Retirement Time

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Category: Senior Life

Created on Monday, 23 November 2020 16:01

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We’re having some trouble defining retirement because it means so many different things to so many people.  Some can’t wait to retire, stay home and relax.  Some travel.  Some start a new career, or a new company.  Others take part time jobs.  We’re pretty sure every one of us has our own unique reason to retire, and when, and under what circumstances. 

Some experts claim there are emotional phases to our retirement.  Each of us is unique so no two retirement experiences are the same, yet all of us probably face it with some anxiety.  At ITG, we have several staff members beyond retirement date, yet they’ve made their way through these phases and want to share what they’ve learned.

Planning Begins Early

Begin by evaluating when you should retire and put your imagination to the test during this stage.  Where do you want to retire? How much money do you need to save?  You should also begin to think about your emotional planning as well.  Start with some goals so you have targets to shoot for.

That Exciting Period

As retirement nears, you’ll begin to feel some excitement.  For some of us that means no more work.  For others it simply means freedom.  Yet some of us are also anxious to start something new.  Everyone’s ideal retirement plan is custom made.  This a good time to periodically review your goals and what is left to do before retirement.  The possibilities are countless, leaving you with the world at your fingertips. 

Retirement Honeymoon

Most things in life have a honeymoon period before reality sets in and retirement is no different.  In the beginning you might be confused and wonder what to do with your time. You can learn a hobby, travel, visit your family, or sit on the beach. Get some much-deserved rest and enjoy your retirement.  Yet this phase doesn’t last forever. After a while, you might begin to want something more.  So don’t be surprised when a new phase of your retirement sneaks up on you.

The Retirement Funk

As time passes you might begin to think retirement isn’t as exciting as you’d expected it to be. After all, you can only begin so many hobbies and there are only so many places you can visit before everything starts to feel… well, blah. This funky disenchanting feeling can sometimes be accompanied by more complicated feelings of depression or despair. If this happens it’s important to ask for help if you need it. Look for someone to help you create a sense of purpose again. You can always volunteer your time at meaningful or charitable organizations… or maybe get that degree you always wanted or do what we do… start an herb garden.

Getting it Right

When you’ve gotten this far, life begins to make sense again.  You’ll feel some stability.   Review your original retirement plan again and evaluate your current goals.  With the funky honeymoon phase out of the way you can get yourself oriented for the best years yet.  Ask yourself some questions:

• Are there still things you hope to accomplish?
• How are you going to get that done?

With your life experience you should be able to objectively analyze where you’ve been and plan where you want to go.  Or, as we like to say, if you don’t know where you’re going, maybe you’re already there.  That sounds perfect.

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