And #WowOnWednesday Link-Up
My searches for Retirement reveal mostly posts about financial planning. Very little about using the time in a positive way and challenging ourselves.
We agreed there's a need to re-frame Retirement as a positive time where lively, active and energetic people finally get to relax and follow their dreams.
Of course, I realise this is not always possible for people who aren't in the best of health, or are struggling financially.
Average UK life expectancy for women is 81.65 years. My mother is 90 this week so I hope I have her good genes. But really, going by the average, I have another 20 years. And I plan to make full use of that time!
Here's my manifesto for retirement.
Keep Up-to-Date
One of the things guaranteed to make us sound old is the inability to deal with new technology, so I'm keen to keep abreast of this. From an Instagram perspective, this means producing short Reels. Personally I hardly ever go to YouTube to watch videos, but IG is increasingly prioritizing video over images, so I need to skill up.
I'll shortly be getting to grips with a new phone (although these days they are a doddle to set up), and our first electric car.
Fitness is a Priority
To maximise those 20 years of average life expectancy, I need to stay fit and healthy. I can't guarantee my efforts will pay off, but I want to give myself a good chance. I do a lot of walking and I do a home workout with weights at least twice a week. I also aim to do a couple of Pilates or yoga classes for flexibility. I try to eat a healthy diet 80% of the time. This all makes me sound horribly virtuous, so let me tell you that a regular weekend vice is a family sized bag of crisps (chips in the US) - the truffle flavoured ones are a favourite!
Stay Curious
I've always been curious and inquisitive. I wish I could share my Google search history with you! You'd find some very random stuff. I'm not interested in puzzles or Wordle, so I need ways to keep my brain engaged. There are lots of really good online courses out there, covering topics that interest me, like forensic anthropology. The National Gallery also gives a series of occasional lectures about art history in the evening, and I'd love to do some of these.
Set Challenges
I'm not good with heights but I'm determined to go on the "Boris" cable car in London. It's named after him because it came about when he was Mayor of London. I've been on a cable car in Austria and it was OK; a chair lift was too precarious and a step too far. We're also going to go white water rafting. The London Olympics venue for this is in our borough.
Bigger challenges include the Coast to Coast walk, which is 190 miles across three of England's national parks (I started this in 2018 but had knee problems and couldn't continue after 3 days), and possibly the West Highland Way in Scotland. The hubster is keen to get me on an electric bike. I'd consider it for a cycling holiday but riding one in London is not high on my list of things that are fun to do!
Broaden my Horizons
I travelled a lot with work and have been to 11 states in the US. But I've never been to South America, Japan or Australia, and these are on my wish list. I hope to get to South America next year.
I love going out with MeetUp groups in London and visiting places I've never been to. I will now have more time for this. In upcoming weeks I'm going to some lavender fields and a hike from Ramsgate to Margate on the coast. I'd like to have some weekend breaks with Mr Mutton so I can wear a Bridget Jones headscarf, and I think his new car, arriving in July, may make this happen.
Give Back
After I've had a few weeks off I'm going to look into how I can give back, perhaps with voluntary work (believe or not, my beloved Longhorns of Epping Forest are looked after by volunteers!) or by helping an organization like Glam, which encourages young girls to become interested in coding.
Those of you who are retired, what are your thoughts? How did you approach retirement? Should I be a bit more relaxed about it? Most of you are still working, so what are your thoughts about distant retirement? How do you envisage it?
Today's outfits: fuchsia crop trousers Roman, fuchsia short tie wrap and mint top Kettlewell Colours, green velvet shoes Next (old), rainbow bag, Kurt Geiger. Necklaces from Lynn's Gem Creations (Etsy). White denim skirt, Truly; lime top Kettlewell; scarf Museum Selections (old), bag Cambridge Satchel Co. Yellow sleeveless print dress, Joseph Ribkoff (old), acid yellow belt Kettlewell.
Sharing this post with: On Mondays We Link Up at Glass of Glam, Top of the World Style at High Latitude Style, Chic & Stylish at Mummabstylish, #SpreadTheKindness and #Linkup on the Edge at Shelbee on the Edge, #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, Turning Heads Tuesday at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Style with a Smile at Stylesplash, TFF at Doused in Pink, Lizzie in Lace, Confident Twosday at IDoDeclaire, Rena at Fine Whatever,, #Neverendingstyle at The Grey Brunette, Fancy Friday at Nancy's Fashion Style, Weekday Wear Link-Up at Away from the Blue Sunday Showcase with Chez Mireille and Elegance and Mommyhood (first Sunday of the month), Talent Sharing Tuesdays at Scribbling Boomer, Link Up Pot Pourri at My Bijou Life, Traffic Jam Weekend at Marsha in the Middle, Fabulous Fridays at Lucy Bertoldi
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I prefer to make Is This Mutton the optimum reading experience without ads or pop-ups (except for the necessary pop-up urging you to join the email list!).
Now it's time for the #WowOnWednesday link-up. Bloggers/Instagrammers can find new readers, plus readers can find new blogs to read. I promote my favorite five posts on Facebook and Twitter every week, and feature the most clicked posts in Instagram Stories.
Last Week's Favourites (Most Clicked)
Marsha from Marsha in the Middle got your attention with "How the Heck did That Happen?" - her account of nearly 50 years with her husband, and becoming a brand ambassador for a shoe company.
Jacqui from Mummabstylish is looking very stylish in her co-ords and new espadrilles. I love separates, so co-ords is a trend I'm keen to embrace!
Congratulations!! You will see that over some time you will be busier then you thought you would be. In not retired, but not working because of my disease, but my days are far too busy. There are so much interesting and fun things to do!
ReplyDeleteFrom the day I retired 14 years ago I began taking non credit classes in subjects that I love. The silver lining of Covid was that universities offered courses via zoom so I wasn’t limited to local institutions. I have enjoyed classes in needlepoint, learned to play bridge and pursued my passion with classes in literature with brilliant professors from universities all over the world.
ReplyDelete