I see Portugal has scooped yet another top-three position in one of those ‘best place to retire’ polls. Should you be on your way here as a result of that survey, or countless others, I have words of warning for you, as does American legend Mr Rogers. Both of us agree that retirement is not all it’s cracked up to be, and in time, you might be bored out of your brains, albeit bored here in Portugal – a fabulous place to endure forever only the urges to eat, drink and sleep!
“Often, when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else,” said Fred, who retired from producing his institution of a show ‘Neighborhood’, of which hundreds were made, aged 73, only to pass away soon after. Perhaps his view on life-after-work carries extra impact, given how it turned out for him, urging us therefore to not only retire, but to do it with gusto and greatness, seizing each day infused with an attitude of gratitude for each blessed moment.
Sure, a little post-career ‘decompression’ is advised, if the pragmatic matter of work can be put aside but mark my words – you’ll be glad of a new interest in life, i.e. ‘the beginning of something else’, once you’ve hit peak idling.
The long-held dream and empty aspiration of ‘doing absolutely nothing’ must have its day, if you’ve nursed it for decades. But when you’re ready, here are 10 things to keep you busy, out of trouble and of benefit to your new community and society:
1) In the time-honoured number one slot is volunteering at your local animal shelter. Many expats and immigrants can’t resist taking in a stray – I have two dogs myself, one of which just turned up, and the other needed a home – so going ‘wholesale’, and going to the source will keep you busy, mucking out, fundraising and trying not to get your heart broken.
2) Taking up a new or familiar sport is a great way to keep fit, make new friends and put your back out. Whether it’s Paddle or Pickle (I liked the latter with its relative ease and accessibility), or even netball (which I won’t be trying again, cos those girls were tough!), court or pitch are an excellent call on your time, enthusiasm and energy.
3) If team sports are not your thing, with all that valent testosterone and occasional over-competitiveness, why not step up to some walking? I discovered recently that the daily 10,000-step target started life as a marketing campaign that got adopted as a fitness credo, which ironically puts as many people off a stroll as encourage them. Why not walk that newly-acquired stray to the cafe, supermarket or beach, whilst eschewing your motor vehicle, meeting your neighbours along the way, and enjoy the vitality and vigour that a twice-daily ‘constitutional’ can bring?
4) Given that Portugal is such a photogenic place, how about taking up or reinvigorating your interest in photography or painting that always got overlooked when you were too busy taking care of your career? With castles, coastlines and characters aplenty, this country is a visual feast that any lens, pencil or brush will be drawn to.
5) If you’re more an auditory than visual type, how about reacquainting yourself with that guitar or sax that always waited so patiently for you in the corner of your study? I know a woman who took up the bass since moving to Portugal, who now plays in a rock ‘n’ roll band that tours Europe and the Far East. How cool is that?
6) Staying with the sonic, but not musical, why not start one of those new-fangled podcast things that seem to be all the rage?! It can’t be that difficult, waffling on for hours, especially about your new life and home, which might make for an interesting take on the traditional letter to the ‘folks back home’. “Dear friends, the sounds you can hear in the background are those of my local Portuguese café … market … bus station”. Take it from a professional waffler, podcasting is easy, fun and addictive.
7) If, as many seem to struggle with, you don’t like the sound of your own voice, how about expressing yourself in written rather than spoken form? That book you always meant to write, that blog you were always going to start? Well, it looks like you might have the time now, and not as many excuses! Remember: there’s no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting, so let it flow and see how it goes …
As we complete our top 10 tips for a full and fulfilling retirement, these last three are perhaps a little more demanding, but nonetheless may appeal to the former high achiever, for whom that first couple of hours of doing absolutely nothing was absolutely terrifying.
8) The first is to consider starting a little, side-hustle business; a side hustle to your retirement, where a hobby interest or skill might enable a holiday fund or some beer money. Make sure to register yourself for taxation purposes, but don’t let the foibles of Finanças put you off making a few extra bucks, when good professional help is available and can get you started.
9) Talking of professional help, many come to Portugal with years of expertise and experience under their belts that local entrepreneurs might value both on an informal level AND even literally. It’s a shame to think that hard-won knowledge and insight might not be handed on to someone younger, so why not share yours?
10) And finally, for the grandest of thinkers, mentors and visionaries among us, how about creating a foundation that might do good long after we’ve gone to join Mr Rogers? Where all or any of the above activities enjoyed, or gifts given, can be immortalised in a legacy that ‘gives back’ to this great place for retirement, even if you never really got round to retiring after all!
By Carl Munson
Carl Munson is host of the Good Morning Portugal! show every weekday on YouTube and creator of www.learnaboutportugal.com, where you can learn something new about Portugal every day!
