Does Retirement Fit Into Your Busy Schedule?

Why do you work?

Stop and think about it. Other than the income you derive from the various tasks and responsibilities you perform on the job, are there any other reasons you get up every morning before the birds do, drive your car in rush-hour traffic, get into the office and go to several meetings throughout the day that have yet to change life as we know it, and sit at your desk going through all the things you need to go through that are a part of what's been called, work?

You've been doing this for a long time. You've been putting up with office politics, with a lot of grief from your supervisors, peers and direct reports, and then coming home a bit less energized than when you left twelve hours earlier, only to face other issues on the home front. Other than the money, what has been motivating you all these years?

Hopefully, you have been able to derive a measure of satisfaction from doing those things that have tapped your creativity and utilized a good percentage of your talents, capabilities and unique gifts. Hopefully, you have followed your passion over the years and associated yourself with the types of jobs and careers for which you have felt a lot of enthusiasm, and from which you have been able to experience tremendous fulfillment.

If you are reaching retirement age, it may be time for you to look at a retirement calculator, assess your finances, and review all the things that have produced your fulfillment. If you are financially positioned to retire, should you? It seems like a silly question, but there's more to it than meets the eye. I don't recommend retirement to anyone.

Retirement implies you are no longer working. You've given up the treadmill described above for a villa somewhere off the coast of Spain. Sounds great, doesn't it?! Then why would I not recommend retirement? The reason is simple: People need to do creative things. They need to be involved and express their talents and capabilities to the fullest. It's not only a way of feeling useful or deriving an income; it's more importantly a requirement for sanity and longevity. Numerous studies corroborate this.

Does this mean you shouldn't retire? Do you have to remain on the treadmill until you die? Not exactly. You can get out of the "rat race" without retiring. Applying a new dimension to the word, retire, it no longer implies that you stop working; rather, you are no longer working for someone else. You can still have that villa, only now you can also be engaged in creating and expressing your talents. For many retirees, it means establishing and marketing their hobbies. For many others, it's about starting their own consulting business.

The important thing to consider as you approach retirement age is that over the years you have brought a lot to the table and have given of yourself in many, many ways. You can now take those same talents and begin to look at ways you can continue to apply them in a self-employed capacity. The rewards will be great. You'll be off the treadmill, you'll stay sane, you'll live longer, and that villa off the coast of Spain just got a new owner, you.

David Richter is a recognized authority in career coaching and job search support. He has spent many years in recruitment, staffing, outplacement, counseling psychology and career management spanning most industries and professions. David founded TopDog Group in response to the needs of job candidates to have a higher quality of career coaching and support available on the Internet. David understands the mechanisms for success. He has formulated specific strategies anyone can use to secure interviews and receive offers. His extensive knowledge and experience sets David apart in this field, allowing him to offer a wealth of information and a vast array of tools, resources and strategies not found anywhere else. He has shown countless job seekers how to differentiate themselves and leverage their potential to the highest possible level, making a real difference in their careers. David holds both a Bachelors and Masters degree in Electrical Engineering and a Masters of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology. David's website address is: http://www.procareercoach.com

RELATED ARTICLES

Job Search Lessons From The Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is a game but, like sports in general, it offers useful life lessons that we can take with us . . . if we only look below the surface. As I watched the game, I saw a number of things. How many did you see?

5 Interviewing Tips To Get That Job!
Anyone who is a jobseeker knows that looking for a new job or career is a job in itself. Once you have completed the laborious task of writing your resume and submitting it to various companies, you now have to pass the screen test to get the job. Interviews are the gateway to landing your ideal job. These five tips will help you get own your way to making that job yours.

Drive Your Career Change ? A Direct Approach
If your career has gone off the road, take control and drive back to job satisfaction with a direct approach.

3 Ways To Succeed On Your First Job (Or Any Job)
You've heard the real estate clichรฉ: the three factors that determine a property's value are location, location, location.

Dynamic Pre-Hiring Practices
The pre-hiring process can be a challenge. Much time and energy can be invested and in the end, wasted, if your approach is not focused, deliberate, and specific. The following approaches have resulted in meeting candidates that not only meet our specifications, but also regularly exceed our expectations!

Cracking the Connection Code: Networking for the Introverted
We've all heard it before: "Just get out there and network!" If it was that easy, we would already be doing it. So why is it so hard? Well, you're an introvert, aren't you? Enough said.

The Secrets to Interview Success
Many well qualified and extremely able candidates fail at job interviews simply because they are unaware of the conventions of the job interview and the expectations of the interviewer.

