We are traveling for the next few weeks and I won’t be able to compose detailed blog entries from our trip, so I have scheduled a couple of posts about our favorite topic – retirement. I will keep notes and take a zillion photographs in order to share our journey with you when we return. Please continue to leave comments for us and we will get back to you when we have internet service available. In the meanwhile, please check our Instagram page at Picture_Retirement to see photos from the trip while it is happening.
I’m Retired, Now What:
People seem to put a lot of effort into financial readiness for retirement, but they neglect to prepare for their new identity as a retiree. Retirement is sort of like going into a mandated witness protection program where no one knows who you were in your past life. Actually, no one cares who you were in your past life. Honestly, when you are sitting across the card table on poker night, or leading a computer class at the local library, no one cares if you were a CEO or a car salesman.
Letting go of the identity that defined you for so long is not an easy process. But, I think you have to in order to move forward and fully embrace the joys of retirement.
Reinvent Yourself 101
- Evaluate what makes you feel happy, fulfilled and productive
- Write a description of who you want to be, right now, in this skin
- Seek out people with similar interest – join groups
- Learn a new skill or rekindle an interest in a former passion
- Exercise regularly
- Eat healthy
- Break bad habits
- Eliminate negativity (including toxic relationships from your life)
- Feed yourself with positive images, words, conversations and people
- Express gratitude and make a choice to be happy, every day
- Be present, mindful and patient as your new self evolves
- Set goals and challenge yourself
- Remain engaged and avoid complacency
- Remain true to your core values and take the best parts of your old self along for the ride
We have worked long and hard to enjoy the reward of time to call our own, do what we want to do and be who we want to be. Life truly is what you make it, so why not make it wonderful? What would you add to the list to help someone who might be struggling with adjusting to their new retirement identity?
Picture Retirement 
You hit the nail on the head with the comment “no one cares who you were in your past life”. I think that’s one of the biggest adjustments to make. During our career years, asking someone new what they do for a living is often one of the first questions we ask. I’ve never known a retiree to ask what I did for a job.
The hard part is knowing how to define ourselves when we are no longer working for a living. I hate calling myself a retiree. I’m so much more, but after 7 years, I’m still working on it. Sometimes I simply say I’m a blogger. In many ways, it is a career.
Happy travels and memory building!!
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Joanne, You are so right. Announcing that you are retired stunts the possibility of further conversation. Blogger or Photographer are my go-to responses. Those seem to elicit fewer glazed over looks!
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Oooh, photographer! Good one!
Can I call myself a photographer even if I shoot primarily in auto mode? 😉
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Funny! Turn that dial woman! A,S,M shoot everything in RAW and spend hours in post processing; maybe then we earn the title. Oh, and the most important distinction – $$$
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Ha! I’m going to need more than post-processing to save many of the photos I take! … more like divine intervention 😉
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This blog resonates so much with me. I’m a year into retirement, but learned very early on that no one really cares what I used to do for a living. Its kind of refreshing….not trying to impress those who will not be impressed. Thanks for this piece and have a great trip!
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Tracey, it is refreshing. Who wants to talk about the past anyway? The future is so much more interesting!
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Great advice Suzanne as you are right when you say people emphasize the financial side of retirement and completely ignore how they will live during their retirement. It is so much more than money. Loved all of your points. Have a wonderful trip.
Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond
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The best thing really is to leave the past life behind and just move on. I thought I would miss my work, since I loved my job….surprise, surprise I have not missed or even thought about it at all. I love the freedom, the different pace of life, no alarm clocks. I have started running, joined the local gym, practicing yoga, writting my blog, reading a lot more than before and soon travelling to Central and South America. Life could not be better. Looking forward to following your journey😄
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Gilda, sounds like you have your priorities right. Keep moving forward!
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