The Retirement Maze. Navigating your Way to Success

Transcription

1 The Retirement Maze Navigating your Way to Success

2 Some Background

3 Retirement has evolved but our thinking has not. In the past Retired older Shorter life spans Retirement too brief to worry about adjusting But today Retirement is a separate life stage Not just the start of old age. The added years are nice, but The problem is trying to fill them

4 Retirement often starts out well In the first few weeks, you might have A sense of freedom, a burden lifted. A chance to reclaim your life, use time as you choose Time to catch your breath, chill out A sense of optimism Some rejuvenation -- ready to conquer the world

5 But many run into problems Adjusting to the lifestyle is not easy Only 44% are completely adjusted. 24% are not adjusted 32% are in limbo no major problems, but not completely adjusted Adjustment improves over time, but not completely for many 18% in the first 6 months 35% in 2 years 41% in 3-4 years 55% in 5-6 years. 59% after 11 years.

6 Even in the best of circumstances... Retirement can be an emotional roller-coaster. Year 1: euphoria! Years 1 2: the lows, quality of life ratings fall sharply Year 3: Quality of life starts to recover slo-o-o-o-wly Year 6+: recovery to comfortable levels

7 Adjustment occurs in stages Honeymoon Disenchantment Reorientation Euphoria, freedom, less stress, enjoy free time. Face reality and feel the loss of work -- weakened identity, self-worth, sense of purpose. Re-evaluate what it means to be retired, look for ways to improve lifestyle. Stability Develop routines and goals to provide purpose and direction.

8 After You Retire Pitfalls and Ambushes

9 Can you afford retirement? No paycheck can be nerve-wracking. Especially at first. You may have less to spend Lower annual income Limit spending for fear of running short Disenchantment

10 Many worry, but some do little about it One in three do not monitor their finances Not a good idea. Keep track of finances in their head. Its hard to remember anything at our age.

11 If you re worried, count your money Talk to a financial professional Keep a weekly ledger Provide objective evaluation Set a budget. Track monthly expenses and income Helps you stay rational The 6 in 10 who keep a ledger are Better at covering expenses. Less worried about finances.

12 Working in Retirement Working has benefits Feel retired AND reap rewards of work. Ease the transition into retirement Retain continuity and keep worker identity.

13 Reasons for working in retirement Internal reasons Enjoy working Feel productive Social benefits External reasons Financial needs Boredom Working spouse Internal reasons lead to a happier retirement.

14 Work for the right reasons even if you have to work. Internal Reasons More motivated. Emotional connection. Feel better about yourself. External Reasons Not emotionally committed. Feel less valued. Dislike the job. Feel worse about yourself.

15 Retiring Early not as easy as you think Few retired peers feel isolated. Unforeseen factors lower subjective well-being Working spouse - - limited social options. Activities are less rewarding miss working.

16 Disenchantment can grow with the years In their first year or two But after 6 + years 74% are happy 54% are happy 62% quality of life improved 42% quality of life improved

17 Handling the early departure Proactive Planning Keep work option open Retire with your spouse If can t retire together Activities search for those of personal value. Social life schedule regular visits with friends. Feel productive, connected Enhance self-esteem. Reduced loneliness and isolation. Relationship dynamics are unchanged. Plan times with and without spouse. Discuss your needs to avoid resentment.

18 The value of activities Retirees move from producer to non producer Feeling unproductive threatens sense of purpose Staying active preserves sense of purpose and productivity Leisure activities fill the gap left at the job

19 The types of activities matter Activities must be personally meaningful Some don t enhance retirement. Passive home based TV, Internet Household chores. Activities have different benefits Solo activities -- feel productive. Social activities feel connected.

20 Activities affect adjustment Well-adjusted Retirees Higher grade activities -- social, travel, personal projects. More emotionally invested in activities. More open to new things. Better balance between social and non-social. More physically active. Less adjusted Retirees More passive home activities No commitment to activities. Not open to new experiences.

21 But there are solutions Mix of personal and social highgrade activities Balance is key. Relaxing is a break, not a lifestyle. Experiment and keep an open mind Feel better about yourself. Feel better about retirement. Have more fun.

22 Friends and family Group membership Reinforce identities Social life is essential for mental health: Validate thoughts and actions. Scheduled time Emotional support

23 Social life can deteriorate in retirement Loss of co-worker friendships. Social circle drops from 20 to 12 friends. Time spent with friends drops by 50% More by or phone, less in person. Remaining co-worker friendships change Emotional connections weaken. Have less in common. No longer a team member.

