Retire To Something

Are you sick of work? Tired of the grind?

Have you accomplished everything you’ve ever hoped to accomplish professionally, and the mountaintop has become a plateau?

Is your business changing, and you’re not interested in changing with it?

These are all common reasons that seniors decide to retire from their jobs.

But if you’re too focused on what you’re retiring from, you may overlook what you’re retiring to.

And that can be just as important, if not more so. What you’re retiring from defined the last three or four decades of your life. What you’re retiring to could last just as long and be even more eventful.

That’s why new retirees need to confront what the end of their career really means and be intentional about how they’re going to spend their time.

1. What You’re Retiring From

Even if you don’t love your job, the work that you did for decades does, in some way, define how you define yourself. It’s central to your role as a spouse, parent, or caregiver. It sets your daily schedule. It maintains your lifestyle and is the basis for much of your future planning.

And if your work is truly a calling that you’ve invested yourself in, then Doctor, Professor, or Engineer may be more than just a title. It might encompass who you feel you are, and how you put your most valuable skills to their highest uses.

Then there are all the human connections: the people you work with and the clients and customers you serve. Over the years, these folks have all come to rely on your wisdom, your expertise, your creativity, and your kindness. And you’ve come to rely on their camaraderie, the little moments in the break room, the wins you celebrated, and the challenges you overcame through teamwork.

The value of that sense of purpose and structure, as well as your professional network, can be a lot harder to quantify. You might not even realize how valuable these things truly are until that first Monday when you’re not heading into the office.

And when the totality of what you’re retiring from does sink in, the impact can be huge if you’re not prepared. You might experience sadness, isolation, loss of purpose, or even full-on depression.

2. What You Can Retire To

• What gives you joy?
• What gives you meaning?
• What makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning?
• What are the things that you love doing the most?
• Where do you want to spend more of your time?
• And whom do you want to spend more of your time with?

You have the freedom to retire to more of these activities, places, and people.

But you have to be purposeful about how you use that freedom. You may be used to R&R and family time just kind of happening on nights and weekends. Now that you aren’t working, it’s up to you to make your days meaningful.

Don’t wait for friends to call you. Schedule a weekly foursome at your local country club.

Don’t put off your new exercise routine until “next week.” Start every morning with a walk. Join a gym. Hire a personal trainer.

Don’t wait for creativity to strike. Put alone time in your writing room or workshop on your afternoon calendar.

Don’t wait for someone to ask for your help. Volunteer, tutor, or mentor.

Don’t wait for family time to just happen. Cook dinner with your spouse. Coach your grandson’s baseball team. Plan that epic vacation you’ve been dreaming about.

Life-Centered Planning can help you put these kinds of experiences at the heart of your retirement plan. Schedule a meeting to discuss retiring to an exciting new chapter of your life.

Investment advisory services are offered through Kingsview Wealth Management, LLC (“KWM”), an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Insurance products and services are offered and sold through Kingsview Insurance Services, LLC (“KIS”), by individually licensed and appointed insurance agents. KWM and KIS are subsidiaries of Kingsview Partners.