A 67- year-old who ‘un-retired’ shares the most significant retirement difficulty ‘that nobody speaks about’

In 2007, at age 52, I was required to retire over night. An MRI had actually exposed a growth, the size of a big eggplant, resting on my hips. In 98% of these cases, my oncologist informed me, bone growths are secondary cancer. He approximated that I had about 6 months to live.

But after 2 effective operations, I took a couple of months to recover on crutches and find out how to stroll once again. After my near-death experience, I had actually remained in retirement for 10 years. I discovered myself tired, uneasy and stuck. My interest and energy lessened. My psychological health suffered.

No else I understood who was retired informed me these were things I may experience. But when I showed them how I felt, they confessed to feeling the very same method sometimes.

That’s when I chose to “un-retire” and introduce a frame of mind training business to assist individuals accomplish a more satisfying retirement than I had.

Retirement implies various things to various individuals. I did a deep study of more than 15,000 retired people over the age of 60, and inquired one concern: “What is your single biggest challenge in retirement?”

Below is a little choice of actions I got under the most pointed out classifications:

Regret:

• “I miss doing the work that I love.”
• “I don’t think retiring is for me. I want to go back to teaching.”
• “I’m not sure what to do with my time. I feel lost.”

Health:

• “Keeping my mind healthy and adding value to the world.”
• “Fear of dying in pain and discomfort.”
• “When you’re 70 with a heart condition, you don’t get that many more bites at the apple.”

Identity:

• “Fear of losing my identity created over a lifetime.”
• “People do not see you anymore.”
• “Feelings of rejection — internalized, not voiced.”

Here’s what this informs us: The most significant difficulty of retirement that, in my experience, nobody speaks about, is discovering function.

Sure, cash is definitely an issue. “I have a fear of poverty and losing dignity,” a single person stated. Another composed: “Money goes out, nothing comes in.” But remarkably, monetary concerns weren’t amongst the leading 3 in the list.

People frequently puzzle retirement cost savings with retirement preparation. But these are 2 various ideas. Google the words “retirement planning” and you’ll mainly see, for pages and pages, savings-and pension-related material.

There is absolutely nothing on real retirement preparation, which I think is more about your life, and less about cash. Having consistent financial resources to last you throughout retirement plays a considerable function in lifestyle, however what’s more crucial is your life-planning.

In other words, what is it that you are going to do as soon as you leave the labor force? You can retire from your profession, however you can’t retire from life.

In the very same study, I asked how individuals believed they may fix their obstacles. A complete 35% thought that the response remains in discovering function in life through a brand-new ability or interest.

In reality, a 2021 research study of 12,825 grownups over the age of 51 released in the Journal of Applied Gerontology associated a strong purpose in life with healthier lifestyle behaviors and slower rates of progression of chronic illnesses.

Finding purpose can also help retirees find new side hustle opportunities that bring in income, helping to ease financial concerns.

I’ve helped countless retirees find their purpose. They didn’t go back to work in the traditional 9-to-5 sense, but they set up new businesses, consulted, volunteered and took on hobbies that brought them joy and satisfaction.

To identify what activities brought me purpose, I referenced the Japanese concept of “ikigai,” which translates to “your reason for being.”

The Westernized version of this concept is based on the idea that there are four components a person must have complete to achieve ikigai.

Each concept is represented by a question. As you actively pursue what you enjoy doing in service of yourself, your family, and your community, think about whether that activity allows you to answer “yes” to any combination of those four questions:

1. Are you doing an activity that you love?
2. Are you good at it?
3. Does the world need what you offer?
4. Can you get paid for doing it?

Japanese neuroscientist and happiness expert Ken Mogi also suggests considering if the activity has the five pillars that further allow your ikigai to thrive:

1. Does the activity allow you to start small and improve over time?
2. Does the activity allow you to release yourself?
3. Does the activity pursue harmony and sustainability?
4. Does the activity allow you to enjoy the little things?
5. Does the activity allow you to focus on the here and now?

On a deeper level, ikigai refers to the emotional circumstances under which individuals feel that their lives are valuable as they move towards their goals.

As for me, I’ve found that my purpose now is to help retirees “un-retire” and create a new life for themselves. Depending on when you plan to retire, you may have another 30, 40, 50 or more years of life — and that’s a hell of a long time to drift aimlessly.

George Jerjian is the author of “Dare to Discover Your Purpose: Retire, Refire, Rewire.” An Emmy-award-winning producer and author of 10 books, he earned his business degree from Bradford University in England and a master’s degree in Journalism from New York University. Follow him on Twitter @GeorgeJerjian

Don’t miss out on: