No one would question the simple truth that retirement counts as a life change, which can be an extremely difficult transition even under the best conditions. We have discussed in great detail the emotional, social, spiritual, physical and psychological challenges associated with leaving a profession that has been a center point of our entire adult lives. It has come to my attention over the past years watching my peers navigate these waters early in transitions that big decisions must be handled carefully when we are “in the fight” during this period of our lives. Let me explain further.
Our decision making is divided into two paradigms depending on the levels of stress we are experiencing during that cycle. Under low stress conditions, we tend to make thoughtful, rational and well-reasoned decisions utilizing all the faculties of our experience and intelligence to craft tenable courses of actions. Under great stress, we rely much more heavily on our emotional decision making process. This model is forged from our primal evolution surviving saber toothed tiger attacks when timely courses of action were more important than a well-reasoned decision. Of course, these latter decisions are largely a function of our past reactions to similar circumstances, which more or less led us to safety under dire conditions. The problem therein is that very few of us have vast layers of learned experience when it comes to surviving the retirement process, so our “data base” on emotional decision making in this realm is grossly underdeveloped. Far better is the less timely patient, well-reasoned and thoughtful decision making model as we work our way through the minefields of our retirement. This is particularly applicable in the first year with all of its new territory. Here is my advice to keep you safe.
The big decisions associated with retirement may include; selling homes to relocate, follow on employment opportunities, starting a business, changes in family structure and continued education. The best times to work out tentative solutions to these issues are AT LEAST one calendar year before or one year after our retirement dates. Addressing these important decisions one year in advance of our retirement as a matter of our planning will contribute to the noble goal of a smooth transition to your life after leaving your profession. Most importantly, it will ensure a well-researched and thoughtful decision preceding the pressure and turbulence of being actually in the process of retirement itself. It will in many ways, ease the anxiety and uncertainty associated with this major life change in that you have a course of action to slip into as you walk out of your Hail and Farwell. If your retirement was less planned or other variables have made it difficult to work out these major issues in advance of retirement, I strongly advise waiting one year after to allow yourselves to settle into the post retirement transition process. Once you have achieved clarity from the fog and friction of retirement, you can than proceed with a true vision of what you really want in addressing these fore mentioned issues as rational decision makers holding all the cards in order, so to speak. In the first year of our retirement, we benefit greatly from volunteering, pursuing education and savoring much deserved time seeking introspection, self-discovery and quiet time with family and friends.
I have watched many of my peers make regrettable and short sighted emotional decisions in the first year of their retirements based on the pressure to “do something” with the time and space created from leaving their professions. Taking bad jobs, selling their homes to move, starting ill-conceived enterprises, and even leaving their families all fall into the folly of poorly reasoned decisions made “off the brain stem” too soon after retirement. Don’t do that to yourselves or your families, dear brothers and sisters. If you can’t work out these challenges in advance of your retirement, stop, take a breath, enjoy a twelve months of your newfound freedom to survey the retirement landscape, then move our smartly with a clear focus. You’ll be glad you did.
God bless you and thank you for your service and sacrifice on behalf of this grateful nation,
Your brother in arms,
Jack
Comments