As the New Year approaches, it is an opportune moment to reflect on the journey ahead, particularly as retirement beckons or unfolds. This transition marks a significant milestone in your life, offering a fresh page to script a fulfilling and purposeful chapter.
Effective New Year’s resolutions around retirement involve introspection, planning, and a commitment to embrace the future with enthusiasm. Here’s a guide to creating resolutions that set the tone for a fulfilling retirement journey, and possibly retirement living.
REFLECTING ON ASPIRATIONS AND GOALS
Retirement or not, New Year’s Resolutions can sometimes feel like a whim. Short term aspirations that will fall by the wayside come February. To truly take advantage of the reset presented by your retirement you can take the time to look inwards and make plans based on what will truly make you happy.
This can be done in a number of ways.
- Self-Discovery – Begin by reflecting on your aspirations. What passions, hobbies, or interests have been waiting in the wings? Retirement opens the door to explore new avenues or revisit long-lost passions. Take time to delve into what truly brings you joy and fulfilment and set your intentions accordingly.
- Identifying Priorities – Consider your priorities for your retirement, which is essentially the gift of time. Is it travel? Spending more time with loved ones? Pursuing creative endeavours, or using your free time wisely with self-care or philanthropic activities?
- Journaling – the act of writing down what’s in your mind can be immensely cathartic, laying bare thoughts and emotions you did not realise were holding you back and making space for your true desires to surface. The best way to journal is to try not to think too hard. The idea is for a stream of consciousness to flow onto the page.
Some prompts could include: What does my ideal life look like now? Where do I feel I have wasted time in the past? What excites me about the future.
Identifying these priorities lays the groundwork for meaningful resolutions.
CRAFTING MEANINGFUL RESOLUTIONS (AND STICKING TO THEM)
There are techniques to help you keep to your new year’s resolutions as your retirement expands, which ring true at any stage of life. Setting realistic goals, celebrating progress and regular evaluation are the cornerstones of effective new year’s resolutions.
Make your resolutions specific, achievable, and realistic. For instance, rather than a vague goal of ‘travel more,’ specify destinations or experiences you aspire to. Set a target to visit a certain number of places within the year.
Collect inspiration together in a scrap book. Using the travel metaphor, it could be pictures of places you would like to go, dishes you would like to try and experiences you would like to have while you’re there. Talk to people who have travelled to places you’d like to go. A sure-fire way to achieve goals is to surround yourself with people who have lived through them and prove they are attainable.
Make sure to find the balance between aspirational but within the realms of possibility. You can separate short- and long-term goals.
For example, a round the world cruise may not be immediately accessible, but several smaller short haul trips could give you the inspiration to push on to more ambitious travels. Celebrate milestones along the way. Each achievement, no matter how small, contributes to the fulfilment of your retirement resolutions. Recognising these milestones fuels motivation to pursue further goals.
Regular Evaluation – Periodically review your resolutions. Assess your progress, celebrate achievements, and adjust if needed. Allow flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances or evolving interests.
SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR RESOLUTIONS THAT STICK
So, what are some areas where new year’s resolutions in retirement can be beneficial. Here are some examples of effective retirement new year’s resolutions that will help to enrich all areas of your life. And, because Burghley Retirement Living provides an opportunity to achieve all of these goals, we’ve highlighted why a retirement living apartment should be on your wish list for 2024.
PRIORITISE HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Your health and well-being are the most important part of your life as you age. A healthy mind and body open the doors to happiness in all other spheres too. Whether it’s committing to a regular exercise routine, dealing with ongoing niggling health issues, adopting a healthier diet, or exploring mindfulness practices, investing in your health is crucial for a fulfilling retirement.
RETIREMENT LIVING: We offer contemporary and welcoming communal spaces to meet friends for game nights and activities, to exercise those ‘little grey cells. Our locations make accessing local classes and groups easy. Plus, many of our retirement living developments offer gyms, so you can embark on a New Year fitness plan.
FINANCIAL PLANNING AND SECURITY
Review and refine financial goals. Consider consulting a financial advisor to ensure your retirement funds align with your lifestyle aspirations. Resolutions in this realm might include creating a budget, diversifying investments, or exploring new income streams.
Include resolutions that focus on long-term financial security. This might involve estate planning, updating wills or beneficiaries, or exploring options for healthcare and insurance coverage during retirement. Putting things in place to minimise stress for your family later down the line is one of the most effective new year’s resolutions you can make.
RETIREMENT LIVING: Our luxury retirement apartments are built to a high specification, with energy saving appliances and are thermally efficient, helping to keep monthly bills down. Your annual service charge includes buildings insurance, so you don’t need to worry about any large maintenance bills. Retirement living gives you the ability to budget well, with a greater financial reassurance. Plus, if you are downsizing there is the opportunity to release equity now and enjoy the benefits of a financial nest egg. If financial planning for a retirement living move seems overwhelming, we have a skilled team to help. Plus, we can even support you with a part exchange scheme and get you settled quickly into your retirement apartment lifestyle.
CULTIVATING RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNITY
A certain way to boost happiness and fulfilment in retirement is to prioritise relationships in your New Year’s Resolutions. Allocate time to foster connections with family and friends. This could involve regular gatherings for which our lounges and communal areas are ideal, planning activities together, or volunteering in your community.
Consider resolutions that involve expanding your social circles. Join clubs, groups, or classes that align with your interests. Embracing new social circles can bring a sense of purpose and alignment in retirement.
RETIREMENT LIVING: In addition to being set in the heart of local communities, our retirement lodges offer a range of activities in the communal lounges. From watching TV together, to wine tasting events, game nights and Christmas parties. The spaces are a hub of activity that allows neighbours to mix, and a place you will create friendships. Plus, you can use them to host larger family celebrations, and with Guest Suites, family and friends can stay overnight.
PERSONAL GROWTH AND LEARNING
Whether it’s picking up a new hobby, enrolling in educational courses, or attending workshops, fostering personal growth adds depth and richness to your retirement journey. It’s the perfect time to learn a new skill or pick up an old hobby that life got in the way of.
Some ideas could be learning a new language, trying your hand a pottery or painting, taking a cookery course, or even going back to university and getting a degree! Whatever it is you feel a connection to, take the leap to expanding your knowledge and you certainly won’t have any regrets.
RETIREMENT LIVING: Life is an ongoing opportunity to learn a new skill. We work with local groups to host events at the lodges, such as our festive event with the singing hub, Musical Village at our Derby development, Albany Lodge. Here you can join in with the singing group and try your hand, or voice, at a new skill. Lodge managers are also happy to work with owners in creating events that will enhance or develop new skills, such as art classes.
RETIREMENT JOURNEY EQUALS RETIREMENT LIVING
As the New Year dawns, crafting effective resolutions around retirement isn’t just about setting goals; it’s about embracing a new chapter filled with purpose, growth, and joy. And Burghley Retirement Living can provide the opportunity to fulfil many of your goals.
Embrace the opportunity that retirement brings by crafting new year’s resolutions in line with your own personalised vision of the future. Allowing you to live your retirement, your way.
To find out more about luxury retirement living in Shipley, Derby, Thornton-Cleveleys, and Brighouse, visit https://burghleyretirement.co.uk/locations/
