Congratulations, you have made it to your sweet 60. You might be even above that age, but let’s leave numbers at the door. Your age should matter only in a positive context, for instance, when you use your experience and wisdom. However, you may also want to make new friends or revive your connections when you reach this milestone.
So, the question pops up as to how to do that?
Read on to find out the three go’s of enlarging your network.
1. Go Back to School
Don’t take this advice literally; rather, consider this as a sign that learning is an endless process. Once a student, always a student. When you were young, you might have made a decision to study a field that you were not particularly interested in. You thought it was a lucrative or highly-regarded discipline and didn’t explore what you wanted to do.
For instance, you studied law or medicine as your parents instructed whereas you wanted to become an artist or an artisan. The good news is that it is never too late to start learning. You can apply for university courses or enroll in separate lessons on specific subjects. No matter what option you choose, learning something you always liked and longed for would help you instantly find and connect with people who share your interests.
2. Go High-Tech
Yes, it can be difficult to understand all those social media apps that your children and grandchildren are constantly checking. You may find yourself at a family dinner with you eating and others deep into their phones. While you are questioning the idea of the next family dinner, why not give technical stuff a try? If you don’t have a family, ask your neighbors or relatives to give you a helping hand.
This can serve as an excellent opportunity in two ways. First, you can ask your family or network to help you. The chances are high that they would be delighted to teach you things that they are knowledgeable about. For instance, ask them to open you a Facebook or TikTok profile (why not).
The other advantage is that you can find your old school or university friends and partake in discussions on topics you are interested in. Today, many people use social media as an encyclopedia where almost everyone has their chapter and page. As you insert some information about yourself (as much as you feel secure), it would help you find new people, follow trends and even try some!
3. Go to Another Place
You may also be thinking about relocating to another place, such as moving into an assisted living residence, which might mean you should pause some relationships and restart others. It could be the case that the old setting you are used to doesn’t satisfy you and your needs anymore. You hear the same conversations, follow the set-in-stone routine, and interact with similar people. You feel that you need some freshness, some updates.
Luckily, there are a handful of options you can consider. First, relocate for some time in a day and visit places and centers you have never been to. For example, if there are available senior or community centers, you can visit them, observe their activities, explore different assisted living options, and make new connections. Alternatively, you can seek help finding assisted living and ultimately relocate to long-term care centers where like-minded people live. The good news is that there are funds and programs supporting seniors financially when they want to restart their lives. You can find clubs you can join at such centers, like book or fitness clubs, and explore new ways to spend your time, like geocaching or gardening.
Regardless of where you choose to go, remember that you need to take the initiative. Yes, you might feel awkward approaching a random person on the street, so establishing a unifying context would be the first step. Joining communities, going technical, or relearning something new are the primary contexts and environments you can opt for. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, speak up if you need advice and be ready to make new friends in no time.
