'It's just a stage you're going through...' - how many times have well-meaning friends and family members said that to you over the course of your lifetime? And don't expect them to stop now, because, as far as retirement is concerned, there are six identified stages that most retirees go through to varying degrees.
Stage 5 of the retirement process is the Reorientation phase.
After the honeymoon and the subsequent letdown of the disenchantment stage, Reorientation is the process of adjustment and adaptation to the reality of retirement. Otherwise known as 'getting your act together', it involves identifying and doing what you need to do to start to make retirement work for you.
It might involve getting a part-time job to add structure and a sense of purpose to your days. It might involve voluntary work that enables you to feel useful and valued again. It might involve embarking on an exercise programme to lose those extra pounds and restore your flagging energy levels. It might involve a heart-to-heart discussion with your partner to decide how you can start to enjoy your time together instead of getting under each others' feet. Only you can decide what's missing from your life and take the action needed to put it right.
The potential pitfalls of the Reorientation stage include:
Ann Harrison is a certified retirement coach, 2young2retire facilitator, pre-retirement trainer and author of 'The Retirement Detox Programme: 40 Days to Get Your Retirement Back on Track' and 'Thought Provokers: Questions You Need to Ask Yourself BEFORE You Retire'. For regular retirement-related news updates, visit her blog at http://www.contemporaryretirement.typepad.com/ or catch up with her via her website: http://www.ContemporaryRetirementCoaching.com.
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