The best reasons to retire (at age 60 or 62 or 65) are positive visions of the life you want in your retirement years. These often include more time for travelling, pursuing hobbies, spending more time with family and friends.
Retirement is not one phase of life but a transition into multiple phases of life especially with today’s increased life expectancy of 15-20 years or more; enough to start a new career. While some need to work after retirement to support their family, it is also an opportunity to pursue one’s interests & hobbies that had been put on the back burner during working life. The multiple phases spread over planning, contentment, disenchantment which is associated with emotional downsides such as loneliness, disillusionments, feeling of uselessness especially when you are experiencing failing health. As retirement life becomes more familiar, people in this phase tend to accept this situation and settle into a new set of routines generating a fresh sense of purpose and opportunity to enjoy life.
In the prevailing Economy of Pakistan, we are currently experiencing inflation and high costs of living making it difficult to meet day-today expenses. Hence planning for post-retirement phase for people especially in the age bracket of 30-40 years is rather unfathomable. However, as a Nation we should learn to live simpler life and cultivate a habit of ‘Savings’ no matter how little it might be. Hence, both younger and older working class should begin their Savings at 5% and increase it to 25% of their Income as they go along with careful planning, simpler living and prioritizing expenditures judiciously to secure some financial security to enjoy the golden phase of post retirement. The Savings should be invested in diversified segments of market such as Real Estate, Insurance, Pension Schemes which also provide Income Tax Exemptions in Pakistan.
Unlike western & developed countries where they are seen as a burden, there is greater respect for senior citizens/elders in Pakistan society by and large where they are guiding their children in their professional and personal lives based on their experience and wisdom. However, do not give unsolicited opinion all the time for tranquility and harmony of people around you. Here are some small tips to equip senior citizens in their social interactions such as never impose your views or teach anyone anything unless requested, stop complaining about your woes and expecting gratitude from children, don’t blame yourself for whatever happened to your life or to your children’s lives as you did everything you could.
Age is not a division sum where we are reduced to a fraction of what we were. It is multiplier if we chose to keep growing in every way. If a person leads a healthy lifestyle, is mobile, has viable physical activity and is fully mentally active, intellectual abilities do not decline with age; they simply grow. We see lots of people reaching their peaks after 60s which include political & business elites; writers, poets, painters, musicians such as Zia Mohyuddin, Anwar Maqsood, Sadeqain, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Mushtaq Yousafi and the list goes on.
So in & around 60, we need to redefine our second innings. It is perfect time to think and pursue things you are passionate about. For some, it is also a time to be spent working to give back to the Community. Make efforts to understand new technologies, acquire a new skill or interests, read books and follow news to remain relevant to current times. This is also important because by 60, most of the Senior Citizens have already achieved their life milestones (with its associated excitements) such as education, marriage, children, career/profession, business, financial security/assets. It is therefore time to rediscover & reinvent ourselves; and setup new milestones.
To make the best of Senior years of your life, take good care of your health. Indeed Health is real Wealth in this phase. Among the signs of longevity, strong leg muscles are listed as the most essential. Fifty (50%) of a person’s bones & muscles are in two legs while 50% of blood is flowing through them, ‘Ageing’ starts from feet upwards. Therefore, regular exercise like ‘Walking’ for at least 30-45 minutes is very important. When the leg and muscles are healthy and strong, blood flows smoothly to have a strong heart. Needless to mention, checkups and blood tests to monitor other health related parameters like Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Diabetes etc. should be undertaken regularly.
In conclusion, senior citizens should choose their happiness more than anything. You don’t let people define your success. Walk away from people who don’t value you. Learn to drop ego than to break a relationship. Make the most of every day because life is fleeting. You are work in progress, so there is no need for you to be hard on yourself. Do whatever makes you happy, as you are solely responsible for your own happiness.
Well done, Zawar.
Thankyou. I am in the process of developing the website and would be adding contents in it regularly. I will intimate you to scroll through the new content on the website as & when it happens. Keep reading & take care. SZH
Lovely Article !!!!! Simple, Concise and thought provoking. Thanks for channeling my attention towards the next phase of my life, which is around the corner
Thankyou Reza. I am in the process of developing the website and would be adding contents in it regularly. I will intimate you to scroll through the new content on the website as & when it happens. Stay connected & take care. SZH
There are so many learning lessons in this post! Indeed, every phase of Life is a gift of God and must be valued.
Thankyou Sakina. I am in the process of developing the website and would be adding contents in it regularly. I will intimate you to scroll through the new content on the website as & when it happens. Stay connected & take care. SZH
Very insightful and well written, definitely has me thinking about retirement planning with the lesson shared in the article. 100% agree that health is gold in this phase.
