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Insurance UPDATE

living the life:

the secrets of sucessful retirement

By Barry LaValley,
Hub International
s the saying goes, money can’t buy happiness.
Contributed by: ASo a happy retirement – while made possible have days where you accomplish nothing, happy
retirees report spending time on meaningful, fulfilling
morneau shepell through financial planning – doesn’t materialize just activities. Meaningful activities are those pursuits that
because there’s enough money set aside. make them feel “relevant” and engaged in life.
Your employees probably have no idea how to Balance. It would be easy to do the same few
lay the groundwork for a successful retirement. things over and over, but happy retirees tend to have
Reminding them that happiness comes from other many interests and do a lot of different things over
elements in their life can jumpstart the thought the course of a week. For example, they may love golf
process. And encouraging them to prepare, plan and but golf once or twice a week rather than seven days a
strategize in those areas is critical. week.
Share with your employees what sets happy A more minimal, simple life. A simple life often
retirees apart from others. Here are the ten secrets involves downsizing from a larger home to a more
happy retirees have: manageable condo or apartment, having no debts
A sense of purpose. They feel that they can and generally taking as much stress out of their lives
continue to contribute to their family as possible. The goal is to stop worrying about things
"Healthy aging is and their community, and they they can’t control and to get rid of the annoyances that
participate in activities that support their they can control.
both physical and personal values. They feel connected to Healthy aging practices. Healthy aging is both
mental, and happy the world and a form of spirituality. They physical and mental, and happy retirees try to keep
understand that their existence means healthy within their physical abilities. They fight
retirees try to keep something. through the appeal of giving in to chronic conditions
healthy within Continuing work. This doesn’t mean by increasing the things they can control in their health
they go back to the same dull desk job to feel as good as possible.
their physical they had before retirement. They don’t Altruistic attitudes. Many happy retirees believe
abilities." even have to be paid! The work can be that their satisfaction is enhanced when they are
volunteering, going back to school or giving of themselves. In fact, research tells us that
simply working part-time at something we feel better when we are willing to share. Creating
they like to do. The key is to keep the mind active. happiness for others provides us with happiness also!
Valued relationships. In our later years, social A sense that time is valuable. Time can be fleeting.
networks, family and friends take on increased It can be critically important to live in the moment and
importance. We need people in our lives to share and enjoy as many moments as possible.
enjoy our activities; we also have the need to feel that
“someone cares.” In general, the healthier our social Barry LaValley is President of The Retirement
and personal networks and relationships are, the Lifestyle Center and a leading educator on retirement
happier we will be. issues faced by aging boomers.
A positive attitude. Many happy retirees try to find
the bright side in life. It doesn’t mean that things don’t
get them down, but they recognize that life is more
enjoyable if you learn to adapt to change.
Things to do. While it is okay in retirement to

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