Written by: Mahara Wayman, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Retirement from your career should mean happily living your dream, being clear in your goals, and being fully supported in that endeavour. However, the sad truth is many retirees feel anything but that. They feel lost, at loose ends, or even worse, not needed.
In working with my clients, I have found common denominators between them: they have forgotten how to be themselves without the work and are sometimes uncomfortable putting their needs first. They also erroneously assume that they are not as important as they once were. Retirement is the perfect time to acknowledge there is more to you than your past career, and it is a great time to put yourself first! So, give yourself permission to unpeel from assumptions and show the world your true self. Acknowledge your passions, your strengths, and own the courage it takes to show up as you; by the way, you are more courageous than you know. Now your retired self may be similar to your work persona. Still, if you are uncomfortable with how you are feeling in retirement, this is your opportunity to strip down and proclaim who you are without the title or the constraints that may have come with it. You can navigate this phase as deftly as you navigated your career. If that sounds overwhelming at the moment, especially if you are feeling low, know that it doesn't have to be. Here are three powerful yet easy ways to refresh your retirement, regardless of how it looks. These tips can help you find clarity in your life and yourself, so you take action that you feel good about and that supports your dreams in your new season. The first and most crucial tip is to become crystal clear on who you are instead of who you were while working. That may seem easy, but you would be surprised how many people struggle to separate their career persona from their true selves. After all, you may have spent the last ten years telling people you are your title. "Nice to meet you. My name is..., and I am..." In some cases, people have spent more than half of their lives aligned with their role's character/values/goals. By the time they are without that role, they may no longer know themselves. Many of my clients have asked themselves at one time or another, "Who am I then, if not that working person?" They honestly struggle to know themselves without the structure of their work. Can you relate? Let's change that! Here are a few questions to clarify who you are today.
What brings you joy? For example, storytelling, my hobby, being part of a community with a common goal.
What are you good at? For example, writing, teaching, problem-solving.
What would those closest to you say are your best traits? Good sense of humour, patient, hard-working.
The second tip for refreshing your retirement is to think about what you want to share with the world. Everything you do (even in the comfort of your home) contributes to the world in some way and says something about you. There is energy attached to actions. One of the first things clients tell me is they still want to make a difference, so it is vital to understand what that difference looks like. Here are some questions to support your exploration of that.
What are you willing and eager to share? This doesn't have to be the same as what you identified as bringing you joy, but it could be.
How would sharing this connect to your core values? There is a special joy when our actions align with our values.
Who would be affected by this share? Remember that every action creates a ripple effect.
My last tip for refreshing your retirement is to take time to explore fully how it would feel to be this way and why those feelings matter. It is compelling to connect to your feelings and identify why they matter. Doing this exercise may open a giant can of worms around self-worth but, if not now, when? You have worked hard all your life to provide for yourself and your loved ones. Now you can direct that energy to yourself. It's OK if this type of reflection is new for you. Take it slowly and with grace; if you need support, ask for it. Understanding your feelings is a phenomenal component of growth! Here are a few suggestions to help with this introspection. Close your eyes and for a few minutes, imagine yourself living the life you are beginning to create with your previous answers.
Describe how it feels doing what you love, what brings you joy, and what you are good at. Don't hold back. Use as many adjectives as you can.
Go deeper and feel the feelings you have just described. Yes, this sounds a bit wonky but stay with me on this.
Identify precisely why both you and your feelings matter. Doing this may feel cumbersome and seem silly or awkward, but I promise the exercise is worth the effort.
So to reiterate, there are three things you can do to refresh your retirement if you find yourself unhappy, at loose ends or feeling unneeded.
Become crystal clear about who you are and your passions.
Decide what you want to share with the world.
Embrace your feeling of growth and revel in why you matter.
Congratulations! You now have a better understanding of what makes you sparkle, your strengths, and how you could brighten the world in your retirement. You are on your way to moving away from your old story and into creating a retirement that feeds your passion and lights up your soul.
If this article resonated with you and you would like more content like this, please connect with me via Instagram, Facebook, Website, Linkedin. If you think an Inner Saboteur or Inner Diva is causing havoc as you strive to move forward in your life and career, then book a complimentary empowerment breakthrough session with me.
I would love to help you navigate a transition or refresh your retirement!
Mahara Wayman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Mahara began her coaching career working for a global health and wellness company, helping thousands transform their lives. Recently she decided to pursue her passion for helping women and started her company, Mindfulness With Mahara. She couples her years of experience with powerful techniques and her innate curiosity to help women find happiness in their lives and move from the story they have been stuck in to live the story they love.
She connects with women around the world every week with her free "Join the Conversation" workshop and her 1:1 + group coaching program, ReDesign, ReAlign & ReCreate Your Retirement Program: A 6-month transformative program that will give women the tools they need to move from a place of unhappiness and yearning in
transition to peace and purpose.
