I was talking to
a friend about retiring--okay, I have to admit that I find the concept hard—I have
retired once, went back to work and then quit and returned to work. I am now in
the process of retiring again—I hope I make it.
My friend couldn’t wait to get out of
the day-to-day work grind. He is not alone, many of the people I work with talk
about retirement and project fondly about what they would do when they retire.
However, the reality of the situation may make them think again if they do not
plan properly.
It is important
to consider the following when planning retirement. As a person who has worked
with people involved in transitions from school to work, from work to self-employment
I know the following to be true for many. Work provides money in the form of
income you can count on, time management in the form of a framework for your
life, and purpose in the form of getting you out of bed in the morning for
something that brings meaning to your life. As you design what's next for you,
make sure you provide each of these for yourself. Many of
my friends are fortunate in that they have a good retirement plan that will
provide income, what they have to is create an infrastructure that will support
them in thriving, not merely surviving, this next stage of life. In retirement
along with a money plan, you should have both a time and a sense of purpose
plan.
Yes, I know one
of the lures of retirement is not having to have a schedule. Beware, though,
for therein lies one of the biggest traps of retirement. Without a framework
for your days, weeks, months and years, you can slip into a deadening
non-routine. I had a cousin who when he retired, told everyone that he was
going to use his time to do nothing. He claimed he had worked hard all of his
life and in retirement he was going to have the luxury of doing nothing. He did
that and within three years he had died. He did not die of boredom, but he did
not have a purpose and he did not keep his brain functioning, even though his wife, brothers and kids begged
him to get active, he refused, he was diagnosed with dementia within a year, and
dead two years later. He not only did not have a time management plan, he had
lost his sense of purpose.
As a Career Practitioner
I understand that for many of us our career, gives us a sense of purpose. We identify with what we do; our jobs give us
a reason to get out of bed each day; a place to be where people are counting on
us; a focus for our skills, abilities, and energy. When planning for your
retirement make it a priority to find a purpose for this next stage of your
life, one that ignites your passion and literally pulls you out of bed in the
morning, you'll be golden
