When you’re closer to your retirement age, it can be anxiety-inducing. You know that your life is going to change forever. Once you lose your job, you worry that you won’t have a sense of purpose anymore. It’s even more worrisome if you had a powerful career as a British ex-pat. In a snap, life changes. Before you start panicking, you have to understand that there is a good side to retirement. These are some reasons why you have to look forward to it.
You can spend more time with family
When you have a full-time job, you’re too busy finishing tasks. Even if the work hours are over, you still keep working. If you worked overseas, you missed lots of wonderful family moments. After retiring, you can spend more time with your family. You can even visit family members in other places that you didn’t see for a long time. You might want to make the most of your remaining years in life by spending them with people who matter most.
You can start a hobby
You always wanted to start a hobby, but you didn’t have time to do it. Whether it’s related to outdoor adventure or arts and crafts, it takes time. Now that you don’t have a job, you can finally pursue whatever you want. You could even do several hobbies at a time. Invite former ex-pats to go with you so that it will be more fun.
You can enrol in courses you didn’t take before
You chose a career overseas and you studied a degree you weren’t totally into. You had no choice but to follow the practical option. Now that you finally retired, you can be a student again. Education is a lifelong process, and there’s no expiry date. If you want to go back to the course you always wanted to take, you have to take it. Besides, online schools are available.
You can travel wherever you want
Perhaps, the best part of retirement is that you can travel wherever you want. It’s something you always looked forward to. When you were an ex-pat, it wasn’t easy to organise a trip. In many instances, you even decided against it. Now that you have nothing on your schedule, you can go wherever you want.
Be financially ready
You can do anything once you retire as long as you’re financially ready. Remember that you no longer have the same income source as you did when working abroad. Therefore, while you’re still earning money, you need to keep building your savings. Check your retirement funds and make sure that they’re enough to pay for your expenses once you retire. You can talk to financial experts at TailorMade Pensions to guide you as an ex-pat. You need them to tell you what to do if you want to pursue several goals during retirement.
The point is that there are many things to look forward to when you retire after working abroad for many years. You might feel anxious now, but you will get over it. You will realise that retirement presents unique opportunities, and you can make the most of them. With a QROPS pension to keep you financially stable, you will feel more confident to face what lies ahead.
