OLD AGE BLUES

OLD AGE BLUES

( excerpts from an article published in The Hindu dated 21June, 2009 )

According to a latest report, men plan for their financial security in retirement, but not for their happiness. Unless men build social and leisure networks, they could find retirement lonely and isolating.

A survey (based on which the report is made) revealed that more women than men plan for their health and leisure activities before they stop working.. The findings are significant because “ a person’s level of leisure involvement during their working years tends to predict their involvement during retirement.”

“People are less likely to start new activities after retirement, so getting involved in activities and social activities pre-retirement makes good sense”. The study also found a strong emphasis in society to save money for retirement, but there was no planning of what to spend it on.

The most important questions one should answer are :

What am I saving for ?

What do I really want to do when I retire ?

If working people approaching retirement were helped to answer these types of questions, they could plan more adequately for a satisfying future beyond work.