Just Retired? Ten Steps For The Start Of Your New Life.
By Karen and Erica
Did you just retire?
A bit of a shock, no doubt. The first thing to know is—you are not alone. Some people are serial retirers, but most do it once, and find it weird. So you have company.
The second thing to know is—there is a process, just like the first time you broke up with a true love. A blow, perhaps, followed by mourning, then a question about the future, finally by liberation and creativity.
But at first, it helps to have some idea what happens at the beginning. Here are ten steps that might help you navigate the early stages of retirement. Which actually starts before you retire.
As you see the actual date looming, try to relax. Don’t panic. The rest of your life will start soon, but celebrate your amazing achievement—a long career—before you go.
After that anticipated yet surprising event, really relax. Sleep late for a while, relishing the fact that you need not set the alarm. You need, and deserve, to rest.
Try to find a friend or two with whom you can play hookey. Go to a matinee. Have a three-hour lunch followed by a nap. Take a boat trip. Get your hair done in the middle of the day.
Stay up late binge-watching shows you never had time for before. (Remember—you can sleep late.) Did you see The Queen’s Gambit when it was first on? If not, see it now. How about Drops of God? It’s about wine in the same way Ted Lasso is about soccer.
Read a book. A long, but not heavy, book. Or two. If you are in New York, Mark Helprin’s Winter’s Tale is perfect. You will see the City as never before. Joseph Kanon’s Los Alamos will put you in the mood for the new Oppenheimer move (and now you have time to see it.)
Think about what you have always wanted to learn, something that has nothing whatever to do with your prior career. Karen learned to fly. Erica took design classes. It is a great way to signal to yourself that your life is about to start a new phase.
Plan a trip. Check out the Lustre List for recommendations from women like us. Wander around the websites of Departures magazine and Conde Nast Traveler.
Get in shape. You want to enter this new phase fully charged. Check out Joan Pagano’s posts for Lustre.
Give serious thought to a post-career wardrobe. Repurpose your favorite work clothes—maybe sew some sequins on some of them, maybe fringe on others. Think elegant but not corporate. Pair that suit jacket with some polka dot pants. (Apparently to some, polka dots signal harmless cuteness. Hunh? Sounds like good camouflage for the powerful woman you remain.)
Spend not a moment worrying about what the future will look like. And definitely do not panic and commit to doing something you might regret. When you are good and ready, you will start to make a plan.
Enjoy a few months of R & R. You’ll be busy before you know it.
