What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s a question we ask kids of all ages. We get really serious about the question in high school and college, though. We’re pretty much required to figure out what it is we want to do for the rest of our lives by the time we get into our 20’s.
And then we stop asking. You’re all grown up now, you picked your thing, and now that’s what you are, a doctor, a lawyer or an accountant. But at some point you are going to retire, and it’s too bad we aren’t going around asking the question, “What do you want to be when you retire?”
One of my friends who retired several years ago, spends his retirement keeping his airline premier status alive. He travels a lot and he has also become the primary caregiver for his aging mother.
Another of my friends that retired from a finance career a decade ago in her 30’s became interested in native California landscaping, and started a little business in that. She also runs a vacation rental in Hawaii. She recently became interested in becoming a mommy and just started that gig about 6 weeks ago.
Another of my friends retired from her paying job to focus exclusively on creating art. Not necessarily with the aim to replace her old income but to pursue her passion, although I’ll bet she sells more artwork now that she’s at it full-time.
When I retired, I mostly thought I would do things that I didn’t get enough time to do while working, gardening, reading, exercising. I’m also enjoying a new interest in writing, which I never really explored while I was still working.
But I’m realizing that with something like 40 or 50 years ahead of me, it’s time to ask, “What do I want to be in retirement?” Because that’s not a question I even thought to contemplate when I was still working.
Maybe it’s not something you can really think about until you’ve disassociated yourself with the working you, the one you decided you wanted to be back when you were 21, and started to get to know the post-working you, the one you’ve been for a couple of years since retiring. Because those two people have turned out to be more different from each other than I would have expected.
Related Posts:
Retirement: Reflections on Choosing a Career
Discovering Who I Am Without Work
How Do You Fantasize About Your Future When You're Living In It?
Well...this is pretty scary...Just today I started thinking about this very thing...
I am a little bored...just a little bit on one day...maybe I should start to think about what I wanta do when I grow up....
Hum... It's just not appealing to commit to something that locks ya in... Hummmmm
Posted by: Sara | June 16, 2010 at 08:22 PM
@Sara: I agree with the whole commitment thing. Having a deadline each Friday for my U.S. News gig is just about the maximum commitment I think I'm ready to handle, even after two years of exclusively goofing off.
What can we be that won't require handcuffs?
Posted by: Retired Syd | June 16, 2010 at 08:33 PM
Do you think we have to recommit to something new or can we go with the wind? Right now I want to be an workout junkie - loving jazzercise and yoga and planning my hiking or biking vacations. I want to be fit enough to climb mountains and adventurous enough to book a flight and go play outside somewhere for a few days.
I hope to get to be happy when it is my turn to be a grandmother and am trying to be a wonderful mother-in-law.
Posted by: Sandy | June 17, 2010 at 03:02 AM
@Sandy: Good question, I'll let you know if I figure out the answer. I'm betting it's not the committing to something, but having the passion for something (possibly a new something) that's the key.
I definitely know that going with the wind is ok for awhile, in fact necessary!
Posted by: Retired Syd | June 17, 2010 at 08:44 AM
Learning to trust in your own abundance is required. When you begin to be within your own space of abundance, whatever you need will appear whenever you need it.
Posted by: coach purses | July 08, 2010 at 01:29 AM
But, Syd, that's the wonderful part of this retirement stuff. You don't have to decide. Do it all! Ten years ago I wanted to live in Japan - so I did. Then I wanted to live in Mexico - so I do. Seven years ago, I wanted to dance. I went out dancing 4-5 nights a week. Then I wanted to spend some time quilting. Then I did watercolors for a year or so. Then colored pencil drawing. Now I've just started blogging. I have no idea what will be next, but I sure never have a chance to be bored. And I haven't given up any of the above (except living in Japan), I've just added new fun things.
Posted by: Kathy Sterndahl | February 11, 2012 at 08:02 AM