What does retirement mean to you?
Our society puts so much importance on paid work. It shapes our identity, makes us feel like we belong to something bigger than ourselves, and gives us a sense of purpose. So, when faced with the idea of losing it completely through retirement, we can also lose our sense of self.
Paid work influences our lives so much and for some it is self-defining. Think about it, what do strangers often ask when first meeting someone new? “What do you do for a living?” It affects the way we see ourselves and how others see us.
We identify so strongly with paid work because it gives us:
· Financial reward for the effort
· Self esteem
· Mental stimulation
· Social connection
· Sense of belonging
· Purpose and meaning
· Structure
. Distraction from other parts of our lives that may not be going so well
In a more practical sense, our paid jobs tell us what time to get out of bed, what to wear, who we talk to and our external environment. Did you know that on average we spend 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, 46 weeks per year for 30-40 years in our workplace? No wonder we can feel so lost without our paid employment!
If you’re thinking about retirement, take some time giving careful thought to the following:
So, if you have worked for thirty or forty years and you are considering the decision to retire, what are your choices?
Well, you can leave completely, and by planning for the non-financial aspects of retirement you could find fulfilment, connection and sense of purpose through other ways. Such as cultivating an interest or a hobby into a serious leisure pursuit.
Serious leisure is when we immerse ourselves in a recreation activity that develops our self-esteem, grows our confidence, stimulates us and provides a sense of purpose, connection and contribution. Sound familiar?
What kind of planning will be required to create a leisure ethic and “live well” well into old age? For a start it requires examining how paid work influenced your leisure choices. Did leisure exist as an opposite from work – the thing you “did” to recuperate from the toil of labour?
You could also volunteer (I like to call it “gifting your talent and time”) and by mapping your work and life knowledge, identifying what you are good at, and what your interests are, you can help others in a meaningful way.
What will your relationships look like in retirement – will you need to negotiate a new way of co-habitating if you are going to be around the home an extra 40 hours more?
Alternatively, you might want to work for a bit longer – why not negotiate a phased retirement?
During paid work you have accumulated a wealth of knowledge. So, if you want to take up a phased retirement and glide out of paid full-time work, identify the knowledge in your head that is critical to the business you are in.
This is the know-how, know what, know why and know when that you apply during critical processes or at times of organisational crisis. It is undocumented and therefore not readily available to anyone unless they ask you. It is intuitive, it is the stuff you simply and deeply “know”.
It is gold when everything else at the time looks like dull tin.
Use this as a powerful lever in negotiating your better choice. You can also do some sums and show your employer the costs in recruiting a new person versus you and another potential phased retirer job sharing.
Your life goes from spending most of your time in and thinking about paid work to one in which paid work is now playing a sweet second fiddle to serious leisure and other forms of self fulfilment. Instead of the previous 30 or 40 years where it was the other way around.
If you decide that want to leave paid work completely or adopt a phased retirement I can help you examine the issues and questions that will need addressing.
The three questions above, are what underpin the work I do and help create the change in you so you can enjoy a rewarding life beyond full time work. For nearly twenty years, I have used them with my coaching clients and at workshops I have run for corporations such as Alcoa, Western Power, Austral Bricks, RAC; for Government agencies such as Landgate, WA Dept of Transport, DMIRS, and many Local Government Authorities.
My approach does four things:
Even if you don’t want any further information from me, I know that if you take the three questions and the four steps above you can make important steps toward a rewarding retirement or alternative work choices.
Alternatively, if you want more, a simple step is to click the link below which takes you to an online workbook that I have used with over 1200 people in helping them make sense of life beyond work. It helps you consider your choices and costs only $30.
https://www.lifetimewise.com.au/beyond-work-programme.html
I will also provide for free at the back of the workbook the survey and profiling tool that helps you understand your personal situation.
For the decades of paid work, you deserve the opportunity to lead a leisured, fulfilled, and pleasurable life well into old age.
Thank you
Andrew
Our society puts so much importance on paid work. It shapes our identity, makes us feel like we belong to something bigger than ourselves, and gives us a sense of purpose. So, when faced with the idea of losing it completely through retirement, we can also lose our sense of self.
