Have You Started Thinking About Retirement?

Once you’re ready to retire, you’ll need a plan for how to spend your time. And once your job title is gone, you’ll need to figure out who you are now, not to mention what brings you joy. Finding purpose and a new identity are key to living a healthy, happy post-work life. Women who have very recently retired describe what they’ve been up to (it sounds rewarding!), as well as the unexpected emotions that the transition has brought up. They also reflect on the questions they asked themselves (or wished they had) before leaving their careers behind.

Retirement is a major decision that takes planning and reflection. Ideally, you want to make the transition in a way that leaves you feeling happy and engaged, not lonely, lost, or bored. So, let’s talk about the seeds that should be sown before your last day in the workforce.

Two women who very recently retired recount their decision-making process, describe how the transition has been so far, and share lessons from their personal experiences. We then hear from Ann Bundy, who’s an expert on retirement, having written a practical guide on the topic and having recently retired herself. She gives practical advice on how to think about and prepare for this transition no matter where you are in your career.

Guest:

Ann Bundy is the coauthor of Encore: Living Your Life’s Legacy, a recent retiree, and a former executive coach.

Resources:

“What Happens When Your Career Becomes Your Whole Identity,” by Janna Koretz
“Design a Retirement That Excites You,” by Jeff Giesea
“When He Retires and She Still Works, What Happens?” by Karen Firestone
“Does Having Grandchildren Persuade Women to Retire Early?” by Karen Firestone
“How to Become a Coach or Consultant After You Retire,” by Dorie Clark
“What Job Crafting Looks Like,” by Jane E. Dutton and Amy Wrzesniewski

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