Even if you have worked for decades and saved money for later in life not everyone finds giving up work easy.
I am thinking of a client who has four decades of a professional career in education. She knows she has enough accumulated wealth to be comfortable in retirement but she is very uncertain about how she is going to fill the hours each day when she gives up work. Letting go of routines and certainty can be challenging.
Her career has seen her gain many accolades and be respected as a clear thinker and excellent at implementing many great education initiatives. Despite the accolades this lady in her sixties is very unsure of the next step to take for herself.
She does have a plan of sorts. Drop to part time work and try a variety of recreational activities on her days off. A little like Robert De Niro in the movie, The Intern.
Despite taking these steps she finds the work load has not been reduced. Her professional nurturing instincts are keeping her tied to a full-time work load. She feels she cannot let the team down just because she is now part time.
Turning up for her first yoga class on her day off was daunting. Did she have the right class in the right room? No. After finding the correct location for her class she was left feeling like ‘the new kid at school’. A bit of a dunce.
Another question she has is about her spiritual life. This came up when we both attended the funeral of a former mutual colleague. She indicated she needs support on her journey to full retirement.
Moving towards retirement inevitably comes with advancing years and we begin to think about what is next for us. It is more than just about the money. There are many questions to be worked through which will impact the quality of our later years. None of us want to have a miserable retirement so a little forward thinking and planning can make a huge difference.
Go to my podcast series at retirementlife.coach/podcasts to hear about how retirement has changed and the resources we need for a meaningful retirement. Try the no cost Quiz or Wheel of Life activity.
Let me know what you think.
