Your retirement your way

Retirement used to mean slowing down and withdrawing from the world. But these days we’re more likely to be looking for a fresh start – to quit doing what we've been doing and do something that better meets our needs. Something more fulfilling, more flexible. That stretches us, and gives us purpose and joy.

Saying YES to doing different things in different ways, YES to finding the time and space to live more of our life on our own terms – and YES to staying active and engaged with the world.

You may want to make a complete break with the past, move far away and start afresh on a new adventure. Or maybe you’re thinking more along the lines of taking a step sideways, continuing your current life but with fewer commitments and more time for yourself.

From unretirement to 'flextirement' to early retirement, or even super-early retirement, retiringworks is about helping you create the kind of ‘post-work’ life you’re looking for – whether that's fulfilling a long held dream, or whether you've got no idea what you might want to do.

Retirement planning is not just about the money...

In fact the essential first step in retirement planning is to take some time for reflection to get clear on what you’re looking for in this precious chapter in your life. Not what may be expected of you, but what you actually want.

What are the things from your current life that are good, and that you want to continue … and what isn’t serving you and you want to leave behind?

... but of course the money helps

Hey, it’s essential. But how much will you need to fund the lifestyle you’re looking for? That’s where retirement planning comes in. How much do you need to have invested to feel secure? What investment strategies are most appropriate for funding your retirement?

You may want – or need – to keep working and keep an income coming in. You may have jumped earlier than planned, or 'been pushed' and are now reviewing your options, even thinking about re-skilling. We’ll look at the varying options and how to find work that inspires you and meets your needs.

Tracy Chapman keepin' on keepin' on with a stunning performance at the GRAMMYs 2024.

Not retiring

There’s even a word for it, unretirement. And today, as pension expectations for many of us fall short of the amount needed for an active, fulfilling life, many people are choosing to ‘unretire’ – to continue or return to working in some form.

There's also 'flextirement,' where employees have the opportunity to semi-retire, to continue working but in a part-time capacity, say as a consultant or mentor, whether in an ongoing capacity or focused on key initiatives.

We’ll look at the many ways to continue working, from staying in your existing position (if that’s an option), or re-skilling, or choosing a lower paying (but less stressful) job, or starting your own side hustle – but now no longer on the side of another job (phew!!).

Early retirement

On the other hand… do you have to wait until you’re a specific age to ‘retire’? Hell no, and many people want to retire early. As early as… 55… 45…. or even at the ultra-early 35. We’ll look at how you might plan for early retirement, what it means and what it might take to retire early.

Bucket list or ...

Well, I won't spell out here what Griff Rhys Jones calls it but, suffice to say, instead of a list of things he wants to do before he dies, he's committed to a 'list' of what he's not going to bother doing any more, top of which is 'I am not going to worry about things I have no control over.'

Letting go, not just of stuff but also that which no longer serves you (if it ever did!), that may be blocking your happiness, joy, health, peace of mind, is an essential part of the journey. Just as important as getting to do things you have always longed to do.

Now is the time to plan and work out how, financially, and how, practically, you can do more of what you want to do. Whether it's a grand adventure, setting up a social enterprise as a legacy, taking that writing course you'd always promised yourself, or simply spending more time with your extended family.

Bright thinking for a brilliant retirement

Some retiringworks principles that reflect our values and, we think, lead to a stimulating and fulfilling life in later years:

Do the things you love
Be a lifelong learner
Identify the things that matter to you, then (as much as possible) remove everything else
Do work that inspires and motivates you, if you want or need to work
Reduce stress and chaos, and make more time for happiness

Non, je ne regrette rien

Easier said than done, but this is no time to allow the past to get in the way of your happiness. Don’t dwell on what did or didn’t happen in the past. It’s time to take a moment, gracefully forgive yourself the things that didn’t go right, take the opportunity to learn from mistakes… and then get started on embracing this next phase of your life.

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