Change is inevitable for all of us. It doesn’t matter how old you are or whether you have planned for change or it just happens unexpectedly. You will still have a lot of adjustments to face as you make the transition to retirement.
It’s normal for most of us to dread change, resist it, and often do everything that we can to prevent or avoid unexpected changes. We are all creatures of habit, and life flows more easily for us when we have “our systems” in place. Even the positive changes we look forward to require adjustments.
What happens if one day the system, routine, ritual, plan, or life we have known changes? How will we understand and cope with this change? How will we navigate this new terrain?
Some changes, like the death of a family member, seldom have positive consequences. However, many changes that initially appeared to be negative don’t have to turn out that way. What if there was a way to not only welcome change into your life but embrace it? When you have a solid grasp of understanding change, you are more able to effectively manage both your present and future. Why not turn the next big change you anticipate in your life inside out and see it as an opportunity for growth?
Retirement is that significant change. It is an opportunity for growth. As you navigate this transition, you can:
• Be open to new possibilities
• Read
• Ask questions
• Discuss options with your partner, family, and friends
• Seek the counsel of a retirement coach
• Make the best possible decisions based on your desires, not on what retirement looked like for your parents or your grandparents
• Move if you want to (for more on where to retire, check out *Where Will You Retire?: A Retirement Guide And Exercises For Deciding Where To Retire, Buy A Second Home, Or Relocate
• Recareer if you so choose
• Fill the remaining 20-30 years of your life with purpose
What changes are you looking forward to? What changes do you anticipate will take some getting used to?
* affiliate link