Today was my annual mammogram exam. (Here is my small rant: please go have an ANNUAL mammogram if you are over 40!) For all you guys out there do you know what you are missing? Think of having your baby finger slammed in a door.

The x-ray technician was chatting with me about retirement. I am a long way from that however I was intrigued by what she had to say. She is 63 and wanted to work another 5 years if her health allowed her to. She went on to say what would she possibly do if she were to retire early. She thought she would not feel “needed”. I expressed my opinion by saying I thought it was okay to keep working as long as she was also doing things she really enjoyed like golfing, traveling, etc. This whole conversation got me thinking about retirement and what does it all mean. How do we get ready to retire? How do we make the most of it? Read on to get the top Getting It Together tips.

Are you one of these people who can hardly wait to retire?

Do you dream of the day where you get your coffee for FREE?

Do you know of people who retire and then pass away?

People are living longer. Some people count the days to retirement and others like the x-ray technician are dreading it. Is she concerned about the lack of social interaction? Does she think she will be bored?

Like all things in life it is essential to have a well organized plan for your future and for your retirement.

Here are Getting it Togethers TOP 5 tips on Getting Ready to Retire – enjoy the ride.

Tip#1: Make a list of all the benefits of retirement. What does it mean to you? How does it look? How will you fill your days? This could be the perfect time to take up golf lessons, hang out with grandkids or volunteer. Just because you are 65 plus does not mean your life has to stop. Once they retire most people wonder how they ever had time for work. I hope you are one of them.

Tip#2: Make a list of any pitfalls. There may be some downside to retiring if you are not prepared. My partner is older than I am. Most likely he will retire before I do. Does that mean I won’t have to cook dinner anymore or will he be off golfing? Have you got your finances in order? Are you concerned you won’t have enough to do? I could only wish. My bucket list is so long that I think I will run out of time before I get it all done. Hope you feel the same way. Leave me some of your most exciting bucket list items in the comment box. I’d love to hear them.

Tip#3: Keep your brain active. One of the best ways to reduce memory loss is to keep your brain as active as you can. Crosswords, Sudoku, Scrabble, etc. keep the brain active. Reading and working on the computer are also very important. It is important to keep up with the times so you can be current and engage in stimulating conversation with younger adults.

Tip#4: Stay physically active. The more movement you have over the years the more beneficial in your retirement. Exercise increases strength, mobility, brain function and an overall feeling of well being. Exercise reduces stress. It boosts your immune system and keeps you young. Be sure to select healthy food choices.

Tip#5: Stay socially active. The most comments I hear is: “all my friends are gone; who can I hang out with; my family is busy; they have their own lives.” All of this may be true so it is important to get involved in new social outlets. Community centre’s have many senior activities. They have great physical activities as well. Dancing, road trips and parties. The seniors at my gym can put some of the youth to shame. There is no stopping them.

Retirement is a new phase in your life. It means setting up new schedules and new routines. It also means keeping your home organized because you might find yourself downsizing. Downsizing is something that can take place over the course of time. Downsizing is one of my specialties.

How would you like a FREE 30 minute phone consultation on downsizing? We will discuss how to effortlessly downsize. The pitfalls to avoid and how to start downsizing. Get your free session here.