For many of us we dream of the day we can hang up our work clothes and swap them out with beach wear. The reality is that most of us won’t make the most of our post career time. As I mentioned in a previous post, retirement is full of obstacles for many. Lack of funds comes to mind, but also the challenge of filling eight to twelve hours each day with something more than wandering from room to room wondering why you came in there in the first place.
Imagine differently
Imagine differently. Can visualize yourself with a fulfilling second act career that engages your mind, forces you to learn something new, and connects you with a dynamic social community that is fun and appealing?
Originally when I realized I would never retire, I was motivated by the need to earn well into my seventies or eighties. That was based on my understanding that I would lose money by stopping working at 50 so I could travel the world. I was not in a position to do both - travel extensively and retire at 65, but I also understand that I can create income differently than how I created income in my former career.
In my book “Your Golden Ticket Years: Find Your Passion on a Post Career Entrepreneurial Ride” I mentioned my sister, who is thriving post retirement by taking on part time work at a local retail outlet. She likes the structure a little work provides and her job allows her to avoid social isolation-a challenge for many post retirement. She doesn’t need the income; she needs the other benefits that come from a job.
Ask yourself these questions
How well are you aligned with the work you do? Do you love it? Could you carry on well past the typical retirement age? Many of us perceive a “magical” date or time when we will stop working. We focus on this magical date then once it hits and we are sitting at home alone, or with our long time partner we come to realize the “magic” doesn’t exist. Whether you need the money or not, having focus tied to earning is a great way to move forward in your post retirement years that also provided service to your community. Earning can be a measure of how well you car achieving any goals you set for yourself, but post career work can also be intellectual, artistic, or volunteering. Your post retirement path doesn’t have to be attached to income.
Take a moment to list all the reasons you have to retire and really dig in to what you think you have to gain. Here are a few ideas to get you started-
Free time
Sleeping in
Travel
Time to explore your favorite authors newest book
Improve your health with the extra time you’ll have to focus on self care
Volunteering
Focus on hobbies
Spend more time with loved one
That’s a pretty good list of reasons to stop working. If you are in a financial position to stop working and pursue all or many of the things you list, that’s fantastic.
Now take a moment to reflect on what you can contribute to your community if you transition to a second act career-
Sharing your vast knowledge with others
Keeping your mind active with new challenges
Earning supplemental income
Meeting new people who have similar interests
Being an example for a younger generation of how to thrive as a mature person
There are many reasons to keep working
There are many reasons to carry on working either at the place you work now, or by getting a new job, or by creating opportunity by building a business. I don’t believe you have to bring a ton of stress to this endeavor. For many of us we aren’t seeking massive financial success post retirement, we are seeking something more fulfilling than money; we are seeking an opportunity to express ourselves differently than we did when we were working.
How many times have you been deeply entrenched in a hobby or activity and then realized hours have gone by and you didn’t notice? Imagine having that feeling most days as you explore how to build your new career.
Doing what you love is completely different than doing what you have to do to pay your bills. But doing what you love doesn’t have to be exclusive of earning power. You have to conduct some pre business building work first.
Answer these questions-
Consider how you like to spend your time.
Are you comfortable selling your time for money?
Do you need a high level of social interaction?
Are you happier when you get feedback on your performance?
Are you comfortable working alone?
Are you concerned about motivation without a boss overseeing your work?
Do you have the ability to create a workspace that will allow for maximum productivity?
How do you feel about the unknown?
Can you change directions easily?
The above questions are designed to get you thinking about the advantages of a job, versus the advantages of entrepreneurial interests. Not everyone wants the headache of an entrepreneurial endeavor.
You should know that no matter what lights you up, there is an opportunity to earn within your area of interest. Your opportunity to reach your niche audience or client is massive. In the “olden days” your opportunities were limited by geography and advertising dollars. Today you can sell to an international client base. You don’t have to spend huge sums on slick advertisements in shiny magazines or in your local paper.
You will have access others who have the same interests
Remember “want ads”? If you wonder if your area of interest has an audience, wonder no more, it does. There are people who you can create a community with that have the same passion you have for your area of interest no matter how obscure. If you do a quick internet search you will find others who have the same ideas you have. If you don’t find others, you found a need, because no matter what you love, others love it as well. You can be the visionary who brings your community of common interest together.
Take time today to review the questions in this post and reflect on what you want for your future. If you are interested in visualizing your future through a visualization process, checkout my YouTube Channel, I have several focused visualization exercises that may be helpful. If you prefer to take a visualization exercise to go I also have a podcast .
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