Retirement May Be a Bigger Lifestyle Change Than YouThink

Retirement can be a difficult adjustment.

We are all raised with this idea that retirement is the ultimate goal of a successful work life.  We all plan on getting there, but do we spend enough time planning what we are going to do when we finally arrive?

Retirement is a real change of life event.  It is much like when you graduated from high school or college or got married.  You suddenly go from getting up and going to work and having a routine, to having no set schedule.  There are also the financial changes of retiring. A retirement or lifestyle change coach might be able to help you negotiate these obstacles with much less difficulty.

Some of the things that may need to be considered are beliefs and illusions that we have heard repeated so often that we believe them as fact. Consider with a retirement or lifestyle change coach the following points.

It’s not only men who go through the retirement adjustment phase

Men used to be the ones who retired because women stayed at home and took care of the family.  Now more women are actually retiring themselves. Another thing to consider is that when you retire it affects the lifestyle of both you and your partner.  A woman who has stayed at home and taken care of things may find it very hard to adjust to having her spouse home all of the time.  It can cause many difficulties and worries that have never been considered before. Good communication about schedules, activities, expectations, and finances are very important.

Will retirement really be “so much easier than working?”

The focus of retirement is so much on getting out of the work force that not enough attention is paid to “What do I do now?”  That is why so many retirees end up going back to work.  They do not realize how long a day with nothing to do is, let alone many in a row. Being busy during retirement is not something that takes care of itself.  It requires some planning and goal setting too.

Finding space in your togetherness.

Just as men who are about to retire worry about having a long list of chores to do, they need to realize that their spouses are worrying about the time they will be together too.

Most wives have a schedule and routine just like their husbands when they go to work and when he retires that all changes.  It is important to have some space in your togetherness that allows you both to continue being able to do things that you enjoy, without the other.

Staying active is important.

Some think that they will have all of this time to work on hobbies after they retire yet they find that they soon lose the enthusiasm for their hobbies because they are spending so much time on them that they begin to feel more like work. 

It is important to stay active and keep your mind alert like when you are working.  Sometimes a new exercise routine or new hobbies need to be considered.

When facing retirement and the lifestyle changes that come with it, planning is required.   There are always choices and unforeseen events, but the time you spend with a retirement coach can help you in this area.  Like any other successful endeavor the more you plan and the more you prepare yourself the smoother and more enjoyable the transition will be.