What neighborhood has 30 golf courses, 110 swimming pools, and 3,000 different lifestyle clubs to choose from?
It’s called “The Villages,” a retirement community of 150,000 residents in Southern Florida. It’s the fastest-growing community in North America.
For many, places like The Villages represent the ultimate retirement dream: zipping around in electric golf carts from the pool party to happy hour to tonight’s entertainment (including theater shows with titles such as Menopause: The Musical!).
For others, a lifestyle limited to constant playtime seems like an insufficient reward for a lifetime of hard work. Will playing golf six times a week instead of once really satisfy?
So, what is the ideal scenario for the retired man? What should he do with his time in this season of life?
From observation and now personal experience, I believe that a man’s later years can be a fun and fulfilling season of life. Unlike seasons in nature, however, your situation won’t automatically change at retirement. It requires understanding, forethought, and planning.
So, what is the ideal scenario for the retired man? What should he do with his time in this season of life?
Here are three things for men to prayerfully consider as they prepare for or navigate retirement.
1. A New Pace Will Be Required
The world tells us, “Sixty is the new forty!” You can beat the aging process through fitness and plastic surgery!
It’s not true.
I know two men who blew out their knees in their fifties trying to play soccer and football like they were still in their early thirties. There comes a time when going all out to catch that pass may not only break a tie but also break a rib.
It’s better to embrace your age and stage in life. Yes, we’re living longer, but it’s not just about lifespan; it’s also about healthspan.
One website dedicated to retirement planning breaks senior years into three time periods:
First is the “GO GO” years—when we can still get around easily and be active in our hobbies and travel.
Next is the “GO SLOW” years—when aging necessitates a slower and more measured pace.
Third is the “NO GO” years—when travel and other activities may be off the table due to declining physical ability.
The length of these three time periods varies widely from one person to the next but can assist anyone in planning the remaining years of their life.
If you have travel goals in retirement, maybe frontload them while you are in your “GO GO” years. Take on some new hobbies and activities that you’ll still be able to enjoy in your “GO SLOW” years. If you live in a multi-story house, maybe get ready to switch to a single-floor home before the “NO GO” years.
Whichever period best describes your current situation, properly understanding your season is wise for every man.
2. A New Purpose Can Be Discovered
When people reach retirement age, what drove their life tends to bubble to the surface.
Recently, I caught a few minutes of a documentary about an aging former pop star taking voice lessons to regain the unique sound she had in her twenties.
(It’s not working.)
Nevertheless, she still attempts to ride a tiny wave of nostalgia, singing (awkwardly) at small venues. At 79, she asks, “When is the right time to give up this career?” Her life has no sense of purpose if she isn’t performing.
Someone needs to write her a song entitled “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee!”
I see the same scenario among men I know, regardless of their occupation. A guy with good work habits, who derives satisfaction from his work, will often deliberately put off planning his future. The need to think ahead is batted aside with cliches such as “I am going to die with my boots on!” or “I will figure that out when I get there.”
Underlying this is an unanswered question of the soul:
“What will my purpose be if I quit what I have given most of my life to, and where will I find significance as a man?”
Beyond knowing who you are as a son of the Heavenly Father (Ephesians 1:4-6), significance is also found in making a difference in others’ lives. God-given purpose always revolves around serving others (Galatians 5:13).
Maybe it is as simple as working at a food bank, stepping up to a volunteer need in your church, or finally going on that missions trip. You can’t change the whole world, but you can change somebody’s world.
And the satisfaction from doing that exceeds all else.
I hear some retirees pushing back, saying, “All my life, I served others. Now I want some me time.”
But that’s the wonderful thing that awaits you—you can have both.
Retirement offers a chance for men to engage in things because you want to, not because you have to.
Having fewer time commitments opens the door to discovering what truly energizes you. Purpose and passion go hand in hand. You will always be passionate about the thing that represents God’s purpose for your life.
And operating within your passion is always energizing.
Retirement years can provide a platform for the greatest impact of your life. The ex-NFL player who becomes a coach has much more influence on the game than during his playing years. Now, his wisdom about the game can be distributed among many players.
You and I can also multiply our impact by mentoring the next generation.
How?
Primarily by just hanging out and doing life together. Aspects of your spiritual life, how you respond to events, how you pray, and the wisdom you share may seem relatively automatic to you, but they may profoundly impact a person younger in years and faith.
I currently have several younger men whom I journey with, and I am constantly surprised at how often they consider a casual comment of mine to be a worthwhile teaching moment.
3. A New Peace Can Be Experienced
The happiest men I know are those who have made peace with their past and discovered purpose for their present. Retirement is a time to find new balance and a new level of comfort in who we are and who we are not.
Forgetting what lies behind and embracing what lies before us (Philippians 3:13-14), we can enjoy a foretaste of the everlasting joy awaiting us all.
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