AAAH, I Am Retired - The First 6 Months
When you think about retirement, are you thinking of those first few months of not having to set the alarm clock, not having to get on zoom meetings or drive into the office, or get on a plane to meet clients? If you are like so many people, I am sure you are. It is a sweet and lovely time, what I call the honeymoon period of retirement. It is the time to do those things that you think retirement should be about
Maybe travel has always been at the top of your list for what you will do when you are not limited to a few days or a week of vacation, when you can go as far and for as long as you want. Perhaps playing golf or tennis or pickleball every day sounds like heaven to you, or spending time with the kids and grandkids. Or the thought of some popcorn at the movies in the middle of the day sounds like the sweetness of this time.
If we were sharing a cup of coffee or tea, I am sure that we could expand that list considerably with things that you have dreamed of doing if you just didn’t have to work. What are the things that really sound wonderful to you that you want to do when you first retire?
It is possible, of course, that you have ideas for the rest of your retirement and are ready to get going on that, but just need a couple of weeks to switch gears. Maybe take a few days away, a few days of sleeping in and then you are ready to go.
If you have had a career for 30 years or more, however, there is probably some pent up desires that just need to be realized.
When was the last time you took more than two or maybe three weeks off of work?
I remember one year when I went on a road trip with my husband and son and we had planned on three weeks – an unheard of amount of time. I had it planned out tightly, but by the 5th day I realized I was just starting to unwind, and that we didn’t need to push so hard to have fun. So we slowed down and the rest of the trip was memorable – both my son and I still talk about it to this day (my husband has since died, but I feel sure he would still be talking about it too).
What if you could take six months to do exactly what you want – and it didn’t include working. What would you do? Who would you do it with? Where would you go? Would you clear out the garage, or the closet that is all but overflowing? Would you binge on streaming videos and movies? Workout every day in the middle of the day? Or cruise hop around the world?
Take a few minutes and write down all that would feel like an almost guilty pleasure, something that has been pulling at you for a while, or that you think you have earned after all these years.
Once you have that, now write down anything that would stop you from doing these things. Maybe you don’t know where to start, what equipment to buy, where to go, who to do it with, or perhaps you think you cannot afford to do what you want to do. What would make it affordable? Who can you ask about what you need to get going? What can you find through searching the internet?
While there may indeed be things that you think you would like to do but you really cannot, and maybe there are ways to overcome what you think are barriers. They might indeed just be your own resistance, or that you have only been thinking about it one way, where there are really many other ways to accomplish what you are after.
If travel is something you love but with the cost of hotels or even AirBnB being so expensive these days, it might seem beyond your budget. Instead, what about house-swapping. There are many sites that are set up for just that. Want to explore Lisbon or Naples? There is probably someone with a home that wants to visit where you live and is willing to exchange their home for yours for a week or a month, or longer. Sites like Homestay or Home Exchange can be a great resource. If you love pets, sites like Trusted Housesitters have listing of people around the world who need to leave their pets and want someone to come live in their home while they are gone to take care of their lovely creatures and the plants they have. One housesitter we used has been living as a nomad that way for four years.
Are you not sure if doing any of these things is right for you. Do you think you “should” be moving on to the new project or job or business rather than being carefree and taking time to do just what you want. What would it mean to you if you did take the time off? Would you be being selfish, self-indulgent, irresponsible, uncaring? Do you think you “shouldn’t” do nothing.
Who is the person that is telling you these negative things? Your inner child, your inner parent, your mother’s voice or your father’s, another voice from your childhood or adolescence?
If you are hesitant about any kind of self-care, remember what the airlines say, that you should put the mask over your face first, so that you can then help others. Self-care is important, necessary and definitely not self-indulgent.
At work we live with stress. Meeting deadlines, pleasing our boss, our drive to do the best job we can, juggling the competing demands, finding time for family, and more. Too much stress can be very harmful for our health. Numerous studies have shown that it can lead to a number of diseases, more accidents occur when we are stressed, and our sleep is affected by it. Sleep has also been found to be enormously useful in keeping us healthy, so we need to be doing everything we can to ensure we get a good 7-9 hours sleep each night. Not once in a while, every night.
So let the light of your dreams shine. There is a way for you to realize them.
When you are ready to tackle questions like when and where to retire, there are ways we can help. We have Feisty & Fearless Over Fifty Circles and Personal, one-on-one coaching.
With membership in Feisty & Fearless Over Fifty Circles, and with Personal Coaching you will
Identify just what you want your retirement to look like
Relief from the uncertainty of retirement
Effective tools and information to move forward
Questions that may seem intense, and will bring forth transformative answers
Tasks to take on between each session to help you achieve the results you are looking for
Build a life of joy, fulfillment and satisfaction
A roadmap for Living the Good Life
If you would like to find out more and set up a free, initial call, send me an email at pfield@coach4women.com
