PURPOSE IN RETIREMENT
Having a purpose in life is what gives living its spark, its joie de vivre. That's why
fifty percent of all people who retire from a full-time career seek out an alternate
job within the first six months of retirement. According to the American
Association of Retired Persons, half of those retirees get a full-time job, while the
others prefer to work for themselves as entrepreneurs, or work at a part-time job.
The primary reason for continuing to work, other than extra revenue, is to relieve
the boredom of retirement.
Retirement is the only stage of life for which we literally get no training. This was
fine fifty years ago when people retired at age sixty-five and lived, on average, for
only five more years. Today's Baby Boomers, however, are retiring in their
mid-fifties, and with the help of medical science and a healthy lifestyle, can expect
to live an additional twenty-five years. That's a stretch of time equal to most
people's working career. It is imperative to find something productive to do with
all that extra time. To find happiness in retirement, your new goals should meet
these three criteria:
THREE CRITERIA FOR RETIREMENT GOALS
1) It is something that you love to do.
2) It requires some effort on your part to achieve.
3) It has some type of positive value to yourself,
to family, to neighbours, or to the country.
To illustrate how to apply the criteria, suppose we look at a typical dilemma faced
by an early retiree. Fred, a retired factory worker, has worked at a production plant
six days a week for thirty years, as a line worker, millwright, and quality control
inspector. Fred doesn't have any particular hobbies. He now finds the days endless
and depressing with nothing to do. His family and friends suggest the following
list. Build a backyard patio; get a part-time job at Burger King or as a night-shift
security officer; take up golf; go travelling.
When you look at Fred's work experience, particularly being a millwright and
quality control inspector, he has strong skills in building and installing things, a
knowledge of tools and materials, and what tends to work. Therefore building a
backyard patio meets all three criteria.
Working at Burger King or as a security officer involves low wages, maybe working
for a teenage manager, or a shift in sleep habits. These are unsuitable. A better fit
might be working as a salesperson or instructor for Home Depot or a similar
building supply store. Another idea might be to start a one-man Mr. Fix-It business
and offer his repair and installation talents to the townspeople. An advertisement
in a local Senior's newspaper would help start his business. He may also be open to
helping a son or grandson build a home or cottage.
Since he currently has no hobbies, neither golf nor travelling may be attractive to
him, but perhaps offering his skills on an Elderhostel charity jaunt to build homes
for the poor for a week (like President Jimmy Carter) would give him an
opportunity to travel, build something which he likes doing, make it a positive
outcome, and provide something of value to the community.
The secret is to choose activities that match your skills and interests and to apply
them to projects that are positive and of value to people. Retired physicians might
consider Doctors Without Borders to replenish their souls. Retired office workers
might enjoy organizing a family reunion, volunteering your skills at a local church
or charity agency or retirement community center. Put your talents to work
helping friends, family and deserving individuals.
Remember to celebrate your official retirement with a special vacation. This is
a pivotal point in your life and deserves a reward. How about the outdoor
exhilaration of a Dude Ranch, a Lodge in the High Sierras, or a long pampered
ocean cruise? Or maybe an Elderhostel workshop in cooking, photography, or
doing water colors? Or maybe an two-week or month-long escorted trip to China,
or Africa with 50+ Expeditions, or with Adventures Abroad or with Interhostel
or Elderhostel or Routes to Learning Canada?
There are lots of organizations which cater to your age group and design fabulous
getaways to get the feel of another culture and another country. If you have no
partner to travel with that's no problem. JourneyWomen, Connecting Solo Traveler
News, and Elderhostel are just four of a half dozen organizations that cater to
individuals who wish to hook up with and blend into an escorted vacation group.
(An escorted vacation has a tour guide traveling with you.)
Most of you still have the time, talent, and youth to accomplish great feats in the
years to come. This is brand new adventure that you are embarking upon. Dream
big! It you are near retirement or already in retirement, do some brainstorming
about all the things that you always wanted to do. Ever want to learn to fly? Dig up
Dinosaur bones? Spend some time in Australia with the kangaroos? Write the
great American novel? Go on a romantic Caribbean cruise? Think Big! All of these
things are possible. People do them every day.
Set your sights on things that would burst your heart with joy. Then sit down and
plan ways to accomplish them. What would it take? How to you go about doing
those fun things? Start with researching the topic. Google the topic. Talk to
friends and ask for their insights. A great retirement should have 2-3 really big
dreams to accomplish and a whole bunch of medium to small ones.
Remember to start with your dreams rather than what you think is presently
possible. You can change and modify current conditions to reach your dreams.
And, if you change your circumstances, you will change your future. It's like being
faced with two doorways: one leads to a quiet life at home with the cat watching
Jeopardy and puttering in the garden; while the other has you packing bags, your
camera, your family history research, your latest novel in progress, your new
clothes and heading out to another continent for an another great adventure.
Which doorway will you choose? Whatdoyamean "Who's gonna take care of the
cat?"
During the opening of the wild west, cowboys and home steading pioneers were
fond of saying, "Don't fence me in," and "Let's get going ... we're burning daylight."
That's sage advice for any retiree who's on the road to a great and creative
retirement.
