Questions to Consider about Retirement?
Retirement as a stage in your life could last as long as thirty years versus traditional retirement 30 years ago when people often passed away more sooner than later after their retirement date. Thoughtfulness, reflection and planning about what you want your retirement to look like has become an essential step in creating the lifestyle that meets both your personal and financial needs. One way to do so is to start reflecting by considering what you presently take from work. The following is a list of questions that I spoke with Dave and Linda Rutherford on the Rutherford Show (March 1st) that you can use to start thinking about your next step into retirement.
1. Money
- What sort of lifestyle do I want to live in retirement?
- Have I saved enough money to meet my retirement lifestyle needs?
- Do I require to additional savings or do I need to modify my plan?
- Will I continue to work in retirement? What will that look like?
2.Status
- Do I presently work in a job or career that affords me status?
- What does that status look like?(recognition, rewards, title, decision making ability,influence)
- Is the status I receive something I want to continue to experience in my post work retirement?
- How will I find relationships and activities that afford me the benefits of that status?
3.Socialization
- Do I socialize with people who I work with?
- Will I continue to socialize with people I work with after I retire?
- How will I maintain established relationships during retirement?
- How do I develop new friendships?
4.Time Management
- What do I do with all of the additional time I will have when I am not working?
- Is there anything that I am looking to do with my time in retirement?
5.Sense of Purpose
- What values do I live my life by?
- How does my work that I am leaving provide me with a sense of purpose and meaning?
- What activities and causes am I passionate about?
- What people and activities will provide me with a sense of purpose?
- How do I create a sense of balance and wellness in my life?
This is a start to provide you with some thinking points about your step into retirement. Ultimately, it comes down to understanding your values and being able to identify the activities (e.g.work,volunteering, learning, travel and leisure) and maintaining and establishing relationships in your life that fill you up and meet your needs around status, socialization, time management, sense of purpose and even money if you choose to continue to work during your retirement.
Brian Lambier is the President and Owner of Career Vitality Services Inc. a Calgary based company that offers career and retirement transition coaching and workshops to both individuals and organizations. For more information contact Brian at Career Vitality Services(403) 978-9134