Do you want to retire? You know – simply stop dead working and then …….. WHAT??
The truth is that full fledged retirement was never an appealing idea to me. No doubt that’s because I have always enjoyed the entrepreneurial lifestyle. It’s always given me/us more freedom with our time than any regular 9 to 5 job.
So instead of retirement, we decided to reduce our hours ‘at work’ and have more time for other interests and aspirations. In an article from the ‘Huffpost’ written by Moira McGarvey, she said “this new retirement is about continuing and advancing your life, not winding it down.” We agree wholeheartedly with that viewpoint.
In fact the word ‘retirement’ needs to be replaced, but with WHAT? How about ‘reducement’. Author Moira McGarvey deals with this in another blog called “Let’s Find A New Word for Retirement”. Personally I’m up for a whole new paradigm.
As Moira McGarvey says “If you look up “Retire” in a thesaurus here’s what comes up: Retreat, Surrender, Depart. That’s not any mode I want to be in. This part of our lives can be filled with possibilities instead of killing time until we need long term care. Let’s start with finding a new word for this stage of our lives and not define it by how much money we have or haven’t saved.”
We think the key is to find a way to reduce the number of hours you work at your ‘job’. Then the extra time you have can allow you to choose a new fulfilling project – it may even involve a start up business to augment your income. Or it could be creative pursuits, volunteering, physical activity or spiritual development. The point is it’s not your “JOB” that may often feel like a grind.
I came across an interesting article called “People Over 40 Should Only Work 3 Days a Week”. It reports on a scientific study that showed participants’ (over 40 years of age) cognitive performance increased when they worked 25 hours a week. However their performance was greatly reduced when they worked 55 hours a week. Moral of the study – middle aged and older workers need reduced work hours to maximize their potential for themselves and for their employers.
Moira McGarvey makes the following suggestions for replacement words for ‘retirement’.
“1. My friends call it “Life 2.5”. Life with a little something extra… The 2 being what we’ve experienced and accomplished and that .5 being the next adventure — new career, more learning, more giving… more possibilities.
2. There are two more well-known terms with a theatrical root, Encore and Next Act. Encore. Not bad, Encore has done a great job in branding Encore Careers… Next Act… that kind of works too.
3. In Spain, they call it Jubalacion! Jubilation. That feels optimistic and joyful. Me gusta Jubalacion!”
Which one appeals to you? I think I like ‘Life 2.5’ best. With my love of theatre, I could also go with ‘Encore’. Please share your choice or any better suggestions that you can come up with. Look forward to hearing from you in the comments below.
