Retiring and wondering “What’s next?”
Welcome!
If you’ve found this webpage, it’s a good guess that you’re thinking about retiring, and are not sure if you’re ready. Or you’ve recently retired and may find yourself thinking…now what?
If so, you’ve come to the right place!
People retire at different ages and for different reasons. What’s the “when” and “why” of your retirement?
Have you been planning to retire as soon as you can, circling the date on the calendar and excitedly marking off the days? Maybe you no longer enjoy you work, or maybe you do, but you’re feeling bored or restless, and looking for a new adventure—ready to start your dream life!
Or, would you love to keep working for personal or financial reasons, but feel “forced” to retire before you’re ready because of changes in your health or at your workplace or home?
Or, have you been talking about retiring for years but still haven’t taken the plunge? What are your reasons for wanting to retire and what’s holding you back?
Regardless of the “when” and “why,” retirement is a period of change.
Why is change often so hard?
Change, even change that’s desired, can be difficult.
One reason is because it involves leaving behind what is known to step into the unknown.
When the change is retiring, what’s not known may be your security related to finances, the changing nature of your relationships with colleagues, or the kinds of activities that will fill each day. But it can also be about your identity and what gives your life meaning and purpose.
When you’re asked who you are, how do you answer? If you begin with, “I’m a ___________” and fill in the blank with your profession (as many of us do), your work is a big part of your identity. So who will you be when you retire?
This change in identity—how we see ourselves and our purpose—represents a period of transformation— that uncomfortable “in-between place” where we are changing, but the vision of who we are becoming is not yet clear. This lack of clarity can make us feel unmoored, adrift, and unmotivated, making it difficult to embrace the opportunities that retirement offers. But it also invites us to take a look at our values and who we are beyond what we do, and then use what we discover to answer the question, “What’s next?” with a description of a life that is meaningful and fulfilling.
Chances are, if you’ve found this website, you’re trying to navigate this transformation, and you’re thinking a coach can help by offering suggestions. If so, you’re partially right! 😊
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will rule your life and you will call it Fate.”
What’s really running your life?
Change, any change—personal or professional, wanted or unwanted—can be challenging, and coaching can help.
But if you are navigating a change, such as retirement, you don’t need someone to tell you what to do.
Instead, you need to discover the unconscious beliefs, assumptions, and patterns of behavior that have been running your life. Maybe they’ve been really helpful in getting you to where are are now. Or maybe they’ve always been in your way, preventing you from having the life you wanted. In either case, retirement presents the perfect opportunity to discover how they color your perspective. Do they continue to resonate with you or is it time to let them go?
Transformational Coaching supports this work, which requires looking inward—because that’s where the answers lie and where real, lasting change can take place. I practice a style of transformational coaching based on the work of depth psychologist Carl Jung, and I can help you explore unconscious aspects of yourself, allowing you the freedom to make real life choices to create the post-retirement life you want. I invite you to work with me to discover insights and develop strategies to make that happen!
Curious to see if what I offer is a good fit for you? Please reach out with any questions you have about a Jungian coaching partnership with me—or to set up a free, 30 minute session.
I look forward to hearing from and working with you!