Is Preparation Obvious? Part One

Recently I have had occasion to visit with people who have failed to prepare.  In some ways I have failed to prepare.  Let me use some examples.

Friends are thinking of retiring early.  Great possibilities.  But. . .

They have not been preparing to retire.  Let me count the ways.

They have not developed a breadth of activities they can enjoy and do.

• Active living -- keeping the body strong and healthy could include:
• Walking, cycling, skiing, hiking, serious yard work including digging, landscaping, etc
• Playing tennis, golfing, handball, etc. 
• Dancing or taking dance lessons
• Painting the house or houses
• Helping the others by working on Habitat for Humanity construction projects, shoveling  snow for shut-in, serving and preparing food for community kitchens
• Going on Road Scholar trips that involve a high level of physical activity
• Moderate living -- being active, but not stressing the body, could include: 
• Doing one's own yard word, including pruning, mowing, raking, and planting
• Walking each day
• Playing one or more musical instruments, preferably with others
• Bowling, regular workouts with Silver Sneakers or at a local health facility.  This does not have to be 'heavy duty" stuff.
• Doing your own housework including vacuuming, sweepting, cleaning, etc.
• Quiet living -- for evenings, or when the body has begun to fail, could include:
• Reading, playing board games, getting together with friends to talk, attending films with others and having coffee or dinner afterwards to talk about them, playing computer/tablet games, doing your own preparation for income tax and then preparing your own tax returns, planning trips and projects 
• Taking classes at nearby colleges
• Taking classes on line think of Coursera, for instance) 

You get the idea. In my experience people who retire tend to keep doing what they have "practiced" before they retired.  The time to establish these lifestyle possibilities are when you are in your thirties, forties and fifties.  Of course, it's never to late, but. . . 

What do you think?  Do you have an experience to share?  Leave a comment and let us know.