It has been exactly a year since my retirement from corporate life and while tons of fond workplace memories still linger on, I have completely moved on to enjoy my new phase in life…
“Do not wait till you are retired to do the things you want to do, you will have a much harder time getting it started ! Start your transition years before you plan to retire, while you are still actively at work”.
I was given the above advice years before my intended retirement and in fact, I had advocated the same. It is very logical and makes a lot of sense, but to be honest, it was personally very difficult for me to execute.
Work then was too intense with frequent travels, and whatever limited time I have left was for my family. There was simply no time nor energy left to pursue any other self interests.
How then did I prepare myself for a smooth retirement transition ?
Stages Of Life’s Journey
Life is a journey with different stages, from being a student; to starting out our first job, to getting married and becoming a first time parent; to reaching the peak of our career; and retirement…
There will be challenges and problems through each stage of life’s journey.
Managing from one stage to another is not just about how well we plan and execute, but it is also about keeping a positive mindset towards how we deal with unexpected life situations and an attitude of learning.
Retirement is just one of the stages.
Training The Mind
Most people feel that problems shouldn’t be there if everything they do is planned out as they wish them to be; hence when problems arise, they are lost, upset and deranged. This false thinking is what is causing many people to struggle mentally.
How each of us deal with our problem will depend on our respective mental state and attitude.
Human mind can be very weak and unless the mind is trained to see itself, how it works, we will not be able to deal with life’s problems successfully.
My retirement plan didn’t pan out exactly the way I originally wished it to be, it was disrupted by the unprecedented Covid crisis. I had to adapt quickly and adjust accordingly. Sharing some insights that has guided me through the various stages of life transition leading right up to retirement :
- Be open minded and humble : stay being aware to learn from each situation
- Have courage to accept life changes : acceptance helps calm the mind to deal with the change
- Keep a positive attitude : deal with the problem squarely, negative thinking will not help
- Exercise self-responsibilities : empower yourself to stay focus and stop blaming others
- Believe in higher power : give stability and self-confidence.
You may retire from your paid time work but you should never ever retire your mind. You may not have time to get started on a new interest before you retire, no worries, with the right mindset and attitude, anything is possible when you are ready !
Lyn 🌻😊
Thank you for sharing Lyn. Great, practical advice for everyday living. I am forwarding your article to my teenage grandchildren!
Awe Linda, I am so thrilled you are sharing with your grandchildren. Hope they find it useful too. THANK YOU ❤️
Lyn,
Lovely thoughts, lovely reminders. I skipped parenthood in your list of stages. I retired from career but, not from life. There are lots to do to fill my waking hours. I would not say I am wise and no more things to learn or experience . Right now, I am hoping to do my best to play a small part in saving our earth for future generations. So, I am awarding myself with a diploma of hope and kindness. Join me to grow a tree or two in any country you choose. May the higher power help to repair our earth as each of us play our part to do so. Springxx
“.. retired from career but not from life”, love this ! And thank you for sharing your very meaningful life, indeed lots more we can do and am inspired by your kindness for the earth ! Thank you Spring !
Lyn,
Of course, I like the image- a colourful, playful stage of actors.
I enjoy and thank you.
Springxx
Glad you like the photo Spring, I was not sure at first if it was a relevant representations for this topic 🙂
I’ve been reading your posts lately. Amazing how you transitioned from being a very busy corporate executive to inspiring people with your stories. Keep it coming…
Thank you so much Dette ! Bring me so much joy to know that my story has inspired you and hopefully many others…
“Do not wait till you are retired to do the things you want to do, you will have a much harder time getting it started ! Start your transition years before you plan to retire, while you are still actively at work”.
Totally sound advice, though like u said, it is difficult to execute. I believe in conciously setting time and to priortize to have our personal time to pursue our interests and hobbies.
That’s great SKL, it really does take a lot of discipline and time to make it happen and so glad you are practising that Long overlap transition. Thanks for sharing.
Dear Lyn, thanks for this lovely article. Good to know that you continue to inspire others through your writings and personal sharing. God bless you and your family.
Thank you Doreen. I am very grateful that my writing can inspire you and hopefully many others. May you always be well and happy too !
Inspiring and practical sharing of how to move to the next stage of well planned retirement Lyn. Indeed how we grow, change and learn need right mindset and attitude. Agree, need to live and enjoy progression from one stage to the next. Also ageing adults need to slow down, reflect and understand one’s own life experiences, feel important, seek personal growth and engage in meaningful activities.
Indeed Eliza, reflect and understand one’s life is so important for us to keep improving to be a better person…I would add this is so relevant for all stages of our life. Thank you so much for your sharing your insights !
You should publish your experience in a book. Then you are already doing it online
Thanks for your encouragement Sien Chi 🙂 it has crossed my mind but not my intention for now…