Mistakenly many of us hear the word retire and assume the person retiring is permanently leaving the workforce. This is not always true.
The word retire means “to withdraw.” We may be withdrawing from:
- full time employment to transition to part time work
- full time employment to become our own boss in our own business
- a specific role to move to a different role within the same organization
- work to have time out to rethink a new path ahead
- our current role to gain some experience in a new field of endeavor.
This list is just a small example of reasons to withdraw from full time employment.
We can all describe the situation we are withdrawing from; work has become challenging either because we are feeling worn out, bored or just a small cog in a large system.
The really important thing about retirement is What are you retiring to?
You are longing for a change but are not able to work out exactly what the change should be and how to go about making the change. It is very easy to feel as if nothing is ever going to change for you.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
Did you know most people in Australia retire before the legislated retirement age and live fulfilling enriched lives? They know they no longer wish to work full time or are no longer able to work full time for health reasons.
I have supported clients work through the complexities of leaving full time employment to find a more satisfying way of life. I think of one of my teacher clients. She knew the next step for her was to seek promotion within her education system. The thought of taking on more responsibility was a burden as she still had a family to care for too. She felt stuck, as if the System didn’t give her any flexibility. Together we worked through the complexities of professional life versus family life. Finally, she chose to remain in her current role for another five years and then review her position. She gained a clearer picture of the way ahead and felt re-energized to meet her work commitments.
Let’s chat if you are feeling a little stuck in your current role.