24 Maintaining a social life helps adjustment Well-adjusted retirees have a better social life: Less well-adjusted have issues: Broad circle of friends Emotionally connected to friends. Belong to clubs Made new friends since retiring Broke away from co-workers Balance time with family and friends Social circle is too small. Spend little time with friends. Spend more time with family and children Social life gotten worse since retiring.

25 Love and Marriage Good marriages make the transition easier. Joint activities and pursuits Shared household chores and responsibilities. Elimination of work pressures

26 But even good marriages can go bad Conflicts can arise from many sources Over-dependency for social needs. Personal space is invaded. Interference in household management. Out of sync expectations. Incompatible interests. Money concerns. Unsynchronized retirement.

27 Keeping the peace Synchronization Stable marriage dynamics. Set and achieve goals together. More socially connected and involved. Independence Separate friends to avoid too much time together. Separate activities for personal development Consideration Allow partners to continue daily patterns. Avoid over-involvement in household management Avoid invading personal space Communication Manage expectations to avoid disappointments. Establish ground rules for a less-intrusive co-existence.

28 Retirement should offer time for intimacy, but Retirees have sex less often About 4.6 times per month vs. 7.2 for those working. The sex isn t as good, and. Has suffered since retiring Intimacy is important Partners feel more connected Feel better emotionally. Improves motivation to do other things. A fun way to exercise.

29 How We Define Ourselves Before Retirement, worker role is important: Enhances self-worth. Ensures connectedness to a group. Strengthens focus on job responsibilities.

30 Worker role: good to start out, bad to hold Start retirement with worker role Good! If held too long, hinders transition Bad! Prevents rolelessness Provides an identity. Continues to feed self-esteem Low enthusiasm for non-work interests. Alienation and disconnect. Weakened subjective well-being. Worker role must be discarded Replaced with other roles appropriate for retirement.

31 Prioritizing the To Do List

32 Two Important Rules Be vigilant Self-exploration and personal honesty. Continually gauge your happiness. Be motivated Motivation is critical -- and difficult. It s all too easy to procrastinate.

33 The Top Five Priorities Put Structure and Purpose in your life Plan, set goals, establish routines. Pay attention to how you use your time. Have Realistic Expectations Too positive leads to disappointment. Too negative leads to pessimism and demotivation. Stay Socially Connected Friends are important -- share your life stage. Have balance between family and friends. Focus on relationships outside of work.

34 The Top Five Priorities Get Your Finances in Order Financial advisors understand the lifestyle you can afford. Keep a ledger -- know whether you are living within your means. Keep Searching and Experimenting Keep an open mind adopt new ways of thinking and discover new interests. Have a range of activities some personal and some social.

35 A Review After You Retire At first you will be elated Keep a positive attitude Define yourself as a retiree But don t be fooled it won t stay this easy. Working was not always better -- your job had less than satisfying moments. Rely on roles outside the workforce. Focus on non-work activities. Build relationships with people outside of work.

36 A Review After You Retire Work if you want to And if you have to work Work is good for some. But only for the right reasons -- to be socially connected and productive. Focus on the benefits a job can provide. A working spouse or retiring young can be difficult working moderates the emotional downturns.

37 A Review After you Retire Time together and apart Balance -- separate & shared friends and activities. Avoid over-dependence. For New Retirees Avoid criticizing household management. Share household burdens. For Homemakers Realize husbands require time to adjust. Discuss issues to avoid conflicts.

38 A Review After You Retire Have more sex Feel emotionally connected, more motivated. Breaks the monotony of a slow day. And other types of exercise Treat retirement like a job Provides psychological and physical benefits. Establish routines, keep a to do list. Fill in the blanks when they appear.

39 A Review After you Retire If retiring young Planning and setting goals is crucial. Social opportunities limited without planning. Retire together shared diversions and less lonely. Talk to other retirees They understand situation and have same needs. Focus on exchanging ideas. Get out of the house Travel more, including day trips by car. Put yourself in social situations. Join groups and clubs, or create your own.

40 A Final Point Be selfish Raised a family. Fought through a career. Ran the gamut of life. Now it s your turn! Focus on yourself and your needs. Retirement is a full time job. Filling the void from leaving the workforce. Attack it with gusto, and enjoy!