You Can’t Plan A Meaningful Retirement Without Doing These 4 Things First, Experts Say
YakobchukOlena | Canva Are you wondering what a meaningful retirement looks like for you? Look inside yourself. Retirement is something personal that only you can find within yourself. If you don’t look within yourself, how will you know which experiences and opportunities will bring meaning to you in retirement?
Not everyone knows how to plan for retirement or what to do as a retiree. One thing is for sure: You deserve meaningful retirement years. Almost everyone looks forward to retirement for one reason or another. Retirement is a time to reap what you sowed, relax, and take time to do the things you love.
It’s a chance to do what you’ve always wanted to do but didn’t earlier in life — a chance to cultivate a part of you that you’ve kept putting aside because of conflicting demands or higher priorities. Who hasn’t had to make some pragmatic choices that go against some strong desire? But now, it’s different.
Even if you have some responsibilities and financial concerns, you can still redesign your life to reflect other preferences and live in a more authentic, balanced way. That sounds like something worth aspiring for! So, how do you redesign your life for retirement?
You can’t plan a meaningful retirement without doing these four things first, experts say:
1. Reclaim space for a meaningful retirement
Now that you have a bit more time, claim some time and space to get to know yourself inside. As you go through your day, check in and reflect on thoughts and feelings that come up.
Be curious and, for a few minutes, just let them drift, grow, and evolve. There’s no specific end goal here other than allowing yourself to listen to yourself and notice what you think, and especially, how you feel.
Clinical social worker Christine Vargo explains that developing a practice of curiosity and self-reflection can lead to a deeper understanding of yourself. "The most important process you can undergo as a human being is the practice of developing an understanding of who you are, what you want, and how it serves you to do what you do in any experience throughout your life," she explains.
2. Examine your dreams
Sometimes, you may be surprised to find the dream life you thought you wanted may not really be what you want. Maybe packing up and relocating to a condo in Florida or splurging on a Harley-Davidson and hitting the highway for a cross-country discovery trip just doesn’t feel completely open, peaceful, or tingly with anticipation anymore.
Perhaps times have changed, and your old dreams have faded or transformed, and your busy conscious mind never even noticed.
The best way to connect with your authentic self is to give yourself time, space, and silence to hear its wisdom, licensed professional counselor Karen Vaughn advises. "I like to think of our true self as this little person at the center of our being — always there to support, encourage, and lovingly nudge us to listen deeply to that inner voice," she says.
3. Learn how to work from the inside
When you feel that you’ve gained enough space and some important insights, you might want to jot down a note about what came up: thoughts, emotions, body sensations, mental images, whatever.
You can also look for images that embody those thoughts and emotions and paste them into a journal, on a vision board, or up on a wall where you can regularly see them as you go about your day. You might ask yourself:
- "What thoughts and emotions came up?"
- "Did I uncover any ways to make some changes I desire?"
- "Did anything surprise me?"
- "What do I want to explore and learn more about?"
- "Did I get insights on questions and topics I’ve been mulling over for some time?"
- "Have I gotten a few ideas about how to put my aspirations into play?"
- "How did I feel (not what did I think) about certain thoughts, ideas, and images that came up?"
Repeat this process on a regular basis to resource and build a relationship with yourself. In time, you’ll gain more clarity and identify some steps. Dr. J. Ibeh Agbanyim, an industrial-organizational psychology practitioner, explains that practicing self-reflection on a daily basis can reduce anxiety and promote self-awareness. He states, "Practicing self-reflection daily can reduce anxiety and promote self and other awareness."
4. Check in regularly with yourself for a meaningful retirement
Several times a day, take a very brief break from what you’re doing. Ask yourself:
- "What am I doing?"
- "What am I feeling?"
- "How am I behaving?"
- "Am I content with this moment? If so, what makes me content?"
- "Is there something I would like to change? If so, what?"
You might want to jot down some notes about this experience, as well. Repeat this process on a regular basis to resource and build a relationship with yourself. In time, you’ll gain more clarity and identify some steps.
Clinical mental health counselor Miki Anderson suggests setting a timer or alarm to go off throughout the day to prompt you to pause and notice what's happening in your body and mind. This simple habit of asking yourself what you're feeling and what you'd like to change in any given moment is one of the most effective tools for building the self-knowledge that makes retirement meaningful.
You can also take up some additional reflective practices if you have the interest and time. Here are some common and valuable practices for inner connection and reflection include:
- Meditation
- Breath work
- Contemplation
- Sitting in silence
- Walking alone in nature
- Yoga
- Journaling or automatic writing
- Creating vision boards
- Daydreaming
- Dream interpretation
- Energy healing (Reiki, ThetaHealing, Integrated Energy Healing (IET), chakra healing, regression, and progression)
- Shamanic journeying
- Oracle or tarot card reading
- Engaging a coach who can facilitate inward reflection
What this list illustrates is that the options are numerous and varied, providing all kinds of people with all kinds of needs. Consider this an opportunity to search inside yourself and find your own unique and authentic answers. And by taking a step, you can create a more meaningful and authentic retirement for yourself, as well.
Dr. Patricia Bonnard, PhD, ACC, is a certified International Coaching Federation (ICF) Leadership Coach and a certified Martha Beck Life Coach.
