One Person's (not) Retirement Journey
When I was preparing to leave my position at the University after 15 years on faculty and directing a professional graduate degree program - or "retire," so to speak - everyone advised me to "do nothing for a year."
Wait. What?
As I look back on that transition, nothing would have been worse for me.
Even though I have plenty of non-work interests, the notion of suddenly having no schedule and no clear sense of purpose held little appeal. So, I ignored the advice-givers and immediately jumped into a new gig as an entrepreneur.
My initial focus was online career transition coaching. It still is, although today it also includes helping people navigate the transition into retirement.
Why I chose not to retire from professional work
Financial uncertainty - even though I was adequately prepared to move from a salary-based income to one supported by my retirement portfolio. It still felt a bit scary.
Without a partner, spouse, or grandchildren, I wondered what I would do with my time. Many retirees plan their lives around family. At that moment, I had neither. My anchor became building an online business, creating new network connections, and learning how to navigate social media platforms.
I wasn't ready to stop challenging my brain. Becoming an entrepreneur was a completely new role with steep learning curves.
What surprised me
How quickly my natural social network changed.
At the University, opportunities to connect with people were built into everyday life. After I left, those connections didn't happen automatically. If I wanted to see people, I had to reach out and intentionally create a new network.
What I wish I'd known
I didn't fully appreciate how strongly my identity was tied to my work.
My career shaped my social circles, gave me a sense of purpose, and made me feel that I was making a meaningful contribution. When that chapter ended, there was a period of feeling adrift.
I've since learned that this is normal. Whether you're retiring or preparing for a different professional opportunity, transitions often involve a period of uncertainty. The length of that period varies from person to person.
How I decided what was next
As the end of my teaching contract approached, I started thinking about what would come next.
As a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), I had spent my career helping people improve their lives through food and nutrition. While nutrition knowledge is important, an often-overlooked part of the profession is helping people make meaningful behavior change.
Bingo.
At the same time, I had always enjoyed helping students, alumni, and mid-career professionals sort through their career options and find a path that suited them.
Bingo again.
Those two threads came together in an ah-ha moment: helping people navigate career transitions.
Then came another realization. One of the least-discussed career transitions—and arguably one of the most significant—is the transition into retirement.
When my own University career was ending, there was plenty of discussion about finances, but very little conversation about how I would actually live the next chapter of my life. The more I talked with people approaching retirement, the more I realized how many had financial plans but no real plan for how they wanted to spend their time, find purpose, or redefine their identity.
Looking back, the factors that influenced my decision not to retire completely were the same questions many pre-retirees wrestle with:
How will I spend my time?
Where will I find purpose?
Who will I be when my professional identity changes?
For me, the answer was not retirement from work, but retirement into different work.
Looking back, that's a distinction that has made all the difference.
#RedefiningRetirement #RetirementTransition #CareerTransition #NextChapter