So your son or daughter is off to college.  Now…what about you?

You will have more time now than you have likely had in about 18-25 years.  Below are what my friends who have enjoyed the challenge have done with the time.

Dating – That’s right, why should the kids have all the fun?  My single friends have gone on-line.  My married friends have re-discovered why they got married to that person beside them.  It can be fun to find that person again.  If you think date night was important when the babies arrived, it’s even more important now.

• Start a new health habit. – Train for a half marathon.  Walk around the block each night.  And of course, my favorite, begin or continue your yoga practice.

• Start a new hobby – The more time-consuming the better.   What will it be?  Golf?  Gardening? Gourmet cooking?

• Volunteer – There are so many little league teams that need coaches;  food pantries that need organization; elderly neighbors who need a friend.

• Reinvest in your career – Go back to school.  Take a certificate course.  Consider a new avocation.  If you are well and in your fifties or sixties, you could have a wonderful 10-20 year “run” in a new profession.  Your kids don’t have to be the only ones that “take off”.

For many of us who are in good health, we can look forward to (almost) as many good and productive years ahead of us as we have already experienced.

Some good reads on this topic:

• What Should I Do With the Rest of My Life?: True Stories of Finding Success, Passion, and New Meaning in the Second Half of Life Paperback – March 1, 2011, by Bruce Frankel  (Author)

• Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life: How to Finally, Really Grow UpPaperback – March 16, 2006, by James Hollis  (Author)

What are your plans now that your child is off to college?