Retiree to something not from something

I came across a quote from a retirement specialist that got me thinking about my own retirement. The quote was: If you retire from something and not to something, there is a good chance you’ll return to work. 40% of retirees end up returning to work. Interesting thought, but not necessarily true for those who return to work. This statistic is also misleading as currently, (2023) only 16% of those retired are thinking of returning to work.

There are many reasons to return to work. Some retirees go back because they need the money or in the United States, they need health benefits. A friend of mine worked until he had the money for his next holiday and then stopped, another worked to support his antique car hobby. I am sure my friends are not alone in working for holidays or hobbies.

These examples show that many retirees work for the sake of pursuing their passions or feeling a sense of value and purpose in their lives. It's not uncommon for individuals to have built their entire lives around their work, making it difficult to transition into retirement.

A 2020 Edward Jones/Age Wave study found that one in three new retirees struggle with finding purpose after they leave their jobs. I struggled with finding a purpose. It was an interesting journey, and I started this blog to help me find that purpose.

Purpose isn't something that simply reveals itself; it requires a proactive choice to seek it out. The journey took seven years, and once I found my purpose, I quit work. Having a purpose is crucial, as it gives us a reason to wake up each morning with enthusiasm and drive.

 Purpose is important, we all need a reason to get out of bed in the morning. There have been some interesting studies on the benefits of having a purpose in retirement. The studies

·    At Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, found that rating a person’s sense of purpose even one point higher on a seven-point scale decreased the risk of death by 12 percent over 14 years.

•    Plus, the benefits were seen across people in their 20s to 70s, suggesting it’s never too late to find your passion.

·    By Rush University Medical Center found that people who have a lower sense of purpose in their lives could be more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease compared to people who have a greater understanding of purpose.

·    By Researchers for the American Heart Association, after analysis, found that over an average follow-up of 8.5 years, having a high sense of purpose in life was associated with a 23 percent reduction in death from all causes and a 19 percent reduced risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes.

·   The University of Michigan found that those who reported having greater life purpose were more likely to make better use of preventative healthcare and spend less time in the hospital than those with a lower sense of purpose.

 We don’t have to have a single purpose, what we need is a sense of purpose and things to hope for that give meaning to our lives, Meaning comes from caring about something beyond ourselves. This could be a social cause, family, faith, a hobby; or whatever energizes you. So, I hope it does not take you seven years, like me, to find your purpose.