I have a friend who didn’t want her husband to retire without a plan for his retirement. About a year before he actually retired she suggested he find people he could spend time with and new hobbies. Her ultimate goal was to not have her spouse solely relying on her for company and entertainment. Her husband established some new routines like meeting guy friends for lunch, playing pickleball and traveling with his buddies on fishing trips. Jump forward a year and he is completely retired and living a full life. He was smiling a lot the last time I saw him! His wife seemed happy too!
Don’t leave your life up to chance! Asking yourself some hard questions and planning can go a long way to a successful transition into retirement.
- Who do you want to spend your time with?
Get specific. Do you want to make new friends? Will your other friends be available? Do you want to spend all your time with your spouse and family?
- Who are your friends outside of the workplace? Are they real friends or deal friends? Give some thought to your social connections.
Friendship is a skill that requires practice and effort. Many found a social connection with colleagues at work. What will you have in your life to fill that void? Are your friends outside of work those that you want to keep in your life?
Quality social connections whether romantic, friendship, or casual daily interactions can offer a sense of happiness.
- Do you need structure in your day or are you longing for free-flowing spontaneous days?
Are you someone that needs to wake to an alarm clock and know what the days hold for you? Or are you someone that longs for going with the flow? A year from now is having accomplished something important?
- Do you want to give to your community or volunteer?
Share your gift with others. Many people choose to help others and become more of a teacher to aid in the success of others. This is a very common path once someone has more free time. Are you willing to give it a try or get more involved in an existing organization? It’s not for everyone so experimenting to find the right fit is critical. Explore volunteer opportunities in your area.
- How will you know you’re happy?
Only you can know if you’re happy. Don’t leave your happiness to chance. Happiness can be defined as a combination of enjoyment, satisfaction and purpose. Research supports that when people got older, they tended to focus more on what’s important to them, and didn’t sweat the small stuff to the degree they did when they were younger. Other research supports this mindset and has found that older adults are better about letting go of past failures
You may find that what you think you wanted doesn’t feel right. Don’t over-commit in the beginning. Flexibility and trying different things are key. Also, self-compassion and patience are needed during any transition.
With some well thought out planning, digging deep into what you want in your ideal life (hyperlink to article #2 about Vision) and some experimentation you can transition successfully like my friends!
