Retirement looks different than it used to, and the transition from the workforce can be a daunting one. The structure, social network, and routines that are left behind can leave a considerable void in people’s lives. It can be challenging so many older workers simply ignore, or put off planning for the emotional elements of their upcoming retirement. After all, like all unknowns, it can be uncomfortable…
Initially, it might be easy to imagine how retirement will look. After all, you may have been planning your bucket list for years. However, the bucket list and the excitement that it brings, might only sustain you for a time. At some point, the quest for excitement begins to wane and the desire for something more meaningful replaces it. Rather than racking up a series of once in a lifetime moments, the desire to engage in something meaningful comes to the fore.
People turn to a retirement coach when the notion of retirement brings up anxiety instead of excitement. The main goal of retirement coaching is to clarify not just what you’re going to do, but perhaps more importantly, who you are going to be. It’s important that we don’t under-estimate the importance of work in our lives. Work fulfills our deep human need for status, structure, money, friendship and so much more. For those that judge their self-worth by their work, retirement can appear to be empty, lonely and feel like a time of loss.
Coaching works to help us define ourselves outside of work, focus on what really matters, and begin to access other sources of fulfillment. A coach will help you begin to differentiate your corporate self from your authentic self by determining your values, dreams and talents that exist outside of your work. Since this may involve a deeper and more introspective kind of thinking than you’re used to, a coach can enhance this process with provocative questions and focused exercises.
Retirement can be a challenging transition. Working with a coach can help you reframe your current vision of retirement and work towards a more positive appreciation of what lies ahead. Clarifying values, leveraging strengths, and challenging perspectives are all part of the role of the coach in helping you design a meaningful retirement. Creating an action plan that puts into practice new skills and perspectives keep you moving toward the meaningful life that is richly deserved in retirement. A coach works alongside you to encourage you, see things inside you that you might not even be aware of, and keep you accountable to your goals. Retirement is no longer regarded as a time of decline, but rather as an opportunity to live your best life. If a coach can help you do that, then why not?