees, but what a gift.

As an example, I will use my alma mater for my undergrad and master's degree, the University of Maryland (Go Terps!). Their “Golden ID Program” permits you to enroll in up to three classes/semester on a space-available basis – tuition-free. You must be 60 years of age or older, a legal resident of Maryland, and retired, which is defined as “not engaged in gainful employment for more than 20 hours a week.” There is a fee for the Golden ID (about $260 per semester), which allows the use of the libraries, shuttle buses, and some additional services. With a three-credit in-person class normally around $1,000, if you're enrolling in three classes, it's a good deal. Community colleges can be a lot cheaper. I was an Assistant Professor at Sussex County Community College in New Jersey for a number of years. Their deal is a bargain. You need to be 65 or older, a resident of the county, meet any prerequisites for the class (some, like lab classes or trade classes are excluded), and register in person the final two business days before the start of the semester. No fees, no tuition. Taking in-person classes provides the additional benefit of social connections along with the sheer joy of learning – without the tests and papers. Sweet!

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