This is a big year for you. You’re retired now and it’s time to rest from all your years of hard work. You are excited to take the much-needed relaxation but somewhere in your heart, you can’t shake that feeling that you may get bored along the way.

But don’t overthink it. You can still have a retirement free of boredom.

Here are some tips to get you going:

Think big, act bold

The fact that you have retired doesn’t mean that you cannot set new goals and aim for new accomplishments. You can pursue a passion you’ve always wanted to like write a book, starting a blog, learning to dance or play a sport, or learning to play a musical instrument. You can also find new ways to employ the skills you developed during your career (such as becoming a public speaker, career coach to help the young ones in your same field) and even earn money doing it.

The point being that retirement shouldn’t stop you from thinking big, taking chances and being a bit audacious.

Make new friends, reconnect with old ones

Research shows that retirees with a firm circle of friends are much more likely to say they’re happy with their lives.

If you don’t have much friends, getting into new relationships may seem like an impossibility seeing as you’ve left work and perhaps have limited chances of meeting new people. Still, it can be done.

You can meet new people by volunteering for charity, taking a part time job, joining online groups that get together to pursue a common interest (Like fitness, dancing, books, writing) and even enrolling for courses at a University – all these are excellent ways to meet new people and widen your social network.

But while you’re making new friends, don’t forget to maintain relationships with older friends, the people with whom you shared life’s earlier experiences with before you became who you are today.

Grab opportunities to shake things up

Being able to relax without having a daily to-do list on one’s mind is one of the many perks of retirement. But a daily dose of relaxation or sticking too closely to the same routine can lead to boredom and create a sense of sluggishness. Therefore you should find ways to break out of the usual routine and spice things up occasionally.

That could involve something as simple as taking an unplanned road trip, trying out a new hobby, going away to a new city for some time, learning a new language etc. Do something that pushes you out of your comfort zone.

Bottom-line: The most important thing is to enter this phase of life unafraid of redundancy. Instead be open to new possibilities- be ready to seek out challenges and adventures.