How Can I Stay Relevant in Retirement? Some Practical Tips to Consider
Who doesn’t want to be relevant, germane, material, applicable, apropos?
It’s an important question if one is choosing to play the retirement game.
My first suggestion in answer to the question is to be sure you approach retirement with a plan that goes beyond the money.
Most individuals and couples step into retirement without a non-financial plan for what they would like their retirement years to look like. They mistakenly believe that retirement will take care of itself when, in fact, there are always hidden surprises.
Much like the Titanic discovered when negotiating icebergs.
The question of relevance is important because it is one of the top four fears that pre-and early-retirees have about retirement beyond money.
Boredom.
Loss of identity.
Becoming irrelevant.
Deteriorating health
All of these concerns are addressable. Yet, most people drift into their retirement without a plan designed to deal with them. Items #1–#3 are intertwined and together they have a significant impact on #4.
Matter at Hand
The question of relevance is a very individual thing. Ultimately, we define our own relevance by the way we view things and the way we are wired up. One new retiree may find his or her relevance in the dedication to and interaction with grandchildren. The next may only feel relevant only if he or she is continuing to drive big decisions or be building something.
A quick look at the definition of relevance tells us it is “bearing on the matter at hand, practical, and especially social applicability.” This brings to bear the importance of retiring into something, not just from something. In other words, what will be your “matter at hand” upon retiring?
In my experience as a career transition and retirement coach dealing mostly with healthcare professionals, I have found a surprising number of these talented professionals looking forward to retirement but unable to articulate what they expect, or want, to do upon retirement. They do express concern about going from 110 miles an hour, 50 hours a week down to near zero.
But, for most, the “what’s next” is fuzzy.
Start Early, Communicate
My suggestion to those who are struggling in this area is to start planning for retirement at least 3–5 years in advance of the anticipated retirement date and start putting things on paper.
And, if you are a couple, communicate, communicate, communicate!
Early – and often!
With “grey divorce” i.e. divorces amongst couples over 50 skyrocketing, maybe we should be paying attention to communication early and often.
Practice
Practice may not always make perfect but some retirement practice can go a long way.
Successful retirees often include some “practice retirement” by experimenting with some activities that they think they may have an interest in post-career. That may come in the form of a sabbatical from work, or using accumulated vacation and PTO time to immerse into something on the curiosity list. Maybe a short-term apprenticeship in a business or volunteer opportunity to test it out.
Practice can be particularly important when it comes to location decisions.
That practice can include living for a period in an area that is being considered for relocation, or for a second home. I’ve heard more than one story of regret of making a move only to discover the “personality” of the area was a bad match.
No cliff diving
There certainly is some excitement in being a risk-taker and jumping into something without a plan and let the chips fall where they may.
I suggest retirement isn’t one of those things. This is a potential 20-, 30-, 40-year experience with serious long-term implications. Front end planning can have a significant impact on health, longevity, and family stability.
I’ve heard of new retirees taking a transition year to travel, experiment, unwind, and develop a plan to follow for the balance of their retirement year. If finances permit, it’s a great transition plan.
Service and Relevance
My sense is that relevance will be found in living a life of service. We do know, from extensive research, that some form of work is vital to maintaining vitality and a sense of purpose through our retirement years, not to mention contributing to greater longevity. That flies in the face of the traditional leisure-based, consumer-only type retirement that we’ve been pedaled for the last 5–6 decades.
Happier, healthier retirees have something that motivates them to get up in the morning and that provides them a sense of relevance. The nice thing about retirement is that you now have the time and resources (hopefully) to be able to find that relevance, knowing that it may change through your retirement.
Be flexible and don’t let your relevance be dictated by the opinions of others. Be your own person and honor your inner self. It will ultimately let you know what is relevant for your life.
I had to wait until my seventies to make that discovery. I wish for you an earlier and easier discovery.
Hence, start early.
This article was originally published on Make Aging Work and is republished with permission.
About the Author
Gary Allen Foster is executive recruiter, retirement and career transition coach, writer, and speaker. He shares his thoughts about aging and retirement on his blog – Make Aging Work.
