A Happy Retirement – 3 Suggestions for Bloggers


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Phillip Dews

Phillip Dews

Web Developer, Designer & Blogger at BRUM DESIGN
Phillip Dews is a freelance Website Developer, Designer and Blogger from Birmingham in the UK. Phillip's speciality is in creating bespoke and unique WordPress Themes using Bootstrap and custom Facebook page tabs in HTML5 and CSS3. You can view his Portfolio, Testimonials and Blog posts @ BRUM DESIGN
Phillip Dews
Phillip Dews
Phillip Dews

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Fulfil your retirement

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I was 38 on Sunday 1st December last and this got me thinking about my retirement and how I should be planning it!  It really hit me thinking that I am now just 2 years away from 40 and for the past 20 or so years I have nothing really saved for my upcoming future!  I have lost count of the amount of jobs I have had over the years.

Seems to me the days of doing well at school then getting a well paid job that’s going to last for the 50 years after that are now a thing of the past.  Take my parents for instance they worked hard all of their lives working 3 jobs each, scrimping and saving, bringing me and my brother up,  buying their family home in the hope they both could retire at 65 and have a few good years to do what they had always wanted to do!

Tragically my mother passed away on 25th December 2010,  6 months after retiring from her Job and now my dad seems to just spend everyday doing the same thing going from pup to pub,  Hardly a happy and fulfilling retirement hey?  It paints a sad picture I know but please bear with me as this is not a sob story dear reader!  Of course a happy and financially secure future is something we as bloggers should be aiming towards,  but do we really think about it and should we worry about it?

Being financially secure for your retirement is a must and my strategy is two fold. In the short to medium term I am going to continue to build my web design and development career here at home and my long term strategy is to build on my current hobbie as a blogger to something that I can rely on in later life!  But this is just one part of the jigsaw dear reader as there is more to think about like having a fulfilling,  happy and enjoyable retirement.

  • Plan Ahead and be Healthy

Ok so like most things you need to plan it and don’t just fall into retirement without thinking of what you are going to do.  Think of your retirement as a new job or career!  Go and set new goals and achievements you want to happen during your retirement then actively plan for them while taking into account where you are now and where you want to be.  Generally people tend to let themselves go a little bit and slow down after retiring which is no bad thing as that’s what it’s all about,  But bear in mind to keep healthy as it’s a proven fact that we naturally feel happier in ourselves when we are physically fit. So lets keep up our healthy routines up when we are in retirement!

  • Socially Active

While working on our career’s we find that we don’t spend time with our friends or our family as much as we would like which is a great shame!  We are a social animal and we need the company of others to keep our sanity.  We do not want our retirement to be an isolated and lonely place as this can easily happen!  I also don’t mean to stay socially active online.

Surrounding yourself with human beings maintains your emotional well being and keeps you happy!  Make time now for your friends and family to keep that flame burning brightly and your social future will be in a much better condition.  When in retirement we will have a lot more time on our hands so plan to make new friends and go out and meet new people with similar interests and hobbies is something else we should be doing!  If done right mine and your retirement can be a very social and happy time for us.

  • Get up off that Chair and Go for a Walk

I currently work from home as a Web Designer & Developer as well as a blogger and this can be bad for both my physical and mental well-being as well as affecting my creativeness especially if I am spending 15 + hours in front of a computer screen or two.  Your home can become your prison, it can make you feel stifled and isolated and it can stop you from relaxing which means it can turn you grumpy and unhappy!  So what do I do then?  Well I break up my day by going for an hours run every morning to keep myself fit, In the afternoon I go Birding down my local nature reserve for an hour or so then in the evening I go for a walk to my local pub for a pint or two with my mates!

Your home can be a social place at times but you really do not want to be spend 24/7 there now do you!  So get up out of that chair and get some fresh air in your lungs and this can refresh and revitalise yourself, your senses and your mental well-being!

Our retirement should be some of the happiest years of our lives if planned correctly and thoroughly.  Don’t just assume you will be happy and fulfilled if you just plan to be financially secure, after all we have worked hard all of our lives so our retirement should be a time to enjoy the fruits of our labours!  Remember to take an active role in not only securing  your financial future but also what you want to do when you retire!

Have you anything to add to this?  Do you have other tips, ideas, suggestions or criticisms about my post?  Are you nearing retirement and have you planned it out or not? Do please let me know dear reader as I would love to know!  Post your comments below and I will respond to each them as soon as I possibly can.

Until next time…

Phillip Dews

Phillip Dews