These days, people normally retire from active service when they are in late 50s or early 60s. Compared to the 1950s, the life expectancy has increased greatly as it is quite normal to live into one's 70s. With greater affluence, better health care and awareness, one sees an overall improvement in the general health of the people around.

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While one works for someone, one does not plan one's schedule. It is decided by someone else. But after one calls it a day, one has to plan for all the days, months and years ahead. Hence one has to plan one's retirement life of nearly two decades after hanging up one's boots well in advance. Otherwise, one feels neglected, bored and depressed with time hanging heavily on the hands. The first requirement for those with children is that the children are well-settled, professionally and financially so that they are not a burden. It is almost axiomatic that children are not going to stay with their parents as they fly off to different lands to lead their own lives. Hence one has to be prepared and plan one's life in such a manner that one does not expect to be looked after by one's children.

The other major requirement is to maintain good health-something which requires a bit of luck and some planning. Actually, right from the 40s, one should plan and invest in good health. No more abuses of the 20s and the 30s and the focus should be on keeping one's weight under control, with moderation in everything as the key.

The most important worry is how one keeps oneself productively busy. Some are of course lucky to be able to continue working elsewhere for a few years after retiring and further consolidate their finances.

But one has to finally retire from active service and that is the time one needs to have several pursuits, suitable to one's health and attitudes. This requires careful planning well in advance. I have seen some, who claim that they will spend all their time reading up all the books for which they had no time when they worked. If one did not have the time or much inclination for reading earlier, it'll be difficult to immerse oneself in reading after retirement.  Otherwise books may work differently by helping one to fall off to sleep more than any time-consuming passion.

It is not a simple task to prescribe what one should do post retirement. Before deciding on this, one has to take into account one's abilities, preferences, state of health and attitudes. For professionals like teachers, doctors and lawyers, for example, it may be stimulating and satisfying to work for the needy and the underprivileged.

Post-retirement is also the time to try out such pursuits one had wanted to, but had no time or opportunity to do so. Others may give their services at some voluntary agencies working for a cause dear to one's own heart. This is now one's turn to give it back to the society.

The author is municipal commissioner of Ahmedabad