D O

“Twenty years from now,
you will be more disappointed by the things
that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do,
so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor,
catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore, Dream, Discover.”

— Mark Twain

RESOURCES FOR DOING

WORK

Over 25% of the U.S. population ages 65 to 74 was part of the labor force during 2014-2018 compared to over 6% of those ages 75 and older. More than a quarter of all new businesses are now started by senior entrepreneurs between the ages of 55 to 64. While some people are excited to pursue an encore career after retiring from their full-time job, others are interested in part-time work to keep busy and make ends meet.

If you need or want a new job or career, take a look at the articles under the SECOND ACT and WORK sections below and the following websites:

Alternatively, you might prefer to continue working at your current job and ask to do a phased retirement.

PLAY

Did you know that middle- and high-income retirees spend most of their time sleeping with the second-largest amount of time (averaging almost 4 hours a day) devoted to watching television/movies? Although it sounds like a well-earned luxury, there might be a lot of other things that they could be doing with their time and talents while they are healthy and active.

That said, it can be a challenge to figure out how to best spend your unstructured time after retirement if you don’t already have activities, interests, and hobbies to fall back on. If that sounds like you, take a look at the articles under the PLAY or LIFESTYLE sections below for inspiration.

LEARN

If you decide to pursue an encore career, there are a number of college programs to help make the switch.

If you want to stay active and intellectually stimulated in your retirement years in a community with like-minded people, you should consider moving to a college town or into a retirement community that partners with local colleges to take classes and/or attend sporting events and performances.

Even if you are not in a retirement community, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes operate on over 124 campuses to promote lifelong learning (including activities and trips depending on the location) for those over 50. To find an institute near you, check out this map or this directory.

Other learning opportunities are offered by the following organizations:

Finally, it is important to learn about how to age well and live as healthy and happy a life as possible. Take a look at the articles under the HEALTH/WELLNESS section below for helpful tips and consider the offerings at your local senior center or online classes, like those offered to Vitality Society members.

VOLUNTEER

One of the most rewarding things that you can do is to make a difference in others’ lives by giving your time, talent, and/or treasure. Check out the following search engines for local or virtual opportunities or use a similar search engine for your area:

If you’re a businessperson, you might also consider volunteering with SCORE or applying for an Encore Fellowship.

INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAMS

There are also intergenerational programs that can help you connect and/or share your expertise or life experiences:

GENEALOGY/HISTORY PROJECTS

In addition to working on a family genealogy project, your family, friends, and even a library/historical society would also be interested the gift of your wisdom and memories illustrated with your photographs/videotapes. Consider tackling the project yourself or relying on a company to help you:

HERITAGE TRAVEL

For heritage travel resources, see the Travel Styles tab on the AWAY-DREAM page and related articles.

HEALTH-RELATED RESOURCES

The BrainGuide has two memory questionnaires (one for you and another for someone you care about) that take less than 10 minutes to complete. In addition to identifying local and caregiver resources, the website offers information about brain health, mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias.
The National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services set up a portal to educate and support people whose lives are touched by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias at www.Alzheimers.gov.

For other health and wellness resources, see the Health + Wellness articles below.

CARING FOR THE AGING

If you’re a caregiver, you can find a list of housing, care, and food websites on our Home-Decide page. For additional resources, check out the articles below on caring for aging family members.

RETIREMENT ARTICLES

Every morning, I read retirement-related articles from hundreds of sources and save the very best for our readers under the subcategories below.

Newsletter subscribers receive updates and my notes on the week’s highlights, so subscribe at the bottom of this page if you’d like to be a better-informed retirement planner.

You can browse this collection using the drop-down menu below or do a word search by hitting (1) CTRL+F on your computer, or (2) the three vertical menu dots (AKA the kebab menu) in Chrome to select “Find in page” on your mobile.

RESOURCES FOR DOING

RETIREMENT ARTICLES

Work

Second Act

Super Senior

Play

Learn

Give

Health + Wellness

Caring for the Aging

Lifestyle