Two types of retirement

There are two types of retirement . . .

Tim Connor

Thinking about retiring soon? Or some day? Regardless of your age I would like you to consider the two types of retirement and their impact on your life; physical retirement and mental retirement.

Physical retirement – Whether you are 65 or younger or older you have decided it’s time to call it quits when it comes to your career or business. You have decided that it’s time to play, travel or just hang out till your last day here.  Physical retirement has its positives and negatives.

Research has indicated that the average lifespan of the average retiree at age 65 is 5-7 years.  Yes, lots of folks make it to 90 while others kick the bucket shortly after they leave their career behind.

Why this short average?  Well for starters while people were working whether they liked their career or job or not, still had something to look forward to every day and something that gave their life meaning.  When they leave all of this behind their biggest challenge in retirement is to find some activity that gives their life a sense of meaning or purpose and I’m not talking about playing golf every day or traveling the country in your Winnebago for several years. (I don’t mean any disrespect to those who choose this path but the evidence indicates that many people are back to work after retirement.  May not be full time or the same type of position but they need a reason to get up every day.

Retirement is well earned by most people and if the statistics are true - over 75% of the people working hate their job or career and can’t wait to retire and leave it behind.  If this is your situation I agree with your decision to call it quits but the answer remains – what are you going to do with your life now?  Volunteer? Part time? Sleep a lot? Drive your spouse nuts every minute of every day?

The human spirit needs something to look forward to both in the short and long term and when you retire if you don’t honor this need with something of personal value to you, you are headed for a lot of wasted years.

I love what I do – speaking and writing and retirement isn’t even in my vocabulary or DNA but I can’t speak for each of you. I guess the question is why would a person spend 30 or 40 years doing what they hate so they can have only 5-10 years doing what they want?  Then there is mental retirement.

Mental retirement – If you think physical retirement is a challenge how about mental retirement?  Mental retirement is when for whatever reason you decide to stop learning, growing, improving or just living life in general without joy, passion, zest and a sense of adventure – in other words you are just passing each day – one after another - waiting to die.  Oh, you may have a lot of years ahead of you but many people in their 20’s and 30’s have mentally retired because they think; they know it all, they are the smartest person in the room, they are more successful than others their age, they are just bored or lack an adventuresome spirit and mindset.

We all were put on this earth to do something unique and special regardless of whether that is raising great children or sharing your talent and wisdom with others to help them find success, joy and happiness and this assignment is NOT a function of age.

I know many younger folks who have just shut down, settled or given in or up on life and I know many people in their 70’s and 80’s who are living a vibrant, exciting and rewarding life.  The question is – are you retiring or have you retired mentally?  If so, how is that working for you when it comes to relationships, success, happiness, achievement and the reason God gave you life?

I could give you many examples of my mentors or hero’s who were productive, dynamic and vibrant well into their later years but how about just five – Mark Twain, George Burns, Bob Hope, Nelson Mandela and Winston Churchill.  What did each of these folks have in common?

They all; cherished each day, lived with a sense of purpose, gave to life more than they took from it and had passion and a sense of humor that was engaging and yet prickly. They were often described as – rebels, mavericks and trouble makers.

You don’t have to copy their traits to life a “life worth living” but you do need to keep growing, learning and improving in some area of your life.

“Nothing is more disgraceful than an old man should have nothing to show or proved that he has lived long,

except his years.”

Seneca