If you haven’t thought about creating a bucket list, it’s something you may want to consider either before or once you’re in retirement. For many, retirement is viewed as one long holiday that offers the opportunity to pursue new passions. But for some, it can be a challenge to identify with a life outside of a career, and they are unable to establish any tangible goals, which can lead to lethargy or depression. Since retirement can last for decades, creating plans, no matter how small or ambitious, is one good way to stay engaged and optimistic about the future.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Sleep in a boat or houseboat
- Renew your wedding vows and revisit your original honeymoon destination
- Take lessons in cooking, painting and ballroom dancing
- Learn a foreign language
- See a Broadway play in New York City
- Attend professional sporting events
- Spend more time with grandchildren / take them to Disney World
- Live abroad for a year
- Adopt a pet
- Take an overnight train trip with sleeping berths
- Travel Route 66
- Put decades of photos in photo albums
- Take on gardening projects
- Redecorate
- Spend the day at a spa
- Custom design and build your dream retirement cottage
- Write a book
- Track down long-lost relatives or trace your family genealogy
- Plan a regular date night once a week or several times a month
