Retirement is a transition from one life to another. At the beginning it feels like a better time, but major adjustments may be necessary later. Sometimes it is stormy at first, but once people find a new role and identity, retirement, living is safely under way. Few retirees move into retirement without going through some difficult times. Leaving a full-time career and adjusting to leisure activities, finding a part-time job or volunteer involvement, or embarking on a personal creative adventure is a far cry from preparing for an extended trip or vacation. The old ego satisfactions are gone. The routine is gone. The security of the regular paycheck with all the benefits has been replaced with a new system. The old door has been closed and a new one needs to be opened. A new identity needs to be found. A minimum of one year is usually required for an individual to make a safe passage into retirement. Sometimes it takes three or four, and a few never make it at all. This happens when one opens a new door (retirement) but refuses to close the old door (previous work) and winds up in limbo, often returning to full-time work and the possibility of a second retirement attempt down the line.
To make their transition shorter and more comfortable, here are five suggestions they should follow:
1. Realize that a honeymoon is just a honeymoon and cannot last forever. When it is over, expect a time of uncertainty, doubts, and disenchantment.
2. Leave all excess baggage from their previous work experience behind.
3. Anticipate some rocky days and devise a strategy to lessen the discomfort people may feel. Regular exercise can be a big help. If people are making their passage with a
life partner, talk openly about transition problems so people can reinforce each other.
5. If it is not already under way, do a better job of retirement planning by anticipating and preparing for four phases, instead of one. Where possible, know what people will do and what people want to be before people retire, then they should be aware that it is
important to find their own comfort zone in each new stage. Retirement is never the same for two people.