How to Find a Sense of Purpose in Retirement

How To Find A Sense Of Purpose In Retirement

When we retire, we look forward to a leading a more relaxed lifestyle with less responsibility and commitment than what was possible in our working life. Often, what we don’t realise is that with the responsibility and commitment of work comes a sense of purpose and meaning. When we retire, we often miss the feeling of being respected and valued in the workplace. This is why it is essential that, before you retire, you take the time to consider where you will find meaning and purpose in retirement.

Just because you have retired from work, that doesn’t mean you are retiring from life. You are simply refocusing your energy onto something different – like doing the things you always wanted to do. The best way to ensure your life in retirement is meaningful is to plan ahead.

Purpose in Retirement: Think About The Person You Want To Be In Retirement

When finding purpose in retirement, it’s important to ask yourself some key questions to help find purpose.

  • What do you want to achieve?
  • Do you want to make a difference?
  • Change people’s lives?
  • Chase dreams?
  • There are literally hundreds of things you can do in retirement to find meaning and purpose in life. Don’t overwhelm yourself by over committing when you first retire – take some time out to recharge, and work towards achieving specific goals.

Here Are Some Things You Should Be Doing Before You Retire to Help Find Purpose in Retirement

Finding purpose in retirement is an important next stage of your life. There are many ways you can lean more about finding your purpose.
 
  • spend time with like-minded people, brainstorming the possibilities for activities to give your life meaning;
  • talk to retirees for advice and guidance; and
  • find out what sort of activities they’re participating in and the ways in which they are putting their newly found free time to good use.

If you have a partner, talk to them about their goals for retirement. Together come up with some specific plans as to how you will work towards achieving these goals. Having a clear direction on retirement will help you easily settle into your new life and ensure it will still have a certain amount of structure and purpose.

Many people choose to donate some time to charity work and volunteering. This is a great way to stay busy and valued, meet new people, and feel good about yourself while contributing to a good cause. There are endless volunteer opportunities to choose from. Think about what matters to you and what you’re passionate about, and you’ll find an organisation that is perfect for those interests.

Some people like to spend their retirement increasing their knowledge and skills. Remaining intellectually stimulated is essential for a happy retirement. Why not take the opportunity to learn about something that has always interested you –

  • you could take a cooking class or join an art group.
  • you may be interested in travel, in which case why not put some of that free time and energy into learning a new language
  • Go back to university – the University for the Third Age has been establisher specifically for seniors
  • or maybe now is the time to learn that instrument you’ve always dreamed of playing.

Remember, everyone is different and what others find enjoyable and fulfilling might not appeal to you. That’s ok. Your retirement should be about you so keep looking until you find something that really interests you and adds meaning and purpose to your life.

If you are in the process of planning your retirement we can help you by offering advice and guidance as to how you might find purpose and meaning in your life after retirement.

Need Help Finding Purpose in Requirement?

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Peter McKnoulty
Business Succession & Retirement Planing
Prepare yourself and your business life after work. It’s not retirement – it’s retirement redefined, tailor made for you.