Thursday, April 26, 2018

Managing Transitions

One of the buzzwords used to describe this new old age, or longevity bonus, is “unretirement.” Another is “reinvention.” Together they equal figuring out who you want to be and what you want to do after you retire. And however you define that in your own life, it generally means moving on from, or beyond, years of full-time employment.

“Defining retirement: What will that transition look like for you?” addresses that issue in Primetime, an advertising section of the Chicago Tribune (February 16, 2018).

Several parts of the article caught my attention:

[P]anning to “do nothing” in retirement is not the best idea according to retirees like Jim Young and others. The Aurora resident was presented with an attractive package to retire early at 58.

“I saw it as a chance to return to art”….He [also]tried teaching but didn’t connect well with it….“I enjoy the art most of all but I am always open to trying other things,” says Young who has enjoyed retirement. By striving to define retired life, Young has rekindled old passion and found new interests.

What stands out for me in Young’s experience of retirement is that he tried more than one thing—and is planning to try others—knowing that it is up to him to create this part of his life.


 “Retirement is a major milestone in life and comes with a lot of emotions,” says Dr. Aimee Harris-Newon, a licensed clinical psychologist with a post-graduate concentration on functional health and wellness….“Just like buying a home, starting a family or sending your children off to college, retirement is a time of transition in life.”

Life is filled with transitions, of course, but many people over 50 may just be getting used to their post-work years as being one of them. And that’s why figuring out what to do with this time can be both exciting and a bit daunting.


Harris-Newon says there is often a “honeymoon period for about a year after retirement” where fun and leisure is fulfilling. But at some point, “it is important to find a purpose and meaning to your life….Find a way to bring your values and talents into the arena. People want to be needed. When there is no sense of purpose in life, depression, anxiety and health issues can develop.”

For me, finding purpose means finding meaning in our lives. That’s what makes us human, I believe, and draws us into those communities where our purpose finds expression.


And one final suggestion from the article for dealing with this transition: “Each person’s definition of retirement is so different that it is important to start a journal of retirement goals.”

OK, then, if keeping a journal during this time in your life sounds like a good idea, please consider signing up for my latest journal writing workshop at the Newberry Library: "The Purpose of Aging, Aging with Purpose." It's a 4-part series that runs Saturdays, June 16 - July 7, from 1 - 3 pm. 

For more information and to register at the reduced fee through May 4, click here:




And to read more of the Primetime article:



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