What do I need for retirement-

[Lisa23]

I know money's important- but I also know it's not just about money. Anyone out there have any thoughts on what's important in addition to enough money?

I'm 49, and my aching-falling-apart-body has me thinking about this retirement thing.

I've come up with 3 other things so far-
Health
Friends and Family
Hobbies and Interests


I'd especially enjoy hearing from those already retired-

[Julie Rains]

I'm not retired but know many who are and am on your side of 40. Ditto on health, family, friends, interests -- I'll add travel (nearby and far away), brain-exercising (learning new things), and community service.

[Gootsy]

Interestingly enough I read my first blog today of someone who's retired (if you don't count millionairemomnextdoor --- shje's retired right?!).

Here's the post I found to be especially interesting which you might like:

The Truth About Retirement
"Life consists of what a man is thinking of all day."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have been retired now for two months. Here is what I have learned. While perceptions of retirement vary, all retirement really means is that you don't go to your job anymore. That is the only universal truth, (well, that and there is no such thing as comfortable thong underwear.)

What will you spend your time doing after you retire? Whatever you spent your time doing before you retired, minus the job. While I'm sure my interests will evolve over the years (just as they did while I was working), I now spend my time doing exactly what I did before I retired, only more of it. (Which reminds me of a wise friend's similar observation after a cocktail one evening, "I feel more like I do now than when I first came in.")

Life consists of what a man is thinking of all day. Being retired just means that what you are thinking of all day is exactly what you want to be thinking about, not what someone else is paying you to think about.

http://retiredsyd.typepad.com/

So outside of money to pay for the retirement, I guess you gotta be happy with your life outside of work cause otherwise... yikes.

[jkuo13]

I'm also no where near retirement, but I'd thought I'd try to re-frame and slightly expand your initial 3 points. The most important things in life are your health and happiness. Money is only a tool for getting those two things. You can break down both health and happiness into subcategories:

health:

• physical: exercise, nutrition
• mental: continual learning to keep the mind sharp
• spiritual

happiness:

• relationships: spouse, family, friends, community, etc.
• hobbies/interests
• charity work and volunteering

It's really all stuff that should be important regardless of whether you're working or retired.

[Lisa23]

You make good sense. As I'm aging, I can feel my body becoming less flexible, more rigid. It gets harder to make the push to exercise.

This aging thing is for the birds. At least physically. Mentally, I love it. I feel like I've finally started to "get it."

[Megan]

I also agree with charity work/volunteering. I know a number of retirees who do a few days a month at a local food pantry, and they love it. And of course, if they decide to go on a long vacation, they can always find someone to fill in for them, so it's not like they're committed to a schedule that can't be changed.

I'd say you also need "dreams." What do you want to do with your retirement? What are the things you'd like to try that you never had the time/energy to do? Travel? Learn an instrument? Things like that.