“No, I’m not being immature, I’m having fun. You should try it.”
—Unknown
Do you remember when early in your life mom or dad would say to you, “Grow up!” You were probably misbehaving at a most inopportune time and you would soon hear one of them say, “Grow up!” Possibly it was when you were pestering an older sibling and they would finally crack shouting, “Grow up!” Or, as you strike out on your first job you tell yourself that it’s now time to “Grow up!” as you head into your adult years. Hear those words enough and you soon forget what it is like to just let your inner child out from time-to-time.
Being an adult, with adult responsibilities like raising a family, building a career and managing our finances, is serious stuff. We get so focused on overseeing our obligations we lose the ability to be spontaneous, to get a little silly and to “Have fun!”
Want to regain that passion for those moments of craziness and laughter? Here are a few tips:
Stay Social – I think a big element for having fun hanging out with people whose company you enjoy. Pre-retirees, when asked what they will miss in retirement the number one answer is the paycheck. However, when retirees are asked what they have missed most in retirement, the top response is his or her network, the connections to friends. While I do know some people that just crack themselves up I have to believe it would be a lot more enjoyable to yuk-it-up with a group of people.
Explore New Activities – What would you like to do and just never tried? How about attending a weekend book festival? My wife and I spent a day last summer at the Texas Book Festival in Austin. We attended a workshop by a young woman who had written a book about a quirky little artist’s community in remote west Texas. After her presentation, we bought the book and took a three-day trip to see this community for ourselves. In fact, we memorialized our visit with an episode on 2ND ACT Escapes.
How about gathering a group of friends and heading out for a wine tasting? Many of the larger wine shops have tasting rooms and will provide the experience for free in the hopes you and your group walk out with a bottle or two of the sampled vinos.
One way to meet new people and experience different activities at the same time is to join a Meetup group. The social networking site Meetup.com allows individuals to search for and join various groups related to his or her own interests. It is a resource for meeting new people, increasing involvement in your community and getting more active with interests you enjoy.
And the topics are endless. They go all the way from biking, walking and trail hiking to book clubs, cooking classes and, in my area, even ping pong. Want to improve your writing? Join a Meetup of fellow writers. Want to take dance lessons? Join a Meetup. Do a little research for yourself today.
Travel – And it doesn’t have to be an around the world cruise or a month-long trip to Spain to hike the Camino de Santiago trail. Though either of those would be great fun it can be something as simple as a day trip or maybe a midweek overnight. You’ve retired, after all, so skip the weekend crowds.
A bit of research on the internet can turn up all sorts of possibilities. Type in “what to do in (name of city)” and all sorts of possibilities will appear. I like to use TripAdvisor.com, click on “Things to Do” and then check out what is under Specialty Museums. Some of these may have a small fee to enter while others are absolutely free.
Jim Morrison once asked, “Where’s your will to be weird?” Retirement is a time to lighten up and let your inner crazy shine. Learn to approach life fully engaged with a whimsical boldness. And to paraphrase a famous quote from President John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what fun can do for you; ask what you can do for fun.”
“If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it.”
—Herodotus, The Father of History
Enjoy your journey!
Gary A. Weuve, CFP®
Founder and CEO
2NDACTLIVES, LLC
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