When I speak at pre-retirement
seminars, one of the first topics I bring up is the definition of retirement. That’s
because as Baby Boomers we’re very sensitive to being referred to as “retired.”
Just ask someone, “Are you retired?” You’ll probably get a somewhat agitated, knee-jerk
response, such as: I’m refreshing, repotting, reframing, or re-anything except
re-tired.
This adverse reaction to being retired is why, within the first couple
minutes of my presentation, I explain that I’m not going to talk about our parents’ retirement. I disclose that I
think people should never retire. And
that it’s up to us to redefine this next stage of life. But to do that, we need
more than a clever comment. Instead, we need “creative change.”
According to author Jennifer
Mueller, in her book Creative Change: Why
We Resist It…How We Can Embrace It, creative change happens when we “move
away from defining something to embrace a completely new and different way of
defining something.” This is more than a new name for retirement. This is a new
way of living.
Many aspects of our life will have
to take on a new definition for us to experience creative change. For instance,
our relationship with time changes dramatically. If it doesn’t, we end up
frantically trying to fill every minute—we continue to function from a time
scarcity mindset and the belief that busyness equates with significance.
Instead, we need to embrace the gift of
time, realizing that some things are better done slowly.
If you're questioning how you will use your extra
time in retirement, one answer is to make everyday events into something greater.
In other words, do the opposite of what’s expected by turning a “molehill into a mountain.”
Studies on happiness suggest people receive lasting gratification when they
make a situation more challenging, take pictures to remember the event and
reminisce about it at a later date. This is the reverse of investing just
enough time to get the job done.
To experience creative change we
need to redefine the value we place on money. Until now, financial compensation
played a big role in determining the value of our work. If something didn’t pay
enough, most likely we didn’t do it. Now if we wait to be paid to do something
we love, we might miss out on it all together. For example, if you love to
write but are waiting to get started until you’ve signed a publishing contract,
you could be waiting a long time. I can’t promise, “Do what you love and the
money will follow.” I can assure you that if you do what you love, whether
you’re paid or not, you’ll experience a more fulfilling retirement.
Freedom is another area that
requires a shift in thinking if we’re to experience creative change. In some
ways freedom is our new currency. We have to decide how to spend it and invest
it. But there are two sides to this coin. As author Seth Godin says in his
book, What To Do When It’s Your Turn,
“Freedom is our problem and freedom is our opportunity.” I hope that you’ll put
forth the effort to invest in opportunities with your newfound freedom.
Until we creatively change our
definition and relationship with these parts of retirement—time, money, and
freedom—we will only come up with a new pseudo definition of retirement. Not
much will have changed except for our terminology. But if we embrace creative
change, if we commit to a completely new and different way of defining
retirement, our futures are full of possibilities. We may be retired, but this
isn’t our parents’ retirement!
Copyright 2017. Patrice Jenkins.
All Rights Reserved.