Update Your Resume Today
A friend was just promoted to a position of vice-president of a company. I am happy for him and the first thing I told him after congratulations was "update your resume". He is now in a new league and if and when a headhunter should call or an opportunity to advance presents itself, he must be ready with his paperwork. Ready now, not tomorrow. A prospective employer's first impression of you should be one of preparedness.

How to Think Like a Headhunter to Find Your Dream Job!
In this ever changing world, we need to think out of the box to get ahead. This true for anything you do in life. If you want to succeed you will need to be creative.

Discover What You Really Want To Do
Are you doing what you really want to do or did you just fall or wander into the job you now have. As a friend of ours once said,' I am one of twenty two doctors in our family. The only ones in our family who are not doctors are the dogs and cats'. Did you decide what you wanted to do or are you one of a growing number whose work was dictated by circumstances or their parents?

Dressing Tips for Interview Success
Dressing appropriately for job interviews is one of those areas that puzzles some people.

Should You Join a Modeling School for Petite Modeling?
If you are thinking of breaking into the petite modeling industry and wondering if you should hundreds of doll ars on modeling school or classes you need to read this article. Here are few facts about modeling schools.

Networking Masterclass - Part 1 - Practicing Empathy
Practicing Empathyย A vital part of your networking skills is your ability to build rapport quickly and effectively with others. To build rapport successfully with another individual you need to understand 'where' they are coming from and have 'empathy' with them. ย People often think of empathy as a mystical commodity, a special, almost uncanny ability to experience the thoughts and feelings of someone else.ย In fact 'empathy' is quite simply applied imagination and only requires a little exertion and discipline.ย The next time you are sitting in a room conversing with three or more people, try this very simple activity:ย Temporarily remove yourself from the conversation.ย Be very quiet for a few moments.ย Pay particular attention to the person doing the most talking.ย Imagine the following things:ย Imagine the physical sensations the speaker is experiencing.ย Mentally place yourself in that person's body, sitting or standing in a particular position, eating the same food, drinking the same drink.ย Mentally become that person.ย Do you feel energised? Tired? Irritated?ย Imagine what kind of day the speaker has had - using all your knowledge about the speakers' day. If you know little about the person, guess.ย Continue to imagine yourself as that person.ย How does your day colour and affect what you are saying?ย Imagine the person's relationship's to everyone in the room - including yourself. Continue to mentally be that person.ย What kind of feelings are generated by the people around you? How do they affect the things you say?ย Now step back into yourself and rejoin the scene.ย Does your own role in the conversation feel different? ย Empathy, like memory is a creative act, not a mystical property and it requires imagination and practice.ย It lies within the grasp of all of us.

Why Do You Want This Job?
Why Do You Want This Job? Is it because any job will do, or is it because this is the job of your dreams? What do you do ? you send your winning resume, you carefully dress for the interview, you prepare to answer all of the questions about why you are the best candidate for the job. All of the literature tells you to do this. But is this the job for you? Most interview articles don't talk about when to walk away and not accept the job.

Working On A Farm In Kent
Being a student, a person needs to look for summer jobs, to keep up with the expenses for school and fun activities. This task is not always easy, especially when you are studying at an American branch university and you have to pay tuition as well. So getting a summer job obviously rules out getting a job in your home Eastern European country as that would pay for only a couple of beers the most.

Preparing For Your Job Interview: What You Need To Know To Be Successful
In the limited time an interviewer has with you, their mission is to know you and assess your worth, especially in relationship to the other candidates interviewed. Asking you questions is the way they accomplish that mission.

CVs And Resumes Sometimes Just Get In The Way
As a head-hunter and Career Coach I see so many CVs and resumes that look as though they are designed to get in the way of what I (or any other recruiter) might need to know about you the candidate. They vary from pure meaningless waffle without any identifiable facts to lengthy tomes with so much detail they send me to sleep. And I persevere where many others wouldn't bother.

Surviving in Corporate Amercia: Part 1 - Email
There is a saying that goes, "The best offense is a great defense". Nowhere is that applied better in the corporate world than in the intelligent use of email. In this age of technology, E-mail is a multi-purpose tool that can be adapted into each user's organizational patterns. Firstly, we will get the basic do's and don'ts out of the way.

Serious Business Networking
As they always say "It's not what you know, it's who you know."

Interview Preparation Made Easy: Create An Interview Preparation List
Here's a quick way to compare your own job experience and qualifications with those that your prospective employer is looking for in a specific job position. Make an "Interview Preparation List". When you prepare for a job interview, it's good to have a quick reference of your past work experience that you can study ahead of time to help prepare you for the specific job you're interviewing for.

Home |Site Map