Can you remember what it was like to be an adolescent? Your future life was yet to be shaped; you needed to find a purpose or to define your goals. It was a time of indecision, yet there were promises of excitement and fulfillment. There were a thousand possibilities and many paths to follow. Your friends will have been in a similar quandary and your family keen to help you make decisions. Should you undertake further education? Seek employment immediately? Try out different jobs? You may have even taken an overseas trip to give yourself time to sort out your priorities.
In many ways entering retirement is very similar. A large part of life stretches out ahead and you need to make decisions on how to live it. What will be my new goals; which activities will provide me with a purpose? Will I have an exciting life with the possibility of learning new skills. As before, friends will be in the same state of indecision, approaching the same transition or perhaps already on their new journey. And there will be untold opportunities and plenty of advice. You may even travel overseas to give yourself time to think through your plans.
Think back to when you were teenager. Rediscover that excitement of pondering on your future. Because there are also untold possibilities in retirement- to experience, to learn, to test oneself, to explore one’s capabilities. When you hear of a 90-year old woman gaining a PhD, or of retirees working with refugees, or learning to speak a foreign language, perhaps singing for the first time in their lives, mentoring youngsters, climbing mountains, sailing around the world, or writing their first novels, it is time to consider the unlimited potential in being retired. What did you miss out on in your earlier life? What did you always want to be? But don’t just think about it, do it.
Renaissance not Retirement 