Retirement Isnt What It Used To Be

Retirement Isnt What It Used To Be When the Social Security program was initiated in  the US in 1935, the logic was to remove older workers from the workforce and make way for younger workers. But you wont want to retire! So its time you evaluate your definition  of retirement.   In 1935, the average life expectancy was 61 years old. Far fewer people made it to the ripe old age of 65.    But today we are living  longer. The CDC reports life expectancy in the US is age  78.8. The idea that youll be happy playing golf, walking the beach, or playing cards for the remainder of your life seems absurd!  More importantly, most of us wont have enough money to carry us into our 90s given the costs of healthcare. If you are in the workforce, at any age, it is time for you to think about what you want to do with the last part of your career- or if you prefer, your second act. This post is part of Job Action Day.  Act II: Finding Career Satisfaction After 50 Redefine Retirement Who am I to define what YOUR retirement will look like? That is up to you and I suggest you begin thinking about how you will spend your free time once you are no longer working full time, because you will have a lot of it! Some baby boomers dont want to quit working. But they do want to reprioritize their time. They probably dont want to work 50+ hours a week. So what job will they hold? Will it be a role with less responsibility meaning less pay? Or will it be a consulting or per diem role? Or will there be a new type of income stream we have yet to define today? Visualize  Your Future Visualization is an effective way to begin. Visualization has been used by athletes and professionals to define what they want their future outcomes to look like. Whether you write down what your days activities will be, hour by hour, or create a vision board, the act of creating something tangible that represents your future can be very motivating. Assess  Your Values What will be important to you later in life? Will you want to volunteer, travel, or spend time with family? Your life post-retirement MUST center around your core values if you want to be happy. Write down these values and share them with your partner or spouse to see how they match and where they differ. Communicating with your significant other may bring stress but it may also bring peace. Be ready for either. Focus On What You LOVE Doing Throughout your career, youve done many things. Now is the time to focus on the functions and skills you enjoy using the most! Dont waffle or waiver from what your gut tells you. Write these things down. Connect The Dots Talk to people who have retired, read about people who have created a second career. Youre going to need ideas and inspiration to help you realize that almost anything is possible. Build Your Bridge to Retirement The earlier you start thinking and planning for your future, the better. It could take time for you to build a bridge to your new career and make the transition- so dont wait until youre final year to begin the process and metamorphosis! If you are looking for more ideas and information on Act II careers, please be sure to check out Job Action Days other contributing career bloggers here.