What
Will Retirement Be Like?
From the desk of Leonard Martin:
Remember what
people used to say when they were getting close to
retirment?
"It
will be great to do what I want when I want."
"Whew,
no more office politics to deal with!"
"At
last, the government will be paying me for a change."
"I'm
finally going to be F-R-E-E-E!!"
These
statements reflect some of the positive things about
retirement that almost everyone looks forward to.
Unless it's due to illness, the reason most retirees
leave their jobs is because they want to, not because
they're pushed out. So for most, that last day on
the job is a joyful one filled with an invigorating
sense of personal freedom.
But
many retirees are not prepared for another feeling
that often follows that last day of work: a profound
sense of loss.
You've
Got Company
A study sponsored by
Civic Ventures, Temple University,
and the Center for Intergenerational Learning surveyed
retired people of all economic levels, and found
that the majority had one thing in common: They
felt lonely. It wasn't for lack of friends, family
and active social lives. Instead, it was a loneliness
for the kinds of relationships they had established
during their working years. Almost all workers are
part of teams of some kind, and those teams have
daily problems to solve, solutions to work out,
new ideas to introduce.
An
architect who spent her life drawing plans had an
office full of people who understood her work and
appreciated her creative new ideas. A science teacher
of many years had near-celebrity status among his
peers and his students, who always seemed to be
talking about the cool things they were learning
in his class. The manager of quality-control at
an auto-assembly plant felt pride in his team and
got a special thrill each fall when the new models
came out and he saw them on the road.
At
retirement, they may all have one thing in common:
loss of a sense of purpose. The architect's purpose
was to create satisfying designs, the teacher's
to stimulate young minds, the quality-control manager's
to assure that his company's products measured up
to top standards. What will replace the job satisfactions
that were so much a part of their identities?
These
days, with rumblings that social security might
not last and with health care costs escalating alarmingly,
many retirees find that instead of feeling the total
freedom they dreamed about, they are haunted by
worries about whether they have enough money saved
to actually enjoy their retired years. The fact
that people are living so much longer than they
did a decade ago should seem like good news-but
the prospect of how to finance all those extra years
is troublesome to many people when they leave the
workforce.
It's
a fact that retirement can be an unsettling time.
But it doesn't have to be.
Many
people have a different view of retirement. One
respondent in the study mentioned above said:
"I
like to think of myself as retiring TO something as
opposed to retiring FROM something."
In
other words, retirement shouldn't be a stopping
point, but a continuation of the journey through
life. Why toss all the experience you've gained
through years of working? You're one of the "wise
ones" now. There are people out there who value
you.
A
2005 comprehensive study released by
AARP and Towers
Perrin, a human resources consulting firm, showed
that many employers are beginning to recognize the
value of older workers. It's that old-fashioned
work ethic-you know, expecting to actually show
up on time and give a fair day's work for a fair
day's wage. In its September, 2006, Bulletin, AARP
honored 50 US employers who are "friendly"
to older workers.
But
doesn't going back to work defeat the whole idea
of being retired? Isn't it supposed to be time to
stop showing up for work when someone else says
you should? You wanted freedom, remember? Do you
have to give that up to regain that sense of purpose?
Absolutely
not.
Thousands
of people of all ages are making money in a home based business
that allows them to be their own bosses and
retain the exhilaration of the freedom to run their
own lives. At the same time, they're able to generate
extra income to bulk up the nest egg and provide
substantially more financial security for the 20,
30 or more years to come. Freedom from financial
worry is just as important as freedom from job demands
if you're going to enjoy the rest of your life.
And as a home based entrepreneur, you can still
enjoy all the dreams you planned. As long as you
have a computer and a phone, you can run your "home"
business from anywhere you call home, including your
vacation cottage, RV, or even your favorite beach.
If
you're retired, or soon will be, now is the time
to get started. You already have the skills you
need. With a little extra help from the experts,
you can fine-tune them and start right away to
put
a sense of purpose back in your life.
Just
fill out the form below for additional information
on a home based business that you can operate that
will fulfill your needs.
