66. What even is Retirement anymore?
All bets are off. There is no longer one universal description of an "ideal retirement".
☕️ the main thing
“He’s changed,” my best friend whispered.
She’s talking about her husband, who retired from his high-powered corporate position in 2021.
The once easy-going dad and husband has become irritable and impatient, much to the surprise of everyone in the family.
“I don’t get it,” my friend lamented. “He’s not busy anymore; he doesn’t have the pressure of the job anymore. He used to complain about not having time to play golf, and now he has all the time! Why isn’t he happier?”
That conversation a few months ago has since spurred a research project, which meant happily falling into many rabbit holes.
I’ve been reading studies and research papers, and chatting with people seeking different perspectives on the topic. (By the way, thanks so much to those of you who responded and shared your thoughts. 🙏🏼)
I revisited past interviews on the podcast for insight into people’s experiences.
And I’ve examined my own experience with a magnifying glass. (I retired from my corporate career several years ago at 48.)
The upshot, though the research continues, is that this is a crucially relevant topic that I’d like to further sink my teeth into, perhaps a book project even.
Clearly, retirement is going through a significant reinvention.
Whatever our parents experienced — or for that matter, what we may have once thought of as ‘retirement’ — is fast becoming obsolete.
And our relationship with the word is all over the place.
Some want to retire early. Some are un-retiring. Some don’t ever want to retire.
Oh, and I’ve encountered a few who literally got annoyed that I dared to mention the word. 😅
What does modern retirement look like? What does it mean to retire in the 21st century?
I’ve started a short series on Second Breaks to explore these questions further. For the entire month of July, I’m risking the ire of some 😉 by doing a deep dive into the changing realities of modern retirement.
Here are some of the topics we’ll be covering in the series:
The imperative for change: why we need to reframe retirement
Some harsh realities we need to accept
The skills we need to navigate this transition in the 21st century
A framework for modern retirement
I’m also peeling back the curtain on my (painful) retirement experience, which, TBH, is the prime driver behind my deep interest in the topic.
The first in the series: Ep 206 (What Even Is Retirement Anymore) is now available wherever you listen to podcasts.
You can listen here.
Or read an edited version here.
📣 hear hear
“You can accept that what got you to this point won’t work to get you into the future—that you need to build some new strengths and skills.”
— Arthur C. Brooks
📖 a fine read
From Strength to Strength
by Arthur C. Brooks
“To the overachievers, success addicts, and tired strivers who are fairly confident you can’t keep it up forever but will try anyway—this book is for you. Arthur Brooks shows you it’s possible to build a life that really does get better with age.” — Simon Sinek
💬 last word
One thing about retirement that was drilled into my head was the importance of saving for retirement.
What experience has taught me is that this phase is so much more than financial readiness. There are other equally critical factors to consider.
A generation of people is heading toward this major transition, financially able in the best-case scenario, but woefully unprepared for the rest of it.
My goal is to help alleviate if not completely prevent, downstream problems.
With that said, here’s to an easeful and joyful week ahead.
Cool Beans,
Lou Blaser