I Retired – Now What?

Retirement is anticipated by many and dreaded by some. The closer that we get to achieving retirement, the more anxious we might feel about it, for it is a life altering experience. People who cannot or will not prepare for it can be overwhelmed by the change of purpose that retirement brings. Is this you? Well, have some compassion for yourself – by doing something about it, right now.
Begin the fastest and most interesting portion of your life! Retirement generally means that we have completed the work-to-live part of our life by accepting a pension from our employer. As it has been with all of your life up to retirement, your ability and your circumstances define your choices. If you are a planner, you likely will self-start and proceed along a retirement goal that you planned, one that uses your abilities, manages the circumstances, and enables you to do something that makes you happy – a thing that you always wanted to do, but did not have the time to do it. In retirement, you have the time. What about the rest of you?
Everything Changed, and I Have No Plan.
One thing changed, and that thing is not a problem; it is an opportunity. The thing that changed is that you no longer have an employer to compel you to go to work at a set time, to do assigned tasks, and to follow defined procedures. Your boss and your colleagues said goodbye, and good luck to you. They don’t expect you to come back to work on Monday. Someone else will do the work that you used to do so well. You may have worked for that employer for 30 years, 40 years, or even longer! You took pride in that work, and you earned the respect of your colleagues. They probably gave you a party and a plaque. You should be proud. Look at the plaque and smile. With that job, you took care of your family, fed and housed them, educated them, and showed them how to live their lives responsibly. Bravo! You did it right. Now, find something else to do. Do things that you like to do. You may never have planned anything in your life. It is unreasonable to expect yourself to plan now. So, what can you do with this opportunity?
Live One Day at a Time – One Week at a Time.
Read, travel, and write. Read the newspaper, magazines, books, and articles that that are appealing (search on the internet), and get a feel for at least six different subjects that interest you. Find separate local associations of people who share each of those interests, and join all six of them. Hang out awhile with these new people. If you don’t like one or more of the associations, look those people in the eye and tell them they are fine folks, but this is not your cup of tea. Tell them goodbye. You didn’t get to do that at work! You can do it now. This will get you out of the house. Get out of the house every day so that you will realize that you do have places to go. You still matter. Find your new opportunity by making new friends, people you with whom you like to hang out, who are not part of your old job. With friends who like what you like, travel to a bowling alley, to church, to a fishing hole, to golf, to the movies, to lunch. Now, you have created opportunities to have fun. Be gracious to your new friends. Talk with them. Write down the experiences that you share with them. Whether in a journal or in a blog on the internet, capture some details, take some photographs, describe your friends, the warmth of their company, their good humor, fine food, and joyous outings. This is therapeutic. And, you may discover something about yourself. You may enjoy writing as much as reading, and traveling to new adventures with your friends. Others may come to admire you for what you write, and respect you for the wise and creative soul that you have become, just like folks did at your old job. And, it is not a job at all. It is not work. It is the fastest and most interesting portion of your life!
by Tony A. Grayson
About the Author
Tony is a fiction writer and independent publisher. In September 2012, he wrote and published the first book of a three-book drama series, A Voice from New Mill Creek: The Methodists, as an e-book. In April, 2013, he released his second e-book and first romance novel, Goodnight Paige. In July, 2013, Tony released a guidebook titled How Tony Wrote and Published Two Novels. https://www.Facebook.com/tony.grayson.752 and http://graysonta84.wordpress.com/