How do you imagine retirement? A time of well-earned leisure? Filled with family and friends – grandchildren, perhaps? What about some sort of work – paid or volunteer? Hobbies? A bit of each? Maybe you’re thinking, “What, me? Retire?”
Retirement: withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from active working life” – Merriam-Webster
Or, maybe the word “retirement” doesn’t work for you at all. It’s an old view: out of date. The very idea of withdrawal is disturbing. It challenges to our sense of self-worth and devalues our work lives. We may even resent how the workplace assesses our contributions.Perhaps the thought of what’s next – your “third chapter” – hasn’t entered your mind yet. But given what’s at stake, it’s best to begin thinking and talking about this sooner rather than later.For some, what’s next is approached with glee: Oh, the places we’ll go! But even then, the question, “and then what?” creeps in.
That’s just what Alison is thinking. She’s not going to miss the daily grind of her current role – and her friends are practically making plans for her – living vicariously. But, how much travel will she want to do? Will she get bored? Work has given her meaning and purpose. What about managing time with her husband, and the rest of her family?
As we live longer and healthier, the third chapter of our lives (aka “retirement”) represents a significant amount of time. In fact, retirement may last longer than our work or pre-work lives. To realize a fully satisfying life, it’s worth considering the future in a new way.How would it be to take a fresh look and reassess what you want from life? To reimagine retirement?To do this, we cultivate practices in three areas: The Inner Game, The Outer Game, and Creation.
The Inner Game is about self-examination and self-awareness. What is truly important to us, and what do we want from life. How we feel about this transition – and how these thoughts and feelings affect our actions and relationships.
The Outer Game is about conversations. Communicating with and coordinating our lives with others. How we share what we’ve come to learn about ourselves, and in turn listen open-heartedly to those most meaningful to us.
Creation is about living a purposeful life. This is not a finite, step-by-step process; rather it’s a cycle of reflection, conversation, and creation.
Each of these areas will be explored in future posts. In the meantime, I welcome your feedback and invite you to have a conversation about how this might apply to you creating a purposeful life.Be well,