Paid work influences our lives so much and for some it is self-defining. Think about it, what do strangers often ask when first meeting someone new? “What do you do for a living?” It affects the way we see ourselves and how others see us.
We identify so strongly with paid work because it gives us:
· Financial reward for the effort
· Self esteem
· Mental stimulation
· Social connection
· Sense of belonging
· Purpose and meaning
· Structure
. Distraction from other parts of our lives that may not be going so well
In a more practical sense, our paid jobs tell us what time to get out of bed, what to wear, who we talk to and our external environment. Did you know that on average we spend 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, 46 weeks per year for 30-40 years in our workplace? No wonder we can feel so lost without our paid employment!
If you’re thinking about retirement, take some time giving careful thought to the following:
- What will you miss the most and what will you miss the least from paid work?
- What are you going to do when you retire to replace the non-financial benefits of paid work?
- Will this replace what you liked the most about work and what you would miss the most?
So, if you have worked for thirty or forty years and you are considering the decision to retire, what are your choices?
Well, you can leave completely, and by planning for the non-financial aspects of retirement you could find fulfilment, connection and sense of purpose through other ways. Such as cultivating an interest or a hobby into a serious leisure pursuit.
Serious leisure is when we immerse ourselves in a recreation activity that develops our self-esteem, grows our confidence, stimulates us and provides a sense of purpose, connection and contribution. Sound familiar?
What kind of planning will be required to create a leisure ethic and “live well” well into old age? For a start it requires examining how paid work influenced your leisure choices. Did leisure exist as an opposite from work – the thing you “did” to recuperate from the toil of labour?
You could also volunteer (I like to call it “gifting your talent and time”) and by mapping your work and life knowledge, identifying what you are good at, and what your interests are, you can help others in a meaningful way.
What will your relationships look like in retirement – will you need to negotiate a new way of co-habitating if you are going to be around the home an extra 40 hours more?
Alternatively, you might want to work for a bit longer – why not negotiate a phased retirement?
During paid work you have accumulated a wealth of knowledge. So, if you want to take up a phased retirement and glide out of paid full-time work, identify the knowledge in your head that is critical to the business you are in.
This is the know-how, know what, know why and know when that you apply during critical processes or at times of organisational crisis. It is undocumented and therefore not readily available to anyone unless they ask you. It is intuitive, it is the stuff you simply and deeply “know”.
It is gold when everything else at the time looks like dull tin.
Use this as a powerful lever in negotiating your better choice. You can also do some sums and show your employer the costs in recruiting a new person versus you and another potential phased retirer job sharing.
Your life goes from spending most of your time in and thinking about paid work to one in which paid work is now playing a sweet second fiddle to serious leisure and other forms of self fulfilment. Instead of the previous 30 or 40 years where it was the other way around.
If you decide that want to leave paid work completely or adopt a phased retirement I can help you examine the issues and questions that will need addressing.
The three questions above, are what underpin the work I do and help create the change in you so you can enjoy a rewarding life beyond full time work. For nearly twenty years, I have used them with my coaching clients and at workshops I have run for corporations such as Alcoa, Western Power, Austral Bricks, RAC; for Government agencies such as Landgate, WA Dept of Transport, DMIRS, and many Local Government Authorities.
My approach does four things:
- I help you develop a deep understanding of the influence paid work has on your life
- I help you gain a new perspective on the value of leisure (in particular serious leisure and gifting your time)
- I train you to map your deep knowledge and identify your other attributes
- I guide you to take the knowledge you’ve gained from 1,2, and 3, and combine them to create opportunities in this next phase of your life so you will find meaning, purpose, and fulfilment; you will create more connection, energy and enjoyment and you will live well into your older age
Even if you don’t want any further information from me, I know that if you take the three questions and the four steps above you can make important steps toward a rewarding retirement or alternative work choices.
Alternatively, if you want more, a simple step is to click the link below which takes you to an online workbook that I have used with over 1200 people in helping them make sense of life beyond work. It helps you consider your choices and costs only $30.
https://www.lifetimewise.com.au/beyond-work-programme.html
I will also provide for free at the back of the workbook the survey and profiling tool that helps you understand your personal situation.
For the decades of paid work, you deserve the opportunity to lead a leisured, fulfilled, and pleasurable life well into old age.
Thank you
Andrew