As an advisor, I see my role as one of counseling and execution, but not judgement. Here is what I mean: if my client wants to retire to a treehouse in the mountains of Idaho, my job is to help her retire to a treehouse in the mountains of Idaho, not to judge whether or not that is a worthy goal.
I am, however, going to break with my usual ecumenicism and offer some of my experience as a thoughtful observer.
Retire from…
There are, in my experience, two views of retirement. The first is the classic image: I cease working one day, have a party, get a watch, and retire from work. Did you hear it? That’s the “retire from” view (“retire from work”).
The problem with retiring from something is that it sees retirement as a destination, not as a path. Most couples will spend about 30 years in retirement — that is a long time to spend at a destination!
Additionally, many people derive a lot of purpose and meaning from work, and retiring from work often means retiring from purpose and meaning.
I have seen clients who retired from purpose and meaning. It yields a difficult stretch of years, often populated with bouts of depression and loneliness.
Which brings us to the second view.
Retire to…
“Your purpose in life is to find purpose
Buddha
and to give your whole heart and soul to it.”
Retirement is a journey, with a lifecycle all its own, and it requires vision, creativity, planning, and acceptance.
I have found that people do much, much better when they retire to something. Something meaningful, something that gets you up on Monday morning, something exciting. That something is different for everybody, of course, but without that something retirement can be a long slog, believe it or not!
Retiring to something meaningful keeps you active, it keeps you engaged. In my experience, folks who retire to a passion, love, or purpose do considerably better than folks who only retire from work.
Your Life
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This is, of course, only a casual observation. Even so, if you find yourself nearing retirement, I would encourage you to think about what it is you would like to retire to, rather than thinking about retirement as only a can.
What’s more, this is your life, and will continue to advocate that you live it intentionally — however you choose to live, don’t do it by accident! Find your “why” and see retirement as your opportunity to pursue it whole-heartedly!
Now, get out there and live well.
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