Finding Purpose in Retirement: Volunteering, Hobbies, and Second Careers

Retirement is a big achievement that takes years to reach, but some people struggle to find their purpose once they reach this milestone. Retiring can leave you with a lot of free time on your hands, leading you to wonder how to spend your days in a meaningful way. 

Finding some purpose in retirement isn’t difficult once you know your options. What are some great ways to find purpose and spend your time well during retirement?

Giving Back Through Volunteer Work

One of the best ways of finding purpose in retirement is through volunteer work. Giving back to your city and helping those around you can make you feel fulfilled well into your golden years. Consider volunteering in your community at these organizations:

Food Banks

Many retirees find purpose by working with local soup kitchens or food banks. The goal of a food bank is to feed hungry people throughout your area, including people who cannot visit stores due to disabilities or families with small children who cannot afford food. 

When you help at a food bank, you might be asked to collect donations or give out food during scheduled events like Thanksgiving dinner. 

Animal Shelters

Local shelters are almost always looking for animal lovers to spend time with the cats and dogs in their care. Finding purpose in retirement could be as simple as volunteering at an animal shelter. 

This type of volunteer work has multiple benefits. It helps the animals become more social. Also, studies show that working with animals can help people feel less lonely. Many shelters even ask for special tasks, such as reading to the animals or helping with cleaning around the building.

Local Churches

If you are spiritual, consider volunteering at a nearby church. Churches are often in need of people who can assist with weekly or monthly events. You might be asked to help out at Sunday services, group dinners, and holiday events. Helping at a local church is also a good way to make new friends and spend time with people from your area.

Taking Up New Hobbies

While volunteer work is a wonderful way to spend your days, it won’t occupy all of your time and energy. When you aren’t helping out the people around you, you might want to try a new hobby. These are some fun hobbies that you can take up once you retire:

Arts and Crafts

Are you on the artsy side? Arts and crafts can make a great hobby because they bring out your creativity and allow you to express yourself. 

There are so many creative paths to pursue in retirement, from painting to sewing to sculpting. You can even use local sights or people you know to inspire you! The best part is that you don’t have to be good at art. All you need to do is enjoy yourself and create things you care about.

Planting a Garden

Many retirees who love the outdoors take up gardening as a new hobby. Finding a purpose in retirement is easy when you spend time doing something that you love, like planting a beautiful flower garden. You can plant your favorite flowers outside of your home, or you can even invest in planting a vegetable garden in your backyard. 

Extend your newfound hobby into cooking by using your own fresh vegetables to make tasty dinners for friends and family.

Fitness Classes

If you like to lead an active lifestyle, a fitness class may be a good way of finding purpose in retirement. When you enroll in a local fitness class, you will get to exhaust your energy in a fun and healthy setting. A weekly fitness class can restore your sense of purpose by giving you something to look forward to and a way to maintain your health long-term.

Starting New in a Second Career

Do you want a way to spend your time wisely and make some extra money after retiring? Many people choose to start a new job after they retire, giving them a renewed sense of purpose. These are just a few great job choices for people who have recently retired:

Home Design or Real Estate

If you’ve always been interested in homes, there are a number of options for a second career in retirement. For example, you can work in home design and help new homeowners decorate their homes to suit their needs and personality. 

If you’re a real people-person who communicates well, you might be interested in a career in real estate. This kind of work allows you to find purpose by helping others find the perfect home for their family. 

Event Staff

Another great job opportunity during retirement is working as event staff. Ushers, greeters, and more are all vital to big events like concerts and plays. Not only are these jobs fun as a second career, but they also give you a chance to enjoy local events and meet new people. You can also look into jobs at the box office, where you can help with selling tickets to these local events.

Local Office

People who want to play an active role in their community may be interested in running for local office or working in politics. There are many ways to get involved in the political field in your area, such as running for city council or working for a local politician. 

One of the good things about this type of work is that you get to choose how big of a role you want, from working part-time to full-time. Getting involved in politics is also a good way to connect with the people in your neighborhood and make a lasting impact in their lives.

Finding Purpose in Retirement

Whether you choose to start a new hobby, volunteer in your neighborhood, or start another job, there are so many ways of finding purpose in retirement. These options can all serve as a great way to pass the time, make new friends, or feel more fulfilled day to day. 

To learn more about opportunities for recently retired people, take some time to look into local organizations and other community resources.