Dare to Discover Another Path in Retirement

I was 52 when my life changed in an instant. I was given just six months to live.

Thankfully, the diagnosis was wrong, but it propelled me into semi-retirement. A place that, for me at least, was absolutely hellish.

I had money, friends, family, an active social life, and newly restored good health, but it wasn’t enough. I was lonely, empty, and in despair.

It took me a long time to work out why having one foot in work and the other in retirement didn’t work for me. After all, we’re seeing growing numbers of people doing just that.

For me, this was the worst of both worlds. I downgraded my work, but by doing that, I didn’t give myself the time or the space to figure out what the rest of my life could look like.

It took me ten years to find a new direction. It was tough, but once I’d discovered my purpose, there was no going back.

Not a Dream Retirement

Before I tell you about my journey of enlightenment, let me take you back to my semi-retirement days. At the start (once back to full health) they were wonderful. Rounds of golf, long lunches with friends and holidays to dream destinations.

But the honeymoon period soon wore off and I was left with a diary packed full of engagements, a book to write and work to sustain me, but it wasn’t enough. I was simply filling time. There was nothing to excite me and certainly nothing to make me jump out of bed in the morning. Instead, I was plagued by monotony, sadness, and a constant empty feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Finding My Purpose

That’s why in January 2016 I embarked on a 30-day silent retreat in the Clwyd Valley, in Wales.

The first few days were a killer. I’m a noisy guy and to be surrounded by complete silence was just harsh, but as time went on, I began to learn more and more about myself and what I wanted from life. I realised I wanted to help people and do something I loved. After training with mindset coach Bob Proctor for eighteen months, I now serve my tribe – baby boomers.

Building My Tribe

My purpose is built around helping others find theirs and I’m on a mission to encourage as many people as possible NOT to retire.

For me, retirement is a place you don’t want to be. It’s not scenic, engaging, or inspiring and it’s certainly not healthy. When we retire, we slow down, worry more, interact less and tiptoe quietly towards death.

This may be ok for a 90-year-old but given that people are now retiring earlier and earlier and living longer, it just doesn’t work. The retirement equation no longer adds up. Today most of us will outlive our savings, many of us will face degenerative illnesses and we’ll all experience loneliness and despair.

But there is an alternative… and that’s where I come in.

I’ve created DARE – a program which helps boomers find their purpose in later life. In it, I DARE people to challenge themselves to make positive changes, to understand the physical and emotional blocks that hold them back and to move forward towards a better life and a brighter future.

If my story isn’t enough to convince you that retirement’s not for you, I’ll leave you with one of my favourite quotes - this from the great Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw…

“We don’t quit because we get old, we get old because we quit.”

About the Author

George Jergian is a mindset mentor, international bestselling author and speaker who dared to ‘unretire’ and since then, has dedicated his life to helping other boomers do the same. George was in business for over 40 years working as a chartered marketer, a partner in US commercial real estate and a financial adviser. He has a business degree from Bradford University in England and a master’s degree in Journalism from New York University. He has authored 10 books, including his latest - DARE to Discover Your Purpose and is an Emmy-award-winning producer, and a Distinguished Toastmaster.