Prepare for Life After Retirement: 5 Ways to Find Meaning and Purpose for this Stage of Life

Without a plan for life after retirement, many retirees find themselves feeling vaguely unfulfilled and restless, craving something more but not knowing what that something might be. Focusing on the financial aspects of retirement is important, but the personal side of your retirement plan is just as important, and could ultimately guide how you use your retirement assets. What kind of meaning do you hope to find for your life after retirement?

1. Hit the Books to Find Meaning for Life After Retirement

When you were choosing a college major or career, did you ever turn towards books to help you zero in on your passions? Maybe it’s time to reread those guides. When you listen to podcasts or read interviews from visionaries and millionaires, one of the most common pieces of advice you’ll hear is to read a book. That advice works as well for pursuing a passion in a career as it does for finding your meaning for life after retirement. The bookstores and libraries are full of great titles. Here are a few to get you started. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl: If you read lists about the books successful people most often credit with being inspirational, it is a good bet that this will be a top contender. The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama: This book is the cornerstone of positive psychology. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson: Maybe try the millenial self help guide from a superstar blogger who shows how to stop trying to be positive all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people. You Are a Badass, How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero: Twenty seven quick chapters with funny stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word, helping you to create a life you totally love. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach: Maybe go a bit retro with this 1970s classic. A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle: The spiritual teacher and author describes ancient truths and applies them to life in the 21st century; encouraging readers live in the present moment. Gratitude by Oliver Sacks: The book chronicles the famous author’s thoughts, wishes, regrets, and, above all, feelings of love, happiness, and gratitude even as he faced the cancer that ended his life last year at 82. The Five Minute Journal: A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day by Intelligent Change: Using the science of positive psychology to improve happiness, The Five Minute Journal focuses your attention on the good in your life. Improve your mental well-being and feel better every day. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: Although set as a novel following the journey of shepherd traveling to discover the meaning of a recurring dream, the New York Times called this book “more self-help than literature.” The journey teaches the reader about listening to our hearts, recognizing opportunity, and following our dreams. The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life by Chris Guillebeau: With the goal to visit every country on planet Earth by the time he turned 35, everywhere Chris Guillebeau went, he found people pursuing extraordinary goals which compelled Guillebeau to study the link between questing and long-term happiness. You Learn by Living by Eleanor Roosevelt: The former First Lady penned this simple guide to living a fuller life at the age of seventy-six. The book offers her own philosophy on living with compassion, confidence, maturity, and civic stewardship. The book may be more than 50 years old, but her advice is as applicable today as it was in 1960. The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future by Ryder Carroll: Organize your thoughts and focus on what is meaningful to you.

2. Try a Mindfulness App

The idea behind most mindfulness apps is to help you be aware of how you are feeling and learn to control your thoughts which will result in more happiness and meaning in your life.

3. Meet With a Life Coach

You may work with a financial advisor to help guide your investing and saving choices, but there are also life coaches who specialize in helping you transition to life after retirement? Just as a financial advisor can help you navigate the complex and sometimes emotional choices in your financial life, a retirement coach can do the same with personal choices faced by people at or near retirement.

• Be prepared for some tough questions about life and death, regrets or forgotten dreams.
• A retirement coach can also help navigate intangibles such as building a new social network and finding value in how you spend your time.

Check out the International Coach Federation Member Directory to find a credentialed coach in your area.

4. Take Care of Your Finances

In 1943, psychologist Abraham Maslow theorized that the most fundamental human needs are physiological (air, water, food, clothing and shelter) and safety (personal and financial security, health and well-being). These basic needs must be met before an individual can focus on secondary and higher level needs such as love and belonging, esteem and self-actualization. A retirement planner can be an excellent way to help you figure out if you are financially prepared for life after retirement. Boldin’s Retirement Planner is designed for anyone who is worried about their retirement — especially people nearing the end of their careers who are in their 50s and 60s. This tool makes it easy to get a detailed assessment and helps you find ways to strengthen your plan. This retirement calculator was named a best retirement calculator by the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII).

5. Identify What Gives Your Life Meaning and Purpose AND Makes You Happy

The traditional pursuits of retirement: hobbies, volunteer work, travel, part time jobs, exercise, friends, leisure, family and more can all offer you meaning, purpose and happiness. Try writing a retirement manifesto.

How Will You Find Meaning for This Week’s 168 Hours?

Whatever path you choose to find your meaning for life after retirement, have an open mind. This may be the first time in your life you’ve been able to work with a blank slate. Take a look at your calendar and really consider what you want to do with the 168 hours you have each week. Get creative and strategic and retirement may just be your greatest adventure yet.