Retirement Mentoring - A Hidden Secret

Many people will be retired for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 or more years.  That's a long period of time.

As we matured, we worked, raised a family, and had many mentors along the way - our parents, family members, teachers, friends, coaches, business associates, supervisors and managers.  They all showed us the way, pointing out the pitfalls in life and helped to steer us around the traps.  They encouraged and praised us and they helped guide our actions.

Now we are entering one of the most challenging yet exciting times of our life.  Retirement is filled with adventure, change and the unknown.  Faced with this new part of life, we can choose to jump into retirement with both feet, without any planning or discussion, or we can enter retirement fully prepared.

In a  recent survey I conducted, it was found 84% of respondents reported they do not have a retirement mentor - someone who has successfully transitioned from work to life after work.  In other words, many people are trying to figure out retirement without help from others.

To help ourselves, we need to acknowledge it is hard to have a great retirement without help.  A mentor can help hone our thinking and provide ideas and options designed to achieve our retirement goals.  In our quest for a mentor, think of one or two people you know who can serve as a mentor.  It may be a family member, work colleague or friend, someone who already has created a successful retirement plan or who is already an admired retiree.

When considering a potential mentor, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do I have the desire and ability to accept advice from this person?
2. Do I possess a positive attitude towards retirement?
3. Would I be appreciative of assistance and willing to risk trying ideas and approaches suggested by this person?
4. Would we be able to share interests and understandings as part of the relationship building process?

Once you have identified one or more potential mentors, meet with them individually to discuss the potential of establishing a mentor/mentee relationship.  It may be as simple as meeting once every month or two to generally discuss your retirement progress or it may be complex as scheduling weekly or bi-weekly critiques of your retirement plan and actions.

The secret of a good mentor/mentee relationship is for both parties to work towards building an effective and satisfying closeness.  Mentoring is similar to other important relationships in life: it must be nurtured to reach its full potential.

Mentor/mentee relationships require a commitment of time and energy by both the mentor and mentee if valued, worthwhile results are to be produced.  With the proper mix of dedication and caution, mentoring can immensely enrich your retirement and your life.

Richard (Rick) Atkinson
Retirement Specialist
www.dontjustretire.com
twitter@dontjustretire

Creating a Realistic Retirement Vision

As a first step to preparing for life after work, I recommend creating a realistic retirement vision.  Sit back, relax and imagine yourself in your first six months of retirement. Then in one and two years.  Does your mental picture change?  If so, how?  Take a moment and record your thoughts.  Now think about year 3 and 4 in retirement.   What are you doing, who's in your retirement picture, how are you maintaining your health, what's your social circle like?  Again, record your thoughts.

Visualize yourself at the end of your retirement when you're 90, 95 or 100.  When you think of your life, what are you proud about?  What have you done that brought happiness to you and others?  What will you be remembered for? Again, write down your thoughts.

Think about the people you know who have made a success of their retirement.  What do they do that you admire?  Think of those who are challenged by retirement.  What are they doing or not doing that makes them, in your opinion, less successful in retirement?

It has been said that the life we lead is a result of the choices we make.  In your pre-retirement years, it's important for you to make the right choices - the ones that will result in building a fulfilling and energetic retirement. Visualization helps you create a mental model of retirement and helps to prepare you for making the right choice.

Richard Atkinson
Author:  Don't Just Retire - Live It, Love It!
www.dontjustretire.com
twitter: @dontjustretire

introduction

So you're thinking about retirement!  Ah, freedom at last!  When most people think about retirement, they imagine leaving a job and dropping out of the rat race.  They often see retirement as a welcome change or an escape to something more peaceful and serene.

But retiring is not only about giving up your job and relaxing.  It's entering one of the most exciting and challenging stages of life.  It can be a time to draw upon your personal and professional experiences to open new doors of opportunity and education.  It can be the time when you realize your potential and accomplish significant goals previously delayed by the responsibilities of working and raising a family.

However, a successful retirement doesn't come without its hurdles.  There are many considerations such as living on a reduced income, creating a health and wellness strategy, examining relationships with family and friends, allocating personal time, establishing living arrangements, adopting and adapting to different social roles and adjusting to the eventual death of a spouse, friends and family members.

I wrote Don't Just Retire - Live It, Love It! to assist people with their retirement planning process.  I outlined some of the problems and questions to be addressed when thinking about retirement and the book is intended to provide insight and direction, without taking away from your individual decision-making. 

If you are around or between the ages of 45 to 65, it's time to explore your future as a retired person.  I encourage you to complete the exercises in the book.  Be sure to share your thoughts and plans with your spouse or partner as you progress towards developing your personal retirement vision and plan.

This is the first of a series.  I hope you enjoy them.

Richard (Rick) Atkinson
www.dontjustretire.com