The Word - Vol 86

Ready to Retire?

Retirement was not difficult for me, because I always felt I was semi-retired during my working life. I guess I was one of the lucky ones. As a TV weatherman, most of my days could be summed up by a constant parade of “partly cloudy with a few showers.” That was the beauty of being a TV weatherman in Vancouver. It either rains, or it don’t! No hurricanes, tornadoes and it hardly ever snows, but when it does snow, stay off the roads. But I digress. It was a job where I could show up half the year wearing Hawaiian shirts, and if the forecast was wrong, I still got to keep my job! Plus, I got to work with people I liked, and where we all enjoyed each other’s company. There comes a time though when you’ve had enough. To borrow an old phrase, “stick a fork in me, I think I’m done!” ​

But for some, they may find that they miss the sense of purpose, social interaction, and structure that work provides, while others may face financial challenges due to a lack of savings or unexpected expenses. It's important to carefully plan for retirement and to have realistic expectations about what it will be like. Retirement is a change in lifestyle that can be everything you hoped for or, to some, a challenge to fill the day. Some people manage to ease into retirement gradually. They don’t want to miss any of the aforementioned reasons why they love their work. I have two very dear friends who both spent their lives in the dentistry profession, they didn’t want to totally retire and ended up working one and two days a week. They still want to keep their hand in the practice and in someone’s mouth! Others just want to call it quits.  

Let me give you an example of what a friend of mine went through. He had worked in a very secure job for decades, he enjoyed his role in the company, enjoyed the camaraderie of his fellow employees, received promotions along the way, and worked his way up the corporate ladder. Then came retirement, and he thought he was ready for it, but as it turned out he wasn’t. For him, it wasn’t about finances, he had managed his money well. It was more about what to do all day long. The company said they’d let him take a trial run at retirement and if it didn’t work out, they might be able to find some projects for him if he wanted to come back. The HR department asked him if he was ready, and he said yes, but two months later he was back asking if they would take him back. Not going to work every day was driving him crazy! 

The HR department asked him if he had a plan when he decided to pull the pin on work. A plan? Not really! He was told that it might help if he had a plan, something to focus on to make the transition from day to day 9-5, to the wonderful world of leisure. Apparently, it’s a common problem. So, here’s what he was told to do. Go home and make a list of all the things you want to do, or have ever wanted to do, but none of these things can be related to the work you’ve done all your life. Make a list and stick to it. Then see how you feel about retiring. So he did, and his list went something like this.

Take a power squadron course
Buy a boat 
Go fishing
Travel
Volunteer 
Take painting lessons
Enrol in piano lessons

He came back to the HR department with his list, and they agreed it seemed manageable, so go ahead and give it a try. He did, and he never looked back.

He took the power squadron course that he’d always wanted to take. He and a friend shared the cost of a boat, and the two of them spent a lot of time fishing. He and his wife upped their game in the travel department, and together made a list of places they’ve always wanted to see, and made plans to set aside travel time each year. He volunteered for an offshoot program that was developed for the 2010 Olympic Games, to assist tourists in town who needed help finding their way around the city. The painting and piano lessons are on hold, as he hasn’t had time! Yes, he’s filled his days and doesn’t seem to want to hurry back to riding the elevator to the office every day. All it took was a little thought and planning. He was living proof of the old saying “Retirement is not the end of the road. It is the beginning of the open highway.”

When asked if he misses work he often says, “I don’t miss the rat race, but I do miss some of the rats”  

Until next week...
Wayne

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