Creating and committing to a ‘post-work persona plan’ can play a big part in helping you establish a new identity—one that demonstrates growth and offers a fresh start after spending years with your ‘career identity’ front and centre. It may take a little time and some creative thinking, but it will be well worth the effort as you transition into retirement. And if it’s a well thought out plan, it could sustain you for the next (possibly) twenty to thirty years.
You may want to do some research and gather a few tips that could help you plan your journey into retirement. One conclusion is clear: relationships are central to building a happy and fulfilling life in retirement. So, unless you’re an intentionally solitary creature (and that’s okay), you need to think about building bridges to existing relationships that need a boost and making an effort to make new ones.
Out With Old Habits – In With New Ideas
A good way to start breaking free of any old thought patterns, habits and beliefs that could be limiting as you enter retirement is to write down your response to the following list. It covers most aspects of life. A successful retirement involves taking a hard look at your lifestyle, values and goals going forward now that work isn’t the main driving force. And that’s not to say that continuing to work to some extent post-retirement isn’t a possibility.
Let’s get started. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being excellent, rate your life satisfaction in each of the following areas:
- Relationships/family/friends
- Home environment/lifestyle
- Health and wellbeing
- Financial standing
- Recreation and fun
- Work (new endeavour/volunteering)
- Personal growth
Your score, or ratings if you prefer, will help you understand which aspects of your current lifestyle need help. It does come down to a question of who you are outside of work or who you want to become, and what you value most. It could be just one true thing, or a combination of things that will ultimately define you. Use the answers to these questions as a lens through which to navigate the beginning of a stimulating retirement life.
Celebrate the Stage of Life You’re In
You will go through different life stages. During each one, you generally have specific dreams and goals which could be anything from pursuing higher education, choosing a career path, getting involved in a long-term relationship (getting married, cohabiting, or deciding to stay single), choosing to have a family or not, travelling around the world, becoming the best ‘whatever/whoever’ it is you want to be best at, and so on.
And then there’s retirement; often considered the final stage, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be a new beginning especially if you don’t let past regrets or disappointments hamper you.
Mark the Occasion
Rituals play an important role throughout the various stages in life, marking special occasions. Rituals can also be a source of comfort, they can be life-affirming, they can mark a transition. From bedtime stories, graduations, religious coming of age ceremonies and holidays to birthdays and anniversaries, just to name a few. It’s probably fair to say that all ceremonies are in fact ‘rituals’ that signify deep-level sociological transactions.
Retirement’s no different. On a deep sociological and psychological level, you are experiencing an identity shift from employee to retiree. This is a significant personal transition that needs to be commemorated too. Traditionally, the retirement ritual meant there was an office retirement party, a gold watch or other memento awarded as a gift for services. How often this ritual occurs nowadays would be an interesting question.
Times have changed, so if there isn’t any final retirement ‘doo’, then do something yourself to mark the occasion: host your own party and include not only work colleagues and family members but friends too. Or take a trip, or buy a new car if your budget allows—do something! Celebrate!
Update Your Social Network
For some people, retirement sometimes means you’ll need to find a whole new set of friends because often as not, your work colleagues comprise your primary social network.
You may find that as you get older it can be more daunting to reach out to new people, or organise social engagements, etc. as you did when you were younger. This is especially true for those who don’t have family nearby – or any family at all.
If that’s the case, you’ll have to become more of a joiner if you want to make new friends after you’ve retired. Some tips on what/where and how to do that are as follows:
- Go back to school, take courses in a beloved subject
- Find interest groups that appeal to you – political, social, literary, artistic, volunteer
- Check out Meetup.com to find people who share your interests
- Join a club: books, bridge, gardening, sports, theatre, music
- Become more active in your religious community
- Get a dog and take them to a dog park where like-minded folks congregate
A Commitment to Connection
Making the transition from a career that once filled your life with purpose to retirement can often leave you feeling lost, lonely and without purpose. The solution? Be more intentional about connecting to the people you care about and about making new acquaintances. If a full-time job meant old pals and family got neglected over the years, then it’s time to reconnect with them now that your time isn’t consumed by work.
Think about regularly scheduling get-togethers or establishing a specific date such as the first Sunday every month to join friends for brunch. Or reserve Wednesday nights for family fun and connection. Be consistent; it’s what helps build good friendships and relationships.
Retirement is an opportunity to reflect on the great things you’ve accomplished, the wisdom you’ve gained and the life experiences you’ve enjoyed. It’s also a time when you can set new goals and consider the future and what other things you can do. The opportunities the world has to offer you haven’t changed because of your age. It’s just now you have the time to do them.