Aging is an unavoidable fact of life. Until someone develops an elixir of life, we’re stuck with the inescapable reality of growing old. While we may maintain some sense of mental age, growing physically older is something that we all have to cope with and deal with in our own way. In fact, many of us will start noticing physical changes in our bodies as soon as we approach our 30s. Some will find that their reflexes and muscles are getting weaker, and others might notice the increased difficulty of losing weight.
One way of countering this is to start thinking about how you want to live as you grow older. Not only does this help you think ahead for where you want to live and what you want to do, but it’s also a way to convince yourself that saving for your retirement is very important. Of course, planning too far ahead is never a good idea, but it’s always nice to have a rough idea of what you want; perhaps we could call it a dream or a desire to make it more interesting.
But if you’re someone that is only occasionally reminded that they’re growing old, then here are a couple of things that you may want to think about.
Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/Cc10IJDoj78 (CC0)
Where do I want to live in my golden years?
Perhaps one of the biggest considerations to keep in mind is where you want to live in your golden years. Some people would prefer to just stay at home if possible, but the idea of downsizing might be appealing to those who already have a fairly large home. In some cases, you may even want to move into a retirement home such as the United Zion Retirement Community because it allows you to completely get rid of your current assets. This is great if you want some extra money to spend in your retirement, or if you want to pass your property down to your children.
What will I be doing in my later years?
Whereas some people can’t stop working, others can’t wait to retire and finally be rid of their job. Whatever the case is, you might want to think about what you’ll be doing in your later years. Some people want to travel the world, others want to continue working and doing what they love, and others just want free time to spend how they wish.
Will I need some help to live out my life?
And we should also think about choosing home care or if you’ll have friends and family members around you. As we grow older, we start to lose a bit of independence and may eventually find ourselves needing some assistance. This is certainly something you should think about if you’re injured or are already having issues doing tasks like cleaning the house or maintaining your garden.
Who do I want to live with as a senior?
And lastly, who will you be living with? Some seniors are fine living on their own, while others want to continue living with their partners for the rest of their lives. Some might move back in with their children if possible, and others enjoy the community of a retirement home. Try and pick who you prefer to live with so that you can enjoy your golden years being surrounded by friends and loved ones.
We are in our golden years at 66 and 67. We’ve been married 43 years and we spend our time actively. We run in the mornings (5:30AM) then play tennis for a couple of hours with friends then play two hours of pickleball with other friends in the evening. That’s our schedule three days a week. Tennis, fishing, volunteering, occasional consulting work for me, travel, hiking and acquiring land to build a cabin on(quite a big project) take up the rest of the week. My wife threw in a full marathon last year too. This week we are driving 12 hours to Big Bend National Park to hike for several days, then I’ll do a couple of days as an expert witness, then we’ll drive up to the wilderness area where we are buying the side of a mountain to close the purchase. Young people tend to think they’ll be very limited physically, and some are, but if you stay fit and keep moving you’ll probably surprise yourself with how well you can still move in those golden years.
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Reply I really love hearing stories like yours! I’ve been watching my relatives age and have seen both sides of this in action, but am totally trying to remain fairly fit and to keep moving because the difference is staggering.