“Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.”

Viktor Frankl

 

Viktor Frankl wrote this after enduring extreme circumstances, but the key to the quote, I believe, is that having meaning and purpose leads to a better life. With medical advances and healthier lifestyles, our lifespans are ever increasing. It’s not inconceivable that people could spend over a third of their lives retired.  So, the question is; how do you ensure that you make the most of that time?

The biggest challenge moving into retirement is often underrated. Most people focus on the financial side,  mistaking this as a goal when, in fact, it should be seen as an enabler to a satisfying and fulfilled life.  The real challenge is “how do I get the most out of retirement, to live my best life and enjoy it as much as possible”. And the goal of this challenge is to create meaning and purpose when you no longer must go to work.

Love or hate your work, it does provide people with mental, social and physical stimulation. We take it for granted but at work people have social contact, security, friends, opportunities to solve problems, experience variety, display talents  etc. etc.  Outside of work they may have hobbies that they do for themselves, but these hobbies rarely equal the intangibles of working.  Believing that typical retirement  activities (such as golf, walking, mahjong, bowls etc.) will adequately satisfy the necessary meaning and purpose achieved from having a full-time job can lead to issues moving into retirement.

 

People tend to go through 3 stages in retirement, these are:

 

  • Active retirement
  • Passive retirement
  • Sedentary retirement

 

The first stage ‘active retirement’ is that transition period that needs and deserves planning and preparation.  People jump in retirement thinking about not having to get up, doing whatever they want and enjoying the freedom of not having to work.  They go on trips and feel like they are on one long vacation.  At some point they begin to realise that activity does not equal purpose and meaning in life and that their hobbies are not satisfying their inner mental (or physical) needs.  Without the discipline and structure of work, retirees  can start to withdraw and flounder – looking for motivation which rarely comes when we’re in a funk.

 

This stage can lead to:

 

  • Decline (mental and physical)
  • Depression
  • Divorce

 

Some people never recover from this stage.  Having not prepared for it, this state comes as a complete surprise and there are endless stories of people fading away, withdrawing themselves further and further and disappearing from the community. Loneliness, declining mental health and isolation are key challenges and issues in retirement.

There is an answer, and it starts long before you reach this stage of ‘active retirement’ and even prior to you leaving work. Purpose and meaning can come in many forms, but the challenge is to find one or several activities that will suit you.  Start to explore options prior to retiring in preparation for retirement.  There are many associations and organisations that can provide on going meaning through retirement.  Purpose and meaning generally comes from giving and being involved in something bigger than yourself that has purpose and meaning (which is what work would have provided for most of us).  Start to experiment, explore and investigate what will give your life purpose and meaning when your work is no longer your primary challenge.

 

For Example:

 

  • Rotary, Lions, Apex etc.
  • Volunteering for a cause
  • Get involved in a community group
  • Learn a new skill

 

It’s hard to look into a crystal ball and it’s difficult for us to foresee our future mental state as a retiree, especially when we are focusing on our future financial stability and still enjoying a balanced state of mind in a meaningful and purposeful working pursuit.  Sadly, we don’t need to look too far into the retired community to see the evidence of decline, for example, in Western Australia, a growing group of disadvantaged people are divorcees over 60 without any financial means where loneliness is seen as a major issue and the Government is trying to stem this issue with campaigns such as “Act Belong Commit”  (https://www.actbelongcommit.org.au/) .

 

Finding activities that provide meaning and purpose in your life is the key to a long and satisfying life, so start your search sooner rather than later to help you cruise into a more rewarding retirement.