Does Retirement Scare You?
When you think about retiring does it provoke anxiety or make you happy? What does it mean to you? Some see it as the ultimate reward for a lifetime of hard work. No more business obligations. No more bosses telling you what to do. No more asking permission for time off. No more feeling torn between work commitments and the needs of your family. Retirement feels like freedom. But the practical side of the brain might have a different opinion. No more paychecks. No more overtime. Will you be able to make it on a fixed income? Will there be enough for extras, like vacations? What if? What if? What if?
What’s your vision for retirement?
There is no set definition for Retirement. It can mean anything. Some see it as the end, but it can be just the beginning. You finally have the time and the means to do what you always wanted, but it never seemed feasible. I know people who’ve retired and done absolutely nothing and it saddens me to hear them say that they have no idea what day of the week it is because they have no purpose. We all need a reason to get up in the morning. What’s yours? I’m never idle, so my definition of retirement is that I’m done working for others. I work for me now.
Retirement is a time of transition
No matter which part of the fence you’re on — enticed by freedom, frightened by uncertainty, or something in-between—retirement is a time of transition, and with that comes a plethora of emotions. That exhilarating feeling of freedom might be accompanied by sadness. If the people you once worked with felt like family, then you lost those daily interactions and connections. For some, what they do for a living defines them. Who are they without that career? Without that title? And if your self-esteem is tied to how productive you are — like me —you might feel worthless without a goal. If you’re contemplating retirement and think you might experience any of these things, it might be a good idea to have a plan in place to get you through that. But these emotions aren’t foreign. Most of us have experienced them to some degree because they appear with every job change, especially if the move is to a new organization or a new career. And it happens when we move to a new home. Losing touch with others is never easy.
I had a plan in place
While working in the equine retail industry, I went back to college and completed my bachelor’s degree to become a journalist. While working in journalism, I became a certified equine and canine massage therapist and started a part-time practice. After I transitioned from journalism to public relations/marketing in health care, I attended massage school for people, became a licensed and board-certified massage therapist, and started a part-time massage practice – while still massaging horses and dogs on weekends. So when I retired from corporate America, I had a plan in place. I transitioned on a full-time basis to the massage businesses I’d done very part-time for nine years. Then, while massaging full-time, I worked in earnest on the novel I’d started years ago, and now I’m a published author.
I’m in awe of people who take leaps of faith
My transitions were busy, but it was the way I needed to do it to feel secure because I’m The Strategic Chicken, which means that I’m not afraid of change, but I hate stress, so the changes I made were well planned so I felt confident that when I got to the other side of that bridge, I was going to be okay. I am in awe of people who can just jump, but that’s not how I operate. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. Take good care of yourself and always do what feels best for you. With change, there is always something to be gained. If it’s the right move for you, what you gain will far outweigh anything that’s been lost.
Until next time,
Jean AKA The Strategic Chicken - Making life’s journey one strategic step at a time
