Thank you to Katie Weiser, one of our certified career coaches, for this article!
Making the decision to retire is one that obviously affects you the rest of your life and can have unintended consequences if you are not prepared. If you find yourself feeling pressured for the following reasons to retire, PAUSE and question the motivation:
- You spouse or partner has already retired and they want to “play” more and are strongly suggesting that you retire.
- You feel a youth quake at work, and are feeling pushed out.
- Your company has offered you a package to leave.
- You are tired and bored at work and not feeling fulfilled anymore.
Any of these reasons can be compelling. The question is how you want to respond.
If your spouse or partner is pushing you to retire, investigate what it is about their life that they feel they need to have you there full time. Be sure to sit down with them and look at finances. This is always a sobering conversation.
The youth quake is inevitable – after all we were all part of the same quake when we were younger. You can tell when you start to feel your opinion does not matter or you get passed over for assignments you would love to get. But, all is not lost. Look to roles of mentoring and teaching – use your wisdom to benefit the company.
If you are feeling pushed out of a company or asked to leave, be sure to investigate other in-house jobs that you are qualified for – you may just land one. If that fails, then negotiate the best package you can. It is helpful to understand the company’s severance package before you try to lobby for more months of pay.
If you are tired and bored at work, be careful as this could turn into a double edged sword if it shows in your work. Think of ways that you could re-invigorate your job, see it in a different way, be creative about how you do it. Volunteer for the thorny assignments no one seems to want to take. You may find that it becomes one of your success stories. Go to lunch with different people inside and outside the company to build relationships and network.
Retirement pressures are both external and internal. It’s important to pause, reflect and understand the motivation behind that uncomfortable, nagging feeling you are experiencing. Sometimes, readjusting your thinking is just what is required.
Stay tuned: In our next blog post Katie will tell you how to conduct a post, or close to retirement, assessment, to establish new goals for this next phase of your life!
Hallie Crawford and Katie Weiser
Certified Career Coach
P.S. Is your clock ticking towards retirement? Check out our Encore Career Coaching services to help you define your life – on your terms.
