THE DAY AFTER RETIREMENT

Have you given a serious thought about how the day after retirement will unfold? Maybe you will enjoy the thought of not having to rush to work in the mad traffic, or enjoy a couple of weeks of “me time”.  Then what?

I worked on my post retirement plans way ahead of time. I asked myself what do I enjoy doing and how good am I in doing that. Will this activity bring me any benefit?  Benefit has many definitions and differ from person to person. It could be useful engagement with or without monetary benefit, or giving back to society and feeling useful in the process, or any other activity that will make the second innings truly a new beginning.

With these thoughts I went about exploring and tried to find out what kind of person I am and what activity will make me feel lively and fulfilled. I found out that for me to do my choice of activity, I need to train myself and acquire a set of skills. I took one year to train and skill myself. Reinvented myself as a Life Coach. Therefore, I had a new identity the day after retirement. Plans are in place as to how I will move ahead. I enjoyed the entire process of being released from service because I had created a future for myself. I took time to say goodbye to colleagues across my institution, together we cherished our common memories and I left service with a cheerful heart.

I urge people having two or three years of service left for retirement to proactively prepare for the next phase of life. In case you have retired without doing this mental exercise, it is never too late to discuss with someone as your sounding board. You will definitely forge a new path. After all it is your responsibility to have a memorable post retirement life. You are responsible for your happiness and nobody else. Cheers to moving forward with positive energy!!