Has there ever been an interest or activity you wished to pursue, or devote more time to, but if you “only had the time”? Perhaps it’s performing music or theatre, participating in a rec-league sport or engaging in home improvement, decorating or gardening.
If you’re a retiree, you might now find yourself with the time you were looking for. Moreover, you can take the skills and discipline from years of hard work, and leverage those talents to turn your hobbies into a next-act career of sorts. That isn’t to say you need to take on another paid job in retirement, or strive to be the best in yet another career track (e.g., if your hobby is hockey, playing your way into an NHL roster just might be an overly lofty goal). However, by devoting some of your life in retirement to the pursuit of an activity you love, you can enhance your personal development and wellness. Here are some tips to help you get started on a potential “retirement career.”
Take Classes, Seek Coaching
During your working years, you might have had less time to devote to developing skills and talent in your hobby. So, a worthwhile first step in your retirement career could be to find a class in your community or to seek out coaching. You can use this as an opportunity to assess where your skills are at present, and to learn about any new innovations or developments in your field of interest. Examples include taking an arts course at a local college, having a golf pro evaluate your swing or joining a local or online club of fellow hobby enthusiasts. Not only can such activities help you develop new skills, but they also help you with maintaining a routine schedule and stimulating social interaction, both important wellness-enhancing factors for retirees.1
Find a Social Outlet among your Peers
When you’re ready, why not put your hobby into practice in front of others? This can take many forms – from a hiking or birding club, community or mixed professional-amateur theatre or attendance at consumer trade events connected to your hobby. Furthermore, your level of involvement in each of these forums can vary according to your comfort level. You can start off as an observer or member of the audience, move towards being a participant, become a volunteer or even act as a coach, instructor or mentor to others.
If your retirement lifestyle includes travel, then consider planning a trip based around your personal interests rather than just the destination. For example, you can follow your favourite sports team on the road, visit a city famous for its art and architecture or look for “vocation vacation” opportunities, where you can volunteer your time and skills or spend some time working with an actual professional in the field.
Adopt Business Practices
It is often helpful to apply some workplace and business practices to your interests. For example, you can create and maintain a carefully planned schedule, record a ledger of your expenditures (or even revenue, from activities such as sales of arts or crafts, or fees from coaching) and keep track of inventory (for hobbies that require obtaining and storing physical goods such as supplies, equipment and finished products). You may even wish to develop a website, blog or social media story to share your progress and achievements. Applying the principles of business to your hobby helps you track the amount of time and resources you are devoting to this hobby. It also helps give your brain a workout, which is an important aspect of retiree wellness.2
After decades of diligent financial planning, devoting some time to a beloved hobby is a great way to spend your retirement years. And applying the same skills, work ethic and discipline from your career can help ensure you’re getting the most out of your pursuits.
1 National Institute on Aging, “Research Suggests a Positive Correlation between Social Interaction and Health.”
2 Rachel Rettner, “Brain-Stimulating Activities May Keep Seniors Sharp,” LiveScience, January 30, 2017.