Do you have a plan for your retirement? Not just a financial plan—but a vision for the life you want to lead when work no longer dictates your schedule?
Here’s the thing: you need a plan. Retirement is a big deal. For some, it starts with pre-retirement—dreaming of the day you walk out of the office for the last time. But for others, retirement arrives unexpectedly.
Maybe COVID disrupted your career, or you were laid off due to downsizing or age discrimination. Perhaps the idea of retirement crept in after the job hunt turned disheartening—endless interviews, corporate politics, and recruiters who stopped calling. Eventually, the concept of retirement seemed more appealing than staying in the grind.
Whether you took Social Security early, pivoted to a new career, or stumbled into retirement sideways, the reality is this: Retirement is a loaded word and a complex transition.
It doesn’t have to be overwhelming, though. With preparation—not just financial, but emotional and social—you can embrace this stage of life with confidence.
When I say preparation, I mean asking the deeper questions:
How will you handle the emotional shift from saving for the future to spending for today?
What will you replace the camaraderie of coworkers and the structure of a workday?
How will you fill the quiet spaces and create meaning in your days?
Robert Laura, (https://robertlaura.com/author ) author of Retirement Intelligence, said it best: “Retirement is EMPTY. It is up to you to put things you value in there.”
This quote serves as a reminder to intentionally design the next chapter of your life.
Transitions like this can feel disorienting, and that’s normal. It’s normal to grieve the life you’re leaving behind. It’s normal to feel scared by the abundance of free time. It’s normal to be unsure of what comes next.
What’s important to know is this: Everything you’re feeling is normal.
Retirement should be treated as a developmental stage, much like adolescence or parenthood. And the best (or scariest) part is that this stage comes without a preset roadmap. There are no cultural, familial, or societal rules to dictate your path. Retirement is your opportunity to create your own rules, your own structure, and your own joy.
As Mary Oliver so beautifully asks:"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
The time is now. How will you fill this blank slate?
If you would like to work with a coach, you can go to https://retirementcoachesassociation.org/find-coach to find a certified Retirement coach or reach out to me for more resources.
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