I’ve often struggled with the limitations of the word ‘retirement’, simply because it doesn’t suggest the start of a whole new stage of life that can last 30+ years.
So, I was delighted to read the thoughts on the word itself from Susie Dent, lexicographer and Countdown legend.
“Retire comes from the French word retirer, to withdraw. It means a kind of withdrawal from life, whereas I feel I’m just getting started (aged 60). … Withdrawing from life and work is the last thing I want. Perhaps we need a new word for retirement, one that means embracing of other things.” (1)
Not just withdrawing from work
Many retirees may only think of their withdrawal from work, and not the implications of that in terms of their social life and friends. You may feel you’ve just moved on from work as a daytime occupation, but to some of your friends who you’ve seen every working day for years if not decades, it may seem you’ve disappeared from their social radar totally.
The simplest example is after work drinks. Many friends and colleagues would still like to see you for a drink and a chat. The problem is, those drinks events are arranged during working hours, when you’re not there. So even getting to know about them can be a challenge.
Setting up a social group in channels such as Slack and WhatsApp can help keep you in the loop. Make it informal, with no ‘have to’s’. So anyone is free to just reply “Can’t make it this week – see you next week!”, for example.
Time away on holiday
Retirement is also an opportunity to get away for extended holidays. Long holidays are great for you and your partner to have time together, and for potentially meeting new friends. However, extended time away can also disrupt your established social circles, including regular meet-ups with good friends, sports club events, and volunteer work.
Again, you may not feel you’ve withdrawn, but it may seem so to others if you’re a regular face at the tennis club and suddenly not there for 8+ weeks. (Your backhand will suffer too!)
Balancing your time
Like many things in life and retirement, the answer is balancing your time – and that takes planning. Just hoping you’ll remember to contact people in a few weeks’ time won’t work. It needs to go into the diary lest it slip away or inadvertently be replaced by something else. Equally, you want your regular retirement time planning to have wriggle room for the impromptu stuff, alongside family commitments such as grandchildren care, and your regular, weekly activities.
Freedom with confidence
Retirement should give you the freedom to do what you want, when you want to, but a proper plan for your time will give you the structure and reassurance to do just that.
My wife Hazel and I love to travel (as you’ve probably gathered by now!) but that travel is all the more enjoyable because we can return to what we enjoy doing at home afterwards. Even the most impromptu of breaks requires fitting into other people’s routines too: are the kids available to look after the dog? Is there a client meeting I need to prepare for?
Getting back to walking the dog in the Hampshire countryside may not be quite as exciting as trekking across Antarctic ice, but it is much warmer and simply fires up my imagination for the next adventure!
And that new word?
Whether you’re already retired or ramping up to it, taking time to plan your time will reap dividends for many years to come, for a more enjoyable and purposeful retirement. So perhaps that new word might be re-time-meant, namely more time to intentionally do what you want to do!
Getting started can be hard
If you’re struggling with getting started with planning a purposeful next 30+ year, just book a Discovery meeting with me, and we can talk through how I can help. (You’ll also find more details on the Retire With Purpose page)
To book your free 30 mins Discovery meeting:
