As I’ve helped many clients transition into retirement, one of the most important questions I ask them is, “How do you want to spend your time?” Retirement isn’t just about financial security; it’s about designing your life around the things that bring you joy and fulfillment. For me, retirement planning is not just about money—it’s about aligning your lifestyle with your values, passions, and how you want to spend your most precious resource: your time.
Time Is Your Most Precious Asset
We all have the same 168 hours a week. If you’re like me, and you sleep around seven hours a night, you’ve got 119 hours left to fill. How you use those hours defines your retirement. If you’re anything like my clients, you’ve probably never really stopped to think about how much time you spend on certain activities. But in retirement, every hour becomes an important decision—an opportunity to either do something that brings you joy or an obligation that drains your energy.
Evaluating Time Spent on House-Related Tasks
If you’re spending a lot of time on house repairs, maintenance, or routine cleaning, you might want to consider how much these tasks are taking away from the things you really want to do. I’ve seen many clients assume that they’ll have more time to enjoy life once they retire, only to realize that their home demands more attention than they anticipated. If your home is requiring more time than you’d like to give, it may be time to rethink whether it’s serving you or whether you’re serving it.
What Kind of Retirement Do You Want?
Here’s an exercise I often walk my clients through: Take a look at the 20 activities below. These range from household tasks to hobbies, and they’re meant to help you think about how you want to spend your time in retirement.
- House repair projects
- Regular house maintenance
- Routine house cleaning
- Meals—shopping for, preparing, cleaning up
- Laundry, dry cleaning, altering, sewing buttons on, etc.
- Attending sporting events, concerts, theatre
- Watching television
- Participating in sports/exercise—dancing, running, skiing, golfing, tennis
- Listening to, playing, or creating music
- Meditating/praying/quiet time/daydreaming
- Volunteering
- Shopping or window shopping at a mall or online
- Traveling—weekend trips or major trips
- Gardening
- Building things, sewing, crafting, repairing things
- Interacting on social media or playing games
- Spending time with friends and family
- Phone calls, Skype, or FaceTime with friends and family
- Sleeping
- Hosting out-of-town guests
How Do I Want to Spend My Time?
I encourage you to reflect on these activities and ask yourself:
- House Maintenance: Do you want to continue dedicating time to house-related projects, or would you prefer to reduce your time spent on these tasks? I’ve often found that clients who want to reduce the time spent on things like house repairs and maintenance realize that their homes are taking more from them than they’re giving back. If maintaining your home is becoming a burden, it might be time to downsize or outsource some of those tasks.
- Personal Interests: What are the activities that light you up? Are you someone who loves to travel, garden, or exercise? Retirement offers the chance to do more of what you love, so think about what you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time for. Is it finally perfecting your golf game? Taking those dream trips you’ve postponed for years? Now’s the time to prioritize those interests.
- Creative Expression and Spirituality: For some, retirement is the time to reconnect with their inner world. You may want to dedicate more time to meditation, prayer, or creative pursuits like music or crafting. These are the activities that can help you feel grounded and fulfilled in your day-to-day life.
- Social and Family Engagement: Retirement is also an opportunity to invest in relationships. Whether it’s through hosting guests, spending time with friends and family, or even just connecting via Skype or FaceTime, the relationships that matter most can take center stage in your retirement years.
The 168-Hour Challenge
Now that you’ve looked over these activities, I encourage you to take the 168-hour challenge. Over the next week, track how you spend your time. How much time goes to house-related tasks? How much to the activities you enjoy? If you’re spending more time maintaining your home than living your life, it may be time to reassess your priorities.
For me, retirement is all about making the most of every hour. You don’t want to look back and realize you spent your precious time doing things that didn’t bring you joy.
Your Time, Your Choice
The way you spend your time in retirement should reflect your values and desires. If house maintenance is taking up more time than you’d like, think about whether it’s time to make a change. You have 119 waking hours each week—how will you use them?
Ready to Make the Most of Your Retirement?
If you’re ready to define how you want to spend your time in retirement and create a plan that reflects your passions and goals, I’m here to help. At Wealthy Choices®, I offer personalized financial strategies designed to help you live the retirement you’ve envisioned. Contact me today at 781-577-2311 or visit wealthychoices.com to start planning your ideal retirement.
