The journey to retirement is never easy. To arrive safely and sanely requires we make sacrifices every step of the way. We do without in order to provide for our children and their education. We struggle making ends meet as we feed and shelter the family. We delay our immediate wants to set aside savings that will fund the retirement life we hope to eventually live. Once we finally arrive at retirement’s doorstep, we want our second act to be nothing but spectacular. We have earned it.

For most that first year of retirement is just that. During this initial “honeymoon period”, we finally have a chance to dig into that to-do list of projects and activities we have been compiling forever. We can take those trips to places we have dreamed of for so long. We finally have time for our hobbies. And we can just sit back and relax, enjoying the peace we have earned after a busy career. What more could anyone hope for? This retirement thing is going to be a breeze.

But once this initial time passes, how do we sustain the excitement and adventure of living retirement? The typical person retiring at age 65 can hope to live another 20 plus years enjoying the freedom they have earned. How do they keep retirement fresh?

Your partner is your best friend

If you are so fortunate as to have a partner at your side when you enter retirement, don’t make the mistake of taking them for granted. Retirement will be the first time the two of you have lived together 24/7 day in and day out. Sure you have spent weekends together and the occasional vacation. But until you co-exist side by side full time you cannot really know what it is like. Try to understand how your significant other views retirement. Talk about how you each see the future you will spend together. Do you know what your wife finds most exciting about her retirement-to-be or what your husband hopes to do more than anything during his second act? Wouldn’t it be helpful to know? An open discussion of hopes and fears of your shared retirement can bring to the surface possible issues when you still have time to do something about it.

As a couple your shared interests are likely an important part of what brought you together. Retirement will afford you time and freedom to explore these even more. In addition you each have individual activities and passions that you hope to pursue. It is healthy to do things together as well as independently. For retirement to work, it is important to support each other in these personal quests.

Although you may have no interest whatsoever in traipsing along the 18 holes of a typical golf course, if your wife finds pleasure in that it behooves you to support her. She just might return the favor when you want to spend hours at the train museum.

Don’t wait for life to find you

Now that you are retired, how you choose to fill your days is entirely up to you. All of those interests and activities you were forced to put aside while working can be revisited. Don’t make the mistake of sitting back and waiting for the world to entertain you. Your calendar is now your responsibility. Take the initiative. What better time to try something new. This can be your chance to write that novel you have toyed with for years, or learn to play the piano, or study French so that trip to Paris can be less intimidating, or plant the incredible flower garden you have so often pictured in your mind. If you have

not done it before, don’t worry. No one should judge your success but you. And what fun to spend your days doing what you really want to be doing!

Another ingredient to sustaining a fresh retirement is attention to living each day for all it is worth. If yesterday was not quite what you wanted, don’t worry about it. You cannot change the past. You are here, now, so make the most if it. Why do tomorrow what you can do today? Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “Alas for those who never sing but die with all their music in them.” Retirement can be your time to sing for all you are worth.

Look ahead

Although you cannot prepare for every contingency when it comes to retirement, a little planning ahead can go a long way. I hear from too many readers of my blog who are near retirement but have not taken the time to look ahead to what the years may hold. It is a mistake to just roll into retirement and hope for the best. Sure when you are buried in a stressful job it sounds good to quit work, sit back and just enjoy yourself. But it is not that easy. As your retirement progresses, what will you do to keep busy and engaged with living? What will you do to maintain a healthy body and mind? How will you deal with the realities of aging and the potential impact on your independence? Will you retire in place or move elsewhere? Time spent on better understanding what to expect in retirement can provide a certain peace of mind. Yes there may be surprises along the way but some you might be a bit more prepared for.

It is not always easy to keep it fresh in retirement. Challenges arise and difficulties must be overcome. But with a little effort and focus in the right areas, perhaps you can tilt the deck a bit in your favor.

Dave Bernard is the author of “I Want To Retire! Essential Considerations for the Retiree to Be” and shares his insights into retirement on his blog Retirement – Only The Beginning