If you’ve retired, you’ve likely spent years showing up – giving your best to work, family and community – and now, here you are, in a chapter that’s often called ‘freedom.’ – No more working to someone else’s schedule. Just your own time to do as you please.
Sounds great, right? – Well you may be surprised to learn that for a lot of people, that sense of freedom can also come with its own stress and anxieties – from feeling a need to stay busy, the pressure to check off a bucket list, or just prove you’re ‘doing retirement right.’
There can be an underlying expectation that, now you’re retired, you could be – or should be – doing more, like squeezing meaning out of every single minute. (And I don’t know about you, but that to me seems like a lot of unnecessary pressure!)
But here’s the truth: you don’t need to earn this season. You’ve already done the hard work.
And when it comes to finding meaning, consider that you can actually just allow meaning to find you – not by chasing down more achievements – but by practising ways to appreciate and enjoy the quiet, ordinary moments:
A slow breakfast. A stroll. A phone call that meanders.
…These aren’t wasted hours. They’re simple pleasures in life that offer their own joys and insights to be savoured.
So next time you catch yourself chasing productivity, pause.
Ask yourself: What would a peaceful day look like for me? – Not impressive. Just satisfying.
And what’s stopping you from living that kind of day more often?
Retirement brings with it a delicious opportunity to slow down and let time feel more spacious, more generous – and without the need to prove anything.
Remember, your retirement is wholly your own. You’ve earned the right to simply be, so let go of the ‘shoulds’.
Life can flourish in many quiet ways – so allow your newly ‘retired’ path to be a newly ‘re-inspired’ path.
For financial advice at retirement, or any stage, we’re here to help. To make an appointment, call me at Align Financial on (02) 9913 9995.
