- Start your day by walking the dogs
- Make it worth getting up – for you as well as them
- Getting out early, in the cool of the day is best for them and for you
- Bring water (for you and for them)
- Wear appropriate shoes, hat, sunglasses and clothes
- Do not forget to clean up after them
When you retire from the usual 8 to 5 job – which for many former commuters means no longer leaving the house before 6 AM and returning after 6 PM, the additional hours can put the rest of your day in good order. At an age when many should want to be fitter not fatter, a dog walk at Mission Trails Park seems the perfect start.
- Plan your to-do list with plenty of freedom
- If you care for a garden, tend it in the cool of the day.
- If you go shopping, first make a list of what is needed (to avoid repeat trips).
- If there are projects where injuries (strains) are possible, pay others to do the hard work
- Unclutter your life; collect the things for thrift shops and donation centers your kids will never use.
- Keep a “work” calendar and reminders now for personal errands, events and tasks.
- Plan a time weekly, bi-weekly or monthly to get together with family and friends; involve activities and meals, in addition to simply socializing.
Everyone who retires can easily fall into the trap of inactivity. After years of stressful commuting, project deadlines, customer demands, technical challenges and everything at a frantic pace, doing as little as possible seems inviting. Sitting at the computer surfing all day is a trap. While some are uncomfortable when no longer being the “go-to” problem-solver, others get bored easily and fall into time-wasting habits. Some of those can lead to unwise spending or create unhealthy behaviors. Instead, find something that your community and you can benefit from your experience and talent. Volunteering, participating in community councils or adult education can be rewarding and make your retirement stimulating.
- Tackle one major chore at a time
- If you plan to start painting the living room, do not also start work on the kitchen.
- Value your time although retired. Schedule to get the car’s oil changed or tires rotated so you can do other things around these,
- Just toss it. Call a service to haul away the junk you “planned to toss when you had the time”.
- Getting that new car, RV, home renovation sounds wonderful when you retire. Count the cost of taking on new expenses before sign on the dotted line. A relative who took on a reverse mortgage planned to bequeath her home after her death. Instead the house was foreclosed and auctioned for the unpaid mortgage balance.
It's a Dog's Life 