WOMEN ENJOYING EARLY RETIREMENT

                    
Something extraordinary is happening to working women in their fifties.
They are retiring almost a decade younger than their mothers and they
have never been happier. The average age of retirees in America today
is fifty-seven which means at least half of the current crop of Baby
Boomers, is retiring younger than that. They are healthier, wealthier,
better educated and will, most likely, live longer than their mothers. A
woman who retires at age 55 today, is expected to live another three
decades.

“It’s about quality of life,” says Fran, a cute fifties-something in blue
jeans and a red pullover top. With the children gone and the mortgage
paid, it’s our turn to play. We both could have kept working, but decided
to get out and enjoy life while we still have time. Bill and I want to go on
a couple of ocean cruises, travel across the countryside visiting friends
and relatives, and learn how to golf. We’ve been so busy working and
raising the kids all these years, we never made time for each other. We
want to recapture the romance of those early years.” Fran let out an
audible sigh, then said with a twinkle in her eye, “I am looking forward
to that.”

Lisa was fifty-eight when she decided to retire from her executive job as
a human resources director. “You know what is the biggest change I
need to make? My closet is full of blazers and pants suits for the
workplace. I don’t even own a pair of blue jeans. I think I need a closet
make over. Walter wants to go on those 15-20-day escorted tours across
Europe, so I need to buy some sneakers, casual slacks, and matching
tops. I’m really looking forward to it because I want to spend my
retirement being a fiction writer, and I am hoping that those European
excursions will provide novel ideas for story backgrounds and perhaps
even an intriguing plot or two.”

Just a suggestion .... If you are considering a romantic getaway with your
significant other, keep in mind that they need to be told exactly what
you expect. If you say, for example, "Dear, I was thinking of a romantic
getaway with us holding hands, walking barefoot on the beach, dancing
aboard on ocean cruise, and doing lots of cuddling,"  that's probably what
you will get. If you say to a spouse who has been a workaholic all his/her
working career, "Let's get away on vacation," what will probably happen
is that he/she will be off with buddies on a golf course or out fishing
while you sit in your room wondering what the heck happened. Be very
specific with expectations. You'll have a much greater chance of getting
what you want.

For many women, retirement can be a time of self-direction, personal
goal-setting and reassessment of one’s values. What is important to you
as an individual? What makes you happy? What ideas, things and
activities do you value at this point in your life? And why are you not
doing them? At the very least, one of your goals in retirement should be
to get out and indulge yourself by doing something that you enjoy.

There is no single blueprint for you to follow. Your journey in the final
stage of your life is a very personal, self-directed one, and it comes
without instructions. There are no rules on how retirees should behave or
what they should be doing.  They can be seen in red sports cars, on
escorted tours of China, on country biking trails, at motorcycle
conventions, organizing family reunions, refinishing antique furniture,
taking Tai Chi lessons, painting scenic watercolors, and operating their
own business.

To achieve some sense of personal fulfillment and enjoyment in
retirement, you  are going to have to evaluate what you want, explore
possibilities, and take risks. Women who approach this era with a little
forethought, a bit of discipline, and a sense of adventure can anticipate
an enjoyable, memorable, and rewarding retirement.

Includes excerpts from The Complete Guide to a Creative Retirement
Copyright Rob Kelley