“Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19

After I retired, I was committed to continuous living and learning.  Although I am a creature of habit, I have decided to throw caution to the wind and experience new things. I exercise at the YMCA at least three days per week where recently I started participating in a cycling class and even tried pickleball. In December, I walked a 5K raising money for various programs and initiatives, including financial assistance for after-school and summer camps, scholarships for childcare and youth programs, and general YMCA operations. I also work part-time at the YMCA in Member Services where I love serving the members of my community.

When I am not exercising and working at the YMCA, I operate two businesses—New Wine, LLC and my financial services business; therefore, I must stay sharp on the latest software and technology. I have become a Zoom queen, somewhat proficient in Canva and WordPress, and even created a picture book in Shutterfly. I have even planned on taking a couple of trips. I am a more of a beach person but this year, I have decided to go outside of my comfort zone. Yes, I am quite busy, but I love everything that I do.

Have you retired or are considering retirement? Do you live a very routine, mundane life? You get up, get dressed, go to work, come home, have dinner, attend to the needs of your spouse and/or children, and go to bed only to start the routine all over again the next day. What will you do when you no longer have that structured routine work life? Take the plunge by trying something new and different? Start now deciding what you want to do after retirement. I know it might be scary, but it may also be very rewarding. You get to do what you always dreamed of doing.

In an article in the Huffington Post titled, “A Look at the Incredible Benefits of Trying New Things,” Larry Alton, CEO of Alton enterprises, provides the following benefits of trying new things:

1. Overcome fear. Fear is the one thing that keeps us from trying new things. We’re afraid of the investment, consequences, and worst-case scenarios. What if I don’t like it?
2. Get to know yourself better. We think we know ourselves, but then we try new things and realize we have unique likes and dislikes that were previously unknown.
3. Stimulate creativity. When you try new things, you put your brain into unique situations that force it to really think. This stimulates creativity, which eventually rubs off in other areas of your life.
4. Make you more marketable. Your desire to try new things should be centered on you and your life goals. A commitment to forging new life experiences makes you more marketable to the world.

Life is short—take the plunge. Find the thing that you have always wanted to do that gives you purpose and brings you joy. In his book, “Know Your Why—Finding and Fulfilling Your Calling in Life,” Ken Costa states, “Our destinies are what He calls us to, but they are never a substitute for our identities—knowing who we are, knowing that we are uniquely and passionately loved by God. If we come to the end of a phase at work, then we are tempted to think of ourselves as having no further value. But if we are secure in our identities, we know that the end of an era is not the end of our destinies. There is always more to come.”