Copyright 2004 @ Rob Kelley
Having a purpose in life is what gives living its spark, its joie de vivre. That's why
fifty percent of all people who retire from a full-time career seek out an alternate
job within the first six months of retirement. According to the American
Association of Retired Persons, half of those retirees get a full-time job, while the
others prefer to work for themselves as entrepreneurs, or work at a part-time job.
The primary reason for continuing to work, other than extra revenue, is to relieve
the boredom of retirement.
Retirement is the only stage of life for which we literally get no training. This was
fine fifty years ago when people retired at age sixty-five and lived, on average, for
only five more years. Today's Baby Boomers, however, are retiring in their
mid-fifties, and with the help of medical science and a healthy lifestyle, can expect
to live an additional twenty-five years. That's a stretch of time equal to most
people's working career. It is imperative to find something productive to do with
all that extra time. To find happiness in retirement, your new goals should meet
these three criteria:
THREE CRITERIA FOR RETIREMENT GOALS
1) It is something that you love to do.
2) It requires some effort on your part to achieve.
3) It has some type of positive value to yourself,
to family, to neighbours, or to the country.
To illustrate how to apply the criteria, suppose we look at a typical dilemma faced
by an early retiree. Fred, a retired factory worker, has worked at a production plant
six days a week for thirty years, as a line worker, millwright, and quality control
inspector. Fred doesn't have any particular hobbies. He now finds the days endless
and depressing with nothing to do. His family and friends suggest the following
list. Build a backyard patio; get a part-time job at Burger King or as a night-shift
security officer; take up golf; go travelling.
When you look at Fred's work experience, particularly being a millwright and
quality control inspector, he has strong skills in building and installing things, a
knowledge of tools and materials, and what tends to work. Therefore building a
backyard patio meets all three criteria.
Working at Burger King or as a security officer involves low wages, maybe working
for a teenage manager, or a shift in sleep habits. These are unsuitable. A better fit
might be working as a salesperson or instructor for Home Depot or a similar
building supply store. Another idea might be to start a one-man Mr. Fix-It business
and offer his repair and installation talents to the townspeople. An advertisement
in a local Senior's newspaper would help start his business. He may also be open to
helping a son or grandson build a home or cottage.
Since he currently has no hobbies, neither golf nor travelling may be attractive to
him, but perhaps offering his skills on an Elderhostel charity jaunt to build homes
for the poor for a week (like President Jimmy Carter) would give him an
opportunity to travel, build something which he likes doing, make it a positive
outcome, and provide something of value to the community.
The secret is to choose activities that match your skills and interests and to apply
them to projects that are positive and of value to people. Retired physicians might
consider Doctors Without Borders to replenish their souls. Retired office workers
might enjoy organizing a family reunion, volunteering your skills at a local church
or charity agency or retirement community center. Put your talents to work
helping friends, family and deserving individuals.
Remember to celebrate your official retirement with a special vacation. This is
a pivotal point in your life and deserves a reward. How about the outdoor
exhilaration of a Dude Ranch, a Lodge in the High Sierras, or a long pampered
ocean cruise? Or maybe an Elderhostel workshop in cooking, photography, or
doing water colors? Or maybe an two-week or month-long escorted trip to China,
or Africa with 50+ Expeditions, or with Adventures Abroad or with Interhostel
or Elderhostel or Routes to Learning Canada?
There are lots of organizations which cater to your age group and design fabulous
getaways to get the feel of another culture and another country. If you have no
partner to travel with that's no problem. JourneyWomen, Connecting Solo Traveler
News, and Elderhostel are just four of a half dozen organizations that cater to
individuals who wish to hook up with and blend into an escorted vacation group.
(An escorted vacation has a tour guide traveling with you.)
Most of you still have the time, talent, and youth to accomplish great feats in the
years to come. This is brand new adventure that you are embarking upon. Dream
big! It you are near retirement or already in retirement, do some brainstorming
about all the things that you always wanted to do. Ever want to learn to fly? Dig up
Dinosaur bones? Spend some time in Australia with the kangaroos? Write the
great American novel? Go on a romantic Caribbean cruise? Think Big! All of these
things are possible. People do them every day.
Set your sights on things that would burst your heart with joy. Then sit down and
plan ways to accomplish them. What would it take? How to you go about doing
those fun things? Start with researching the topic. Google the topic. Talk to
friends and ask for their insights. A great retirement should have 2-3 really big
dreams to accomplish and a whole bunch of medium to small ones.
Remember to start with your dreams rather than what you think is presently
possible. You can change and modify current conditions to reach your dreams.
And, if you change your circumstances, you will change your future. It's like being
faced with two doorways: one leads to a quiet life at home with the cat watching
Jeopardy and puttering in the garden; while the other has you packing bags, your
camera, your family history research, your latest novel in progress, your new
clothes and heading out to another continent for an another great adventure.
Which doorway will you choose? Whatdoyamean "Who's gonna take care of the
cat?"
During the opening of the wild west, cowboys and home steading pioneers were
fond of saying, "Don't fence me in," and "Let's get going ... we're burning daylight."
That's sage advice for any retiree who's on the road to a great and creative
retirement.
Copyright 2004 @ Rob Kelley