Thanks. Indeed it’s a food for thought.
Great post. Best comment is health is wealth
Indeed, Health is wealth in all phases of our life.
Plenty to think about for the younger generation.
This is a very good post. A few thoughts come to mind:
a) A few decades ago (20-30 years ago), it was seen that our elders/parents in Pakistan were able to save more than many Western families, where consumerism (and social benefits in social welfare countries in Europe with high taxation, coupled with great benefits) has always been King.
This is no longer true, and it is difficult to save money in Pakistan now, unless we relegate ourselves to an extremely simple lifestyle devoid to external influences.
b) Western society has always been focused on the now, living in the moment. Therefore, many people do not need to wait for retirement to pursue their passions.
In Pakistan however, the common life path is to get married and have children; wait for the children to grow and get married; and when one reaches their 60s and retires, pursue their dreams and passions. At this stage, people are also let down by their health.
Children in Pakistan should also be allowed to pursue their dreams and passions at an earlier age, juggling their daily jobs and families.
c) This brings me to my third point. Pakistani children, who start pursuing their dreams/passions/goals, will be able to develop an entrepreneurial spirit. Entrepreneurialism is extremely important for a nation like Pakistan; in light of the stagnating economy. Even in our personal family, we are educated and talented, but extremely risk averse. The spirit of entrepreneurship needs to be developed in children at a much younger age.
Bilal, all your comments are quite relevant though it may have different connotations & dynamics in North America as compared to Pakistan. Anyways, senior/retirement years planning is important at all places. Let’s keep reading, sharing and reflecting. Thanks
SZH
Great post. Health is wealth. Totally believe in this wholeheartedly.
Indeed, good health provides an individual the opportunity to enjoy life to its maximum.
Well written and thought provoking!! But i do believe that may be for my generation, in order to pursue ones own passion, doing what makes yourself happy, be it travelling (religious or recreational) the age might be a very different number than by 60, in order to achieve all major milestones in life, fulfilling family responsibilities, especially in this economic environment. Which means keeping yourself financially stable and independent to much later age than 60.
True. The working life in North America & Western Countries are beyond 60-65 years (a typical in Pakistan) ; the struggle & continuous work perhaps is longer to meet your aspirations. However, there is no standard formula or age to pursue your interests & hobbies. Nevertheless, keep in mind that there is comparatively more contentment on fewer things/materialistic achievements in Asian countries like Pakistan. Where ‘financial security’ has been achieved in modest terms, the real question for an individual arises to define the age & time to take it easy and enjoy life/pursue one’s interests. Please note that if you are lucky to reach 80, 75% time is already gone by age 60 and you are left with very little time (20 Y, 25%) with a big question mark or condition of good health. Food for Thought.
Well well put.
Great post – really enjoyed reading it
Good read, an eye opener for people who are approaching 60. There are many tips to note, however, for me take home is “EXERCISE/WALK”.
Thanks for sharing.
You are a young man, you should be jogging or running……….jokes apart, Walking is very good for health. Stay regular.
I always believed that our joint family system is the guarantee of happy second innings but this post is perspective changing.
Have reached the half century barrier and time flew so fast that am left with some very sweet and sour memories, four children, their fee bills and zero savings.
Need to think of how to spend my time and fortunes in a manner that I survive the last innings gracefully
Shahnawaz, you will do well Inshallah in your second innings also. You are still a young man with a promising future ahead. So keep a balance and begin with a modest plan for future. You can build it bigger later. It’s never too late.
Excellent place for seeking experts guidance on successful life.
Well-written and thought provoking article. This is an important topic to think about even for ppl in their 40s and 50s because decisions made at this stage will determine the quality of life in retirement.
We are all getting old irrespective of age; the only consolation is that a one day/one month/one year baby is also growing old and heading towards his/her senior years. So awareness & planning for future is indeed very important at all stages provided that we do not over-do it to spoil our present.
A good read. Thank you Zawar.
Thankyou. keep reading on this website and give your feedback/comments.
Insightful article indeed.Thought provoking,leads to internal self assesment at later part of one’s age.
Good to hear from you. Looking forward to your comments in future as well.
Zawar you have added a very pertinent
addition to the book by Shuja Nawaz.Shuja being brother of Pak Army C in C late Asif Nawaz had an opportunity to observe many happenings from a close range.Your comments lead to a better understanding of Pakistan’s politics.
I believe this comment is meant for “The Battle for Pakistan” which is mistakenly placed here. I am also adding it there. Anyways, thankyou for your feedback.