Welcome to 2026 and to my new blog! My goal for this blog is to share ideas, information, and inspiration for living well in retirement. Blog posts will focus on: 1) Gen Xers craving meaning in work, 2) those who are near or newly retired, and/or 3) Boomers in the “Now What?” phase.
Today’s blog post focuses on the “Now What?” phase and offers ideas for doing a “retirement refresh.”
It’s common for people to get through the initial honeymoon phase of retirement and ask themselves “Now What?” Some of the common challenges experienced by people who’ve been retired for a while include:
- loss of purpose or direction
- staying connected with family and friends
- lack of structure or schedule
Why do people struggle with these issues?
First, it’s important to feel like we have purpose and meaning in life—to have a reason to get out of bed each day. After spending our lives focused on work and family, it can be hard to know what to do with ourselves, where we fit, or where to start.
Second, it’s important to stay socially engaged and connected. That can be challenging after retirement when we no longer see our work colleagues every day and our opportunities for social interactions decline.
Third, we are left to our own devices for creating structure and for scheduling our time. At first, it might feel great to sleep in every day and have the freedom of time. After a while, we might start to feel bored, unchallenged, and directionless. It feels like life is blur and time just slips by.
If you’ve been retired for a while and you’re feeling uninspired by life and not sure where to start, then this is the perfect time to do a “retirement refresh.” Instead of focusing on those pesky New Year’s resolutions that we all soon forget, start figuring out what you want to do, make a plan, and take action to shake things up and try new things.
Here are some ideas:
- Try something you’ve never done before
This could be something you’ve always wanted to do or something completely new. Maybe you already have something in mind, but you haven’t done it yet. Or maybe you have no idea where to start. Sit down and do some brainstorming. Write down whatever comes to you. Pick one thing. Go!
- Do something you used to love but stopped doing
Think back about experiences that brought you enjoyment—activities where you would completely lose yourself for long periods of time. Maybe you stopped doing those activities because you didn’t have time or energy or motivation. Life gets busy. Months or years go by. Again, brainstorm ideas, pick one, and get started.
- Go for a walk every day for a week
Part of feeling stuck in the “Now What?” phase is due to lack of movement. Get your body moving and active again. Regular exercise is good for your health, cognitive functioning, and mental well-being. You don’t have to start running marathons or get a fancy gym membership. Start simple with a daily walk. It gets your body moving, fresh air, and out of the house.
- Minimize TV watching
I can fritter away time watching silly TV shows like nobody’s business! It’s the go-to activity to “relax” or when we’re tired or unmotivated. Set a time limit for TV watching (ditto for Facebook, any social media, and the news). Instead of watching TV, try one of the things on this list of ideas. Or, read a book, listen to music, write a letter to reconnect with a good friend (remember how nice it is to receive a handwritten note in the mail?!). When we minimize TV watching, then suddenly we have time to do other things that we enjoy or that we’ve put off doing.
- Start a journal
Brainstorm about what you want your life to look like in retirement. Write it down. There is power in writing things down. Write down your thoughts, challenges, dreams, and wishes. Reimagine your life in retirement. What do you want it to look like? What steps can you take to make it happen? It’s a good place to keep track of your progress, challenges, and successes.
- Sign up for a class to learn something new
There are many opportunities to take a class on just about anything. It feels exciting and invigorating to challenge ourselves to learn new things. Prices range from $0 to cheap to very expensive. You can take one-time classes or ongoing classes. In person or online. Your options are limitless. It just takes a little research. Check out the website for your local museum, art studio, park, or botanical gardens. Search online for classes on cooking, learning to play a musical instrument, or tennis. Search for “Lifelong learning opportunities in [your city].” If you can’t find in-person opportunities near you, then look for online courses. I’ve taken reasonably priced online classes on photography, drawing, and learning to speak Italian through Udemy, the Smithsonian, and the Cornell Lab Bird Academy.
- Go on a local adventure
Wherever you live, there is bound to be something within a short drive or train ride that you’ve never done. Check out that quaint little town with the interesting shops and cafes. Go to a museum. Go on a hike. Check out a local attraction you’ve been wanting to go to. Getting out of our normal day-to-day routine and out of our comfort zone—trying or seeing something new—is a great way to add some zest to life.
- Spend time in nature
Go to a pretty place where there are trees and singing birds. A nearby park. Your backyard. A walk on the beach. Anywhere that you feel surrounded by nature. Spending time in green spaces is good for our health. Take time to stop and smell the roses.
- Make a schedule
Freedom from work can be both wonderful and challenging. Without structure and schedule, it is easy for days, weeks, months to go by where we feel like not much happened. It feels like a blur and we feel unsatisfied or uninspired. Try creating a schedule for yourself. The nice thing is that you get to decide what you want your schedule to be. Put your desired activities in your calendar and stick to it. If it’s on your calendar, then you are more likely to do it.
- Get in touch with a friend you haven’t talked to in a while
Speaking of time going by fast in a blur, it’s likely that you have friends that you haven’t been in touch with lately. Life gets busy. Months, or even years, can go by where we haven’t connected with people we care about. Take the time to reach out to one or two friends or family members that you would like to reconnect with.
Having a happy life in retirement takes work, but it is worth the effort. If you’re feeling unmotivated, bored, or not sure what to do with yourself, then shake things up. No one can do it but you. Sometimes it just takes making small changes that add up over time. Do one activity that feels great, and that inspires you to do another activity that feels great. Before you know it, life feels better in general.
Make Your List and Take Action
These are my ideas, most of which I’ve done myself to get unstuck. You can try my ideas if they work for you. Or you can come up with your own list. Do what makes you happy or what will get you up and moving for a “retirement refresh.” The point is to make your list of activities you want to do and then take action. Once you make your list, pick one activity to do each week for the next month and then do your chosen activity each week. Start with one activity that seems easy and doable, or one that you’re most excited about. Give yourself an easy win. Next week, pick another one from your list and do that. If it helps, then schedule your activities in your calendar in advance.
If you’re having trouble getting started, then try this trick. When I’m feeling unmotivated I tell myself, “Just begin.” Kind of like Nike’s “Just Do It.” If I don’t feel like taking a walk or doing yoga or baking cookies (all things that I enjoy, but I’m too tired or unmotivated), then I tell myself “Just begin.” Go for a 10 minute walk. Do 15 minutes of yoga. Make the cookie batter now and bake the cookies tomorrow. It never fails. Once I get up and get started, I realize I’m not as tired as I thought. I end up taking a 30 minute walk. My 15 minutes of yoga turns into 45 minutes. I not only make the cookie batter, but I bake the cookies. I’m always glad I did it. Try it out yourself.
Closing Thoughts
These are all small but significant steps you can take to jump-start your “retirement refresh.” Spend some time doing activities that give you purpose, meaning, and enjoyment in life. Do some things where you’re spending time with people, whether they’re new friends you meet in a class you’re taking or reconnecting with longtime friends. Give yourself some self-imposed structure by creating a schedule and sticking to it. If the first few activities don’t quite do it for you, the good news is that you can keep trying and exploring. That’s part of the fun! Just begin.