Retirement Can Be Terrifying

"My friends are about to retire–and they're terrified," a man told me. He went on to say, "One guy I know retired one day and died the next." Though death on day one of retirement is an extreme circumstance, quick declines in health are not unusual. One study showed 40% of retirees suffer from clinical depression, while 6 out of 10 report a decline in health. Much of this has to do with a loss of purpose and passion.

Mark feels bored and irrelevant

Retirement sure looks attractive in our dreams, but it can be a tough transition. It definitely was for Mark, who had a very successful career in finance at a Fortune 500 company. He dreamed of retiring and spending quality time with friends and his wife, Helen. But he soon found friendships with his former co-workers were different. They were still working, he wasn’t, and there wasn’t the same chemistry any more. He was no longer part of their world. His retired friends weren't nearly as available as he'd hoped, and being home every day was less than blissful. He and Helen frequently got on each other’s nerves. Mark found himself feeling bored-and irrelevant.

You wouldn't think about not planning your work week

Most successful people meticulously plan their work weeks. But when it comes to retirement, many take the plunge with no plan in place. Big mistake! This is not an easy transition. Work provides structure for our days. We have a place to go in the morning and there are always too many things to do. It provides camaraderie and a sense of purpose and accomplishment. It's a jolt to the system to suddenly have all that taken away.

Finding and Channeling Your Passion

When I work with retired people, I often find their passion is very different than the one that drove their careers, while others use that same passion as a foundation, but go in another direction. Here are a couple of examples.

Want to discuss a retirement Plan? If you're feeling bored and unfulfilled? I invite you to have a no-obligation conversation about your situation to see if I can help. https://calendly.com/lucrative-careers

Turning a hobby into a business

“Bill” came to see us when he was ready to retire from his very successful insurance agency. He said he wanted to be active, but didn't want another very demanding job like the one that had cost him his marriage. He was engaged to a lovely woman from overseas–and he didn't want to mess that up. Unlike Mark, he had lots of people interested in getting him to help with various projects, plus a couple of job offers for sales positions.

I advised him to focus and take his time, making sure his choices were good ones. I also recommended that he NOT take the sales jobs, since they seemed likely to turn into the very long, punishing weeks he wanted to avoid. 

To help him find his passion, I did some brainstorming. It turned out that Bill owned a yacht, and was extremely knowledgeable about boats. He was also a very engaging man and a showman who loves the limelight. Years ago, while in the military, he had undertaken a national campaign to educate students about hypothermia. His program began with landing a helicopter on high school football fields where the whole school had gathered. The students were awestruck—and he loved it.

I suggested that he become a coach for boat owners to teach them to purchase a boat that's right for them and to operate it safely. After all, it's very easy for the untrained boat owners to hurt--and even kill--themselves and others. He loved the idea and became “The Boat Coach.”

Using Professional Passion In a Different Way

Gerry worked as an engineer with Motorola, and got in on the ground floor of the development of the cell phone. He remembers when the engineers were struggling to come up with a way to keep the (then big and clunky) cell phones from breaking when dropped. He was even told he was crazy for suggesting that people might went to send text messages instead of talking on the phone. It was an exciting ride, to say the least. He's still passionate about his engineering work, but now, his current focus is on sharing his knowledge and getting others excited about this kind of work. He is starting to give talks to school groups about cell phones as a fascinating and practical application of the Science, Technology, Education, Math (STEM) curriculum.

Getting Back in the Saddle

Janet had been retired for several years, and was now in her seventies. But now she was bored. Once, she had owned a property management and had been a highly-sought-after speaker at professional conferences. Her in-depth knowledge was seen as an invaluable resource by many in the field. But now, she was convinced that no one would hire someone who was “so old.” Though I told her I had helped people in their eighties to get hired, her mindset of no possibility was very strong. After I helped her with her resume, her job search stalled due to her lack of belief that it was possible. I touched base with her occasionally and encouraged her to give it a try. After several months, she did just that. She soon found a great job where she was finalist, but was ultimately rejected. But shortly after that, she found another situation that fits her very well. 

Many More Options 

There are so many organizations and people who would love to have some of your time, your skills, your conversation, and your love. For many people, finding the right volunteer job and being there for friends and family is the key to a retirement well lived.

The Sky Is The Limit

For those who are ambitious, the sky is the limit. Many people have done their best work in their golden years. The famous artist, Grandma Moses, didn't start painting until age 78. Colonel Sanders started the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise AFTER he retired. Even physically, retirement can be a vibrant time for many people. Consider this: a recent Boston Marathon featured 596 runners age 65 and older; 47 were over 75. The oldest was 83 years old!

Want to discuss a retirement Plan? If you're feeling bored and unfulfilled? I invite you to have a no-obligation conversation about your situation to see if I can help. https://calendly.com/lucrative-careers