You’ve spent decades planning for retirement. You’ve saved, strategized, and budgeted. But it’s possible that you haven’t given much thought to the most important aspect of retirement— what are you going to do with all the extra time?

The closer you get to retirement, the more eager people seem to be to give you lists of things you should (or shouldn’t) be doing with your time.

It can be very tiring, and while it may seem like that’s what we’re about to do with our list of “10 Things You Should Do after Retirement,” hear us out. This is a different sort of list. No platitudes or preachiness. This is a list devoted to practical, realistic advice that real people can actually use.

1. Develop routines.

We’re not suggesting that you plan out every minute of every day, but establishing routines can keep you from meandering listlessly through life after retirement. Have a plan— just make sure it leaves room for spontaneity and fun.

2. Tell your story.

Most lists like this one will tell you to write a book or a memoir. That’s sounds fairly daunting for most of us, but you don’t have to write a best-seller. Start with a page or two. Write about something you wish you’d told your kids. Or intriguing memories from your childhood. Share a favorite recipe. Think of the sorts of things you wish you’d asked your parents when they were alive and start there.

3. Listen more.

Yes, you can talk, too. But think of it this way. If you’ve gotten wiser as you’ve aged, perhaps your spouse has, too. Or your best friend. Or your siblings. Rediscover one another and find out who the people in your life have become during the past 30 years or so.

4. Do chores.

Think of all the household projects that you’ve put off for years. Now it’s time to tackle a few of them. This doesn’t have to be drudgery. Remember the feeling you had when you prepared a house in order to sell it? “We should have done that years ago,” is the usual reaction. Do some of them now, and you’ll have years to enjoy the improvements.

5. Laugh more.

You don’t have to become a comedian. But make room in your life for things that make you laugh. It’s not hard. Watch a Marx Brothers movie, for instance. Or a show of bloopers. That old adage is really right– laughter is the best medicine.

6. Meet people of different ages.

Life after retirement is the perfect opportunity to expand your horizons, and making friends who are younger (or older!) than you is a good way to do that.

Spend an hour or two in a neighborhood coffee house during its slow hours. Talk to the baristas. Volunteer with the PTA of a local school or at a children’s museum. Or sign up for a wine- or bourbon-tasting class.

7. Take up a hobby.

A popular suggestion, but a good one that will help keep your mind sharp. Just remember that if you’re going to get involved in a new activity, don’t just do it for the health benefits— do it because it seems interesting.

Join an astronomy club and hang stargaze with your new friends. Learn to blow glass. Or join one of the many slow-ride bicycle groups that have popped up in recent years.

8. Get a job.

Sounds ridiculous, right? You just retired, and we’re suggesting that you go back to work. Well not really. We certainly aren’t suggesting that you go back to the same sort of high-pressure, full-time job you couldn’t wait to leave.

Remember that “dream job” you were going to have as a kid? Go get that job. Retirement is a time to do what you always wanted to— not to mention the fact that staying busy is a great way to keep your mind healthy.

9. Travel.

Think of those places you always wanted to go but could never find the time to get there. This is it. Be brave. Go to that cooking school in Sicily. Learn Spanish in Peru. Visit a tea plantation in Sri Lanka.

10. Dare to dream.

The key here is experience, not expense. We’re not suggesting that you blow $300,000 on a Lamborghini, but don’t limit yourself either.

If you always wanted to tap dance, it’s not too late. Nor is it too late to go on an archaeological dig. Or if you dreamed of hosting a radio or TV show, you can still learn how to create a podcast or webcast. We sell ourselves short for most of our lives.

Life after retirement should be different Now is the time to make your dreams come true.