Are You Really Ready to Retire?
Whether we realize it or not, as we age our bodies and psyches undergo subtle changes which by their nature bring all of us to a point where we need and want to modulate our lifestyle. That point when we begin to explore the possibility of retirement is reached at different times by different people, so how do you know if you are really ready to leave your working life behind?
You may be well on your way when you begin asking yourself: Why should I work so hard? Why should I fight traffic every day? Why do I put up with an insecure boss? Or bitchy customers?
Today, age is no longer the factor it once was when envisaging retirement. Of course there are some people who may subconsciously equate retirement with one of life’s tragedies, and therefore convince themselves that they must continue to work until they drop. However, the average person will reach a point of decision where changes will need to be acknowledged and retirement considered. And that point may be reached much earlier or later than the traditional retirement age of 65.
As a natural byproduct of decades of repeated tasks, boredom often sets in at some points as we age. Monotony may become more than we are now willing to bear. We search for a change.
At the turn of the last century, both genders could expect to live to age 50. Today, most men can expect to live to 84 and women to at least 87. People reaching retirement age today are in generally in better physical shape than their parents were, and they can look forward to decades of pursuing a dream, whatever it may be, or starting a new career.
We all have dreams of one kind or another. Some people start planning their retirement so they can finally devote themselves to a new interest, whether it’s writing a novel, joining an orchestra or building a boat.
If you have decided that retirement is for you, before exploring your options you should be well aware that you can’t leave behind a career that has spanned thirty or forty years without some sense of loss. This is especially true of those who traditionally have focused the bulk of their energy on getting ahead in their field. They must refocus their aims and perception if they want a successful and happy retirement.
In many ways, retirement can be generally easier on women who have had to juggle a career with the care of children and the management of the household over the years. For many of them, retirement is a welcome blessing.
