After Retirement – What’s Next

Time To Change Careers – What’s Next

Recently I talked to a contractor hired by a utility to do some work at my home.  He is in his mid fifties and during our conversation, he indicated that he was dissatisfied with his job but he is too old to do anything else.  He was resigned to doing a job he didn’t like any more.

It made me start wondering what was holding this guy back and keeping him from going into something he might enjoy more than what he’s doing now.  My guess is his fear of the unknown may be holding him back. Doing something different would put him out of his comfort zone and he is afraid he might fail at something else.

There is some similarity between what this guy is experiencing and what people experience when they retire.  When a career changing event happens, there is always some doubt, uncertainty and fear that goes along with it.

Why Change Jobs?

A lot of us have had a job change forced on us through corporate mergers, downsizing, outsourcing or any number of other reasons. When we have been put out of work and have not been able to find other employment, anger, uncertainty, doubt and fear are normal reactions. How many other people are afraid of making a significant job or career change late in their working lives?

Retirement can cause the same type of anxiety as losing a job. There is a certain amount of shock that comes with retirement. The shock losing relationships with co-workers and the responsibilities we have come to accept as normal. In other words, retirement can bring the shock of facing an unknown circumstances after a lifetime of work.

Many people say they want to retire and just stop working. This seems to an ideal retirement, but my experience and the experience of many other retirees is that just stopping work doesn’t quite cut it as a successful retirement.

Most of us have had a lifetime of work and the thought of not working is frightening. We might put on a good face, but inside, we are scared and worried. The big question is “How do we cope with retirement?” I’ve been there and I know how you feel. Avoiding the shock of retirement can be difficult without a plan that we can use as a guide.

Several years ago, I wrote an article about avoiding the shock of retirement. You can read it by CLICKING HERE. The article has some good tips to help ease into retirement.

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