5 Tips for Transition from a new Retiree

Wow, what a year! It has now been 12 months since I last walked into the office of my 35+ year career job. People ask me how things are going and my response is – I’m living my best life! No, that’s not just a cliche saying that feels good. It really is true. It’s true because of how I allowed myself to live out this huge transition. Below I’ll share with you the top 5 things I learned from the process.

1. Endings can be beautiful if you do it mindfully! Okay, I know that it’s not always possible to plan every ending because life can sneak up on us and throw us some hefty curve balls. AND, there are many transitions that truly can be planned out deliberately. This was one of them. I was deliberate in reminiscing about the people, projects, programs, and legacies I was leaving behind. I thoughtfully planned my good-byes including the message I wanted to email colleagues and friends as I walked away. I was fortunate enough to be able to collaborate on planning my celebration. I embraced the ending – all of it from the sentimental emotions, to the tears that flowed, to the final farewell, to the step into the great unknown. I did it in a way that made me feel like I was acknowledged – by me. How many times do we seek to be acknowledged by others when in reality, the real gift is to be acknowledged by self. I recommend it as a way to make the endings sweeter.
2. Take a pause! I did this for the first 2 months of my retirement. I literally took a pause from working. I knew I was launching my own business but I let myself settle into not working for a bit. I read, napped, played, shopped, contemplated, painted, gazed at sunsets, and let myself move in and out of the phase of “I just don’t care” without judgement. I gave myself permission to really feel the change vs. jumping from the frying pan into the fire. I lunched with old friends and day dreamed with others. It’s a powerful thing to allow yourself to actually catch a breath.
3. Get creative! Many people don’t view themselves as the creative type, however, what I know to be true is that we were made in the image of the ultimate Creator and that makes us creative too. You just have to find your playground. For some it’s writing, art, photography, music, exploring, adventure, cooking … the arena is endless! It doesn’t really matter WHAT it is – just that you allow it to flow. Even if you never flexed that muscle much before, giving it a try is therapeutic and life affirming to begin to create from your own heart. I spent time this year dabbling in lots of areas that caught my fancy from art, crafts, collaging, decorating and even a bit of cooking. I also created a family recipe book which allowed me to use both my creative spirit and my organizing spirit in one project. It gave me a chance to reach out to family that I haven’t talked to in a while and have conversations I had never had before. It opened up something inside of me that was all about possibilities and then I brought it to life into a tangible keepsake for several generations. Being creative is expansive which is a nuance in this year of transition.
4. Reinvigorate your world of learning! Some people love to be life-long learners and I am one. Just because I was leaving a long career didn’t mean I had hit my peak or that I had closed down my curiosity. If anything it has been heightened because my routines were blown up, my expectations were removed, and my mind had room to wander. So I took the time to renew or level up some of my certifications to make sure I had the latest information for my chosen work. I also allowed myself to be inspired by possibilities for additional tools in my toolbox – and they were life changing and expansive for me. I got clear on a dream that I wanted to bring to fruition, which meant completing a learning journey to enable me to go for it. I feel relevant, alive, and prepared for the next leg of my journey because I learned about myself, my skills, and my resources. I even learned how to create a website from scratch, again, on a new platform. I’m learning some new tricks and I’m having fun doing it!
5. Walk your own path! This is a big one. Because in addition to the things mentioned above I found myself comparing my path to others – friends, colleagues, and family. I fumbled around in the land of “shoulda, coulda, woulda” long enough to feel the overwhelm and thankfully knew enough to reach out for a hand out of the muck. This lesson is one that I want to hold onto and not re-learn. The only way through it was to get real with myself. This required me to go into inquiry mode with myself to figure it all out. I needed to take my eye off the other guy and ask myself some tough questions … Do I want to run or do I want to walk at this stage? Do I want to craft my business this way or that way? Do I want to go broad or narrow my focus? Do I want to go virtual or live and in person? How do I want to walk the next section of my path without feeling like I’m holding anyone else back or pushing myself to a place that doesn’t fit me? What does balance look like? What creates joy and lights a spark within me? What is it I truly WANT to do? I’m still on this journey and likely always will be.

In retrospect – it’s been a big year! I hope these musings and tips will be useful to you when you are faced with a transition. The lessons transcend just job change and retirement. Keep moving forward … and be blessed!