According to a study conducted by the U.S. Census, the average life expectancy of a human in 2060 will be around 85 years old.  If the average age that people retire continues to hover around 65, this means you could live for another 20+ years after you retire.  I love a beach as much as the next person, but that sounds like a long time to relax.

Most people assume that when they retire they will travel, play with grandkids, rest, and take up a new hobby, but how much can you really travel, be the go-to babysitter, nap, and learn to knit?  20 years?  That sounds like a lot to me. Do those activities really add meaning to your life?  Or do they just fill your time?

When we retire we have a lot of time. Time for things we might not have been able to do while working.  Having time to get your arms around the demands of life is a good thing, but having too much time is not. Having too much free time leads to a very unpleasant activity…boredom.  Although all of the activities listed above are fun, they might not bring you fulfillment and they probably won’t take up 40 hours a week like your full-time job did.  So what should you do?

I’m not a retirement expert, but I am a career coach who helps professionals make transitions.  Transitioning from one job to another or one career to another takes a lot of planning and thought.  Transitioning from the “full-time job way of life” to retirement is no different.  Just like looking for a job, you have to come up with ideas, explore opportunities, and network to discover what is out there for you in retirement.

One way to begin thinking about how you want to spend your retirement is to work with what you know about yourself.  Give this activity a try.  Start a Good Time Journal.  I didn’t come up with this idea.  I’m borrowing it from Bill Burnett and Dave Evan’s book, Designing Your Life.  If you are looking for a good read, pick up a copy you won’t be sorry 😉.   A Good Time Journal involves tracking your daily tasks for three weeks and rating each activity based on how much energy you get from doing the activity, how engaged you are in the activity, and when you are in “flow”.  “Flow” is a term that refers to a state of being we experience when we are very engaged in something and very energized by something.  Many describe flow as a “time flies by” kind of feeling.  Once you have identified tasks that are engaging, give you energy, and allow you to experience flow, you can begin to think of activities you can do in retirement that allow you to do those same tasks or tasks that are similar.

The Good Time Journal alone will not lead you to a meaningful and well-designed retirement, but it will get you started.  Like most transitions in life, it is helpful to have support.  In the Spring of 2023, I started a virtual group coaching program for retired professionals called Second Act.  As part of this program, I worked with a small group of retired or soon-to-be-retired professionals to examine the design principles outlined in Designing Your Life.  Together we used this novel as a framework to craft meaningful ways for group participants to spend their retirement or take their next professional step.

Here are a few comments from participants who have experienced Second Act.

“After my first 2 years of retirement, which were mostly spent putting out fires on a personal level, going through this program made me realize that what I needed, and thrived on, was structure.  And through the structure that this program brought, I was able to focus on a true purpose.  With Lauren’s expertise and the ideas discussed with the other retirees in the program, I found myself able to shape my interests and passions into channels that not only felt comfortable to me but were also productive and actionable.”

“If you are considering options once you have retired, and you are still looking to contribute your skills and assets productively, this workshop is for you. It is a process that guides you to focus on your interests and skills, in ways you may not have considered.”

“This experience gave me the tools for self-reflection and discovery that helped me relax and organize my future in a way that helped me see what is most important to feel fulfilled. It allowed me to focus on the things that are most important right now: my health, being connected with people, and enjoying each day.  Being part of a group with my friends was fantastic.  Not only did I look forward to our weekly meetings and hearing about their reflections and desires for themselves, but we were able to support each other through the process.  Working with people I knew and respected was a bonus. The camaraderie continues as we talk about how we are moving forward. I didn’t feel alone.”

If you are retired or about to retire, looking for a way to design your next step in life, and interested in joining a community of individuals who have the same goal, please visit my website to learn more.  Let’s explore all the possibilities together 😊.