Bizarrely I have just replaced my retirement coaching page with a testimonial page on my website and now I am writing an article on retirement! GEN U (Generation Unretired) probably means that retirement coaching is more like transitional coaching i.e. supporting people through change. When I am career coaching graduates I comment that it is important that they choose something they really like as they could be working until they are 75! I am finding a number of us set off on another career at around 50 for many different reasons.
What does retirement mean to you?
Is it literally time spent holidaying, playing golf and doing all of those things you have never had time for?
Do you have enough money to have the retirement you have always wanted?
Do you want to remain active from a business perspective but spend more time at home with family and your hobbies?
The obvious reason for an extended working life is money or the lack of it. The other unknown of course is we don’t know how long we are going to live! I find that when we get to this stage of continuing some form of work, it is important to do things we have a passion for, where often we can make a difference. May be it is because we don’t want to be on a golf course all of the time or go walking every day; perhaps it is a question of balance and possibly making a contribution.
I started my portfolio career 7and a half years ago with my passion for coaching and coaching supervision, yet nobody knew me as a coach but many did as a nasty sales manager! So no wonder it took me a couple of years to get my coaching practice off the ground and I had to adjust to some very quiet days and work out how to get business. A number of coaches say they open up to the universe and the telephone starts to ring, this has not been my experience! Activity and spreading the word through networking and marketing has to be the key.
One of my brothers works, 4 days a week, in a Non Executive capacity and instead of easing off at the age of 68 is probably working as hard as he has ever done. He still earns substantial amounts, travels to Hong Kong and Australia and appears to still love it! What will your motivations be when you get to this stage
A number of people I have met seem to work at retirement making sure they fill every day as if they were still at work. There is a danger of me doing that. Whilst other people say they never have enough time but are obviously enjoying themselves by slowing down and enjoying themselves with new hobbies and spending more time relaxing. What type of person will you be?
A number of friends are in their last year of retirement planning for their “unretirement” using their existing knowledge and skills to support existing connections going forward. By planning their retirement in this way they won’t have to spend hours of networking (often to no avail) like I have had to do. If the magnet is in the right direction and attracts recommendations from respected people, it is so much easier than selling your own wares.
So are you going to be one of the Gen U? I really enjoy it and still get a buzz particularly out of coaching.
If you need a sounding board please get in touch
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