12. Transition into your enjoyable and prosperous retirement

The conversion into retirement is a very unique and dramatic step in life. The changes in a person’s short term and long term objectives change dramatically. The changes in a person’s daily routines change dramatically. The changes in a person’s social structure and status changes dramatically. The changes within a person’s family interactions change dramatically. The changes in a person’s life perspectives change dramatically. Yet, the transition into retirement is rarely given the planning or thought it deserves. Unfortunately, far too many people go into retirement with virtually no purpose, with little, if any, planning, and/or little understanding of what will actually happen. People are led to believe that retirement is a form of paradise that will provide full retirement for the rest of their lives.

The transition into retirement is more difficult than it appears. The transition requires considerable thought, self awareness, and effort to complete successfully. When you transition into your enjoyable and prosperous retirement, you will:

• Discover when and how to transition into retirement that will be best for you (within the limits of your work position).
• Discover what you will want to do to receive your greatest enjoyment.
• Discover what you will want and need to achieve the prosperity and resources to enjoy your retirement.
• Discover the new life purposes and goals you will want to include in your retirement life.
• Discover the best retirement structure for you (full or partial).
• Establish the conditions for you to enjoy a more balanced life during retirement.
• Execute the plan to achieve your most desirable retirement structure.
• Research and discover the dramatic changes that will occur in your life due to leaving your daily work routine.
• Transition from the mindset and work habits you have into the new thought process and life routines that will lead to full retirement success.
• Execute a smooth and desirable conversion into retirement.

Unfortunately, far too many people discover that retirement did not become the satisfying, or even enjoyable new life that they had expected. They become disillusioned and disappointed. Why do people become so disappointed with their life after retirement? They do not recognize, consider or accept the very dramatic changes that occur to them with retirement. Retirement creates a change in people’s identity and status. They are no longer the manager, or sales person, or operator, or the important person at work they once were. They lose much of their sense of worth, because they are no longer needed, because they are no longer able to participate in work achievements and team activities. They have been replaced! This can be disturbing.

Their social circles will normally change, because people rarely understand the influence their work life and routines have on their social life. Their feelings of camaraderie, and the social interactions with their coworkers and customers will be lost. Even many of the after work hours social functions, like sports teams, Bar-B Queue’s, etc. will change or be lost. Their normal conversations with others will change, especially if work related topics dominated thoughts and interactions within social gatherings. Retirees will rarely be included in conversations about work related matters, because they are no longer involved in work.

The success of the transition into retirement is dependent upon your growth and improvement, and your ability to completely design and create your retirement to suit your very personal and unique desires, talents and needs. The beauty of retirement is the powerful control you have over designing your retirement. Retirement normally provides retirees considerable time to devote to newly discovered pleasures and desires, and enough financial resources to be able to enjoy the free time. You have ultimate control over almost every aspect of retirement. But, you do not have the time or energy to use the normal trial and error method to test and probe various aspects of retirement, before you find what you really want to do and be. You will most likely want to set up your retirement right the first time. The clock is ticking.

Unfortunately, retirees rarely consider that the most important person and asset of their retirement are themselves. It is not selfish for the retirees to design and build their retirement completely around their own personal desires, passions, talents, and self imposed obstacles. This does not mean that the retirees will ignore their mates. I means that they will replace their working time and effort with the life that will bring them joy and pleasure on their own terms (to include their mate if they wish) so they will have the energy and peace of mind to be a great mate themselves. This way they eliminate the grumpy factor, of having an unhappy sour person show up after retirement.