How to Keep Busy During Retirement with a Fulfilling Bucket List
When you retire, you often reflect on everything you accomplished during your life, along with the things you never had the chance to do.
And now, with all this free time on your hands, you can focus on doing the things you’ve always wanted but didn’t have the time for.
So to help you live retirement life to the fullest, here are some tips for creating a bucket list along with inspiration for goals to add to it.
What Is A Bucket List?
A bucket list is a list of goals you want to accomplish in your lifetime. These goals can cover various areas in your life, such as learning new skills and trying new experiences.
Perhaps you’ve always wanted to learn a new language, visit Europe, or simply try a specific restaurant. Whatever your life goals are, creating a bucket list can help you focus on the important things in life—especially who you are and what you want.
Questions To Ask Yourself Before Creating A Bucket List
- What are your ultimate goals and dreams?
- What do you want to achieve in different areas of your life—family, health, finances, friends, work, etc.?
- Are there any places or countries you want to visit?
- Is there a special experience you want to have?
- What are your physical and financial limitations?
Things To Put On A Bucket List
If you need a bit of inspiration to help you put together your bucket list, here are some ideas:
Travel
Travel is often at the top of seniors’ bucket lists because they finally have the time and resources to travel. There are also so many places people want to visit and never had the opportunity to during their working years. So consider travelling to a place you’ve always wanted to visit. Whether it’s trekking across Asia, eating your way through Europe, or an African Safari, the world truly is your oyster.
Experiences
Are there any special experiences you’ve always wanted to have? Perhaps you’ve always wanted to go zip lining, swim with dolphins, watch a sunset from a yacht, or see a Broadway show.
A fulfilling life is full of experiences, so make your dream experiences a reality and add them to your bucket list.
Reviving a Past Hobby or Passion
A busy working life often gets in the way of pursuing our passions and continuing certain hobbies. But once you retire, you can pull out your old dreams, dust them off, and give them another try.
Whether it was a hobby you stopped or a passion you never got to pursue – such as painting, photography, or sports – add it to your bucket list for a true sense of accomplishment.
Volunteering
Volunteering for a cause you are passionate about is a fulfilling goal to add to your bucket list. You can help those in need by reaching out and volunteering your time.
There are many volunteer opportunities available, especially for seniors. So do a bit of research and find an organization that lines up with your values that you can offer your time to.
Learn a New Language
If you’ve ever wanted to learn a new language, now is the time to start. Learning a new language is a valuable skill to have, and it’s a great way to keep your brain stimulated and healthy.
An easy way to do this is by taking a language course online, in person, or through your local library.
Learn to Play an Instrument
Learning a new instrument is another fun skill to pick up. And since learning requires plenty of practice, retirement is an ideal time to start playing.
Research local music lessons or find an online course for an instrument you’ve always wanted to play.
Reconnect with Long Lost Friends
When people start their careers and families, they sometimes lose touch with friends. As with many other things in life, a busy lifestyle often gets in the way. And before we know it, years have passed, and we find ourselves missing people we hold dear to our hearts.
So, if you have a friend you miss and would love to reconnect with, then make a point of adding this to your bucket list. With the help of the Internet and social media, it’s easy to contact people. And your long lost friend will likely be very happy to hear from you again.
Tips For Staying Motivated To Complete Your List
It’s one thing to write a bucket list, and quite another to complete it. So, to keep you driven to complete your list, try these tips.
Share Your Goals with Family and Friends
Sharing your bucket list with loved ones will give you more incentive and motivation to complete your list. They can provide helpful advice on attaining your goals. And if any of your friends or family members share the same goals as you, you can enjoy shared ventures together.
Create Short- and Long-Term Goals
Divide your bucket list into short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals can be more easily attainable so you can scratch them off your bucket list faster. While long-term goals may be more challenging to attain, require more planning, and are best saved for a later date.
Keep Track of Your Progress
Check in with your bucket list from time to time to keep track of your progress. You don’t want to make a list of goals that you never plan to achieve.
As you work your way through your list, check off each item you’ve accomplished. Even if you’ve tried and failed at something, it’s still worthy of getting that checkmark. And maintaining your progress will give you the drive, purpose, and direction to continue focusing on yourself and your goals in your retirement years.
Set Attainable Goals
Your bucket list should have goals that you actually intend to accomplish, so make sure they are attainable—e.g. within your financial and physical means. And only include things you want—not what others tell you to do.
How Transitioning To Retirement Living Will Help You Fulfill Your Bucket List
When transitioning to an assisted living retirement community, you will have more time and freedom to do the things on your bucket list. You will no longer have to worry about work, home maintenance, raising kids, and the other demands of your day-to-day working life.
You can do what you please whenever you want to, with no responsibilities of yester-year holding you back. So now is the time to make the most of your retirement and your life by finally doing the things you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time for.