{"id":7795,"date":"2019-10-20T10:15:16","date_gmt":"2019-10-20T14:15:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=7795"},"modified":"2019-10-20T10:15:26","modified_gmt":"2019-10-20T14:15:26","slug":"whats-next-after-retirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=7795","title":{"rendered":"What&#8217;s Next After Retirement"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"css-jz6dyt\">\n<header class=\"css-1gsej0m euiyums4\">\n<p class=\"css-1ifw933 e1wiw3jv0\">When&nbsp;Jeff Hutchinson,&nbsp;65, retired two years ago after four decades&nbsp;with&nbsp;Dominion Energy&nbsp;in&nbsp;Richmond, Va., he took a gap year to figure out what he wanted to&nbsp;do.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ifw933 e1wiw3jv0\">\u201cI was emotionally ready to go,\u201d said Mr. Hutchinson, who has adjusted well to life after work.<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"meteredContent css-1i2y565\">\n<div class=\"css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">His days are full, getting together with former co-workers for lunch and tackling the pile of \u201cwhen I retire projects\u201d stored in his garage over the years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">And he enjoys helping around the barn with the half-dozen horses he and his wife,&nbsp;Mary Beth Donnelly, tend to, along with keeping the fields and fencing of their&nbsp;56-acre&nbsp;Beaverdam, Va., farm in shape.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-o6xoe7\" aria-label=\"companion column\" aria-hidden=\"false\"><\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"story-ad-1-wrapper\" class=\"css-1r07izm\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div id=\"story-ad-1-slug\" class=\"css-l9onyx\">\n<p>Mr. Hutchinson knows he\u2019s lucky to have a lot&nbsp;on his plate. \u201cI tell my friends, don\u2019t let retirement scare you. So many people are so worried that they\u2019re not going to have anything to do. You need to plan a little.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-g92qtk epkadsg3\">\n<div class=\"css-1owp1gq epkadsg0\"><a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/spotlight\/the-new-retirement?action=click&amp;module=RelatedLinks&amp;pgtype=Article\">More From Retirement<\/a><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-ckpga5 epkadsg1\">But many retirees do not have a plan. And for those who encounter retirement earlier than expected because of a health crisis or downsizing, facing the new reality can be rocky.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Isolation and loneliness can emerge. \u201cAll too often the shift to retirement is viewed narrowly as a vocational one, a move from working to not working,\u201d said&nbsp;Marc Freedman, who leads&nbsp;<a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"http:\/\/www.encore.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Encore.org<\/a>, a nonprofit group that aims to tap the skills and experience of people in midlife and beyond.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">\u201cYet something much deeper and more fundamental is underway,\u201d he said. \u201cIt can be an uncertain, scary time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/09\/12\/business\/retirement\/planning-financial-social.html\">Read on The New York Times<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">And traversing the emotional realities can be a solitary journey. \u201cAll too often, individuals are left to their own devices when it comes to finding a new sense of purpose in a post-retirement period that could be as long as the middle years in duration,\u201d said Mr. Freedman, author of&nbsp;<a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/How-Live-Forever-Connecting-Generations\/dp\/1541767810\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u201cHow to Live Forever:<\/a><a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/How-Live-Forever-Connecting-Generations\/dp\/1541767810\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&nbsp;The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations.\u201d<\/a>&nbsp;\u201cMany feel like they are all alone in navigating the new terrain, practically and emotionally.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Add in the underlying awareness for many that there are fewer days ahead than behind, and this emotional shift becomes even more weighted, he added. \u201cTime is more precious. Questions of purpose and legacy are more prominent. That can sound depressing, but for many people it is a powerful source of motivation for making the most of this period.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"link-3cce3ad2\" class=\"css-1320w4z eoo0vm40\">The Human Connection<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Part of the fear stems from a loss of identity when people no longer work, according to&nbsp;Dorian Mintzer, a retirement transition&nbsp;<a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/revolutionizeretirement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">coach<\/a>. \u201cOften people don\u2019t recognize the role that work has played in their life \u2014 the structure it provided, the reason to get up in the morning, self-esteem, community, camaraderie. That\u2019s the emotional piece that catches people unaware,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Compounding that can be pressure to feel happy. \u201cSome people aren\u2019t prepared that there is some grieving to do, and that\u2019s why they\u2019re feeling sad and depressed when, hey, this is supposed to be the best time of their life,\u201d Ms. Mintzer said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">It took a few years for&nbsp;Phyllis Rhoton, 73,&nbsp;who hired Ms. Mintzer, to realize something was missing. Ten years ago, because of a health issue, she retired without much of a plan from her job as a customer service agent at the&nbsp;Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">\u201cFor the first couple of years, I took care of myself. I did a lot of things I couldn\u2019t do when I was working. I traveled and visited friends and family. My mother was ill, and I spent a lot of time taking care of her. Then everyone started dying \u2014 my aunt, my brother, my mother. My family was dwindling away,\u201d said Ms. Rhoton, who is single and has no children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">\u201cThat\u2019s part of aging, but I felt like there was a vacuum. I was just sitting around watching Netflix all the time, and that\u2019s not real.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Working with Ms. Mintzer helped her realize that she missed the human connection. So Ms. Rhoton, who lives in&nbsp;Medford, Mass., enrolled in courses at adult education centers. She has studied Vietnamese cooking, public speaking and how to teach English as a second language, and continues to sign up for new courses. \u201cI meet new people, and my mind has become engaged again,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s fun.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-o6xoe7\" aria-label=\"companion column\" aria-hidden=\"false\">\n<div class=\"css-ke163a\" data-testid=\"article-companion-wrapper\">\n<div id=\"newsletter-module\" class=\"css-48vsi0\">\n<div class=\"css-1k9ek97\">\n<div class=\"css-1hdd06o\">\n<p class=\"css-utmy9y\">Catch up and prep for the week ahead with this newsletter of the most important business insights, delivered Sundays.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-tjpxhb\">\n<div class=\"css-sefkcv\">She also started volunteering, initially serving meals at a veterans\u2019 shelter. \u201cThat got me out of my funk,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019re working with a whole bunch of volunteers on projects so you see these people on an ongoing basis, and you feel like you are a part of something.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Now she tutors people learning to speak English. \u201cI\u2019m both student and teacher at the same time,\u201d she said. \u201cI learn so much from them about their culture and customs and experiences here in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"link-70dba583\" class=\"css-1320w4z eoo0vm40\">Adjusting to Change<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Retiring is a sequence of shifts over time, as Ms. Rhoton has found. Three substantial changes take place, said&nbsp;Ken Dychtwald,&nbsp;founder and chief executive&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/agewave.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Age Wave<\/a>, a consulting and research company.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">\u201cFor most of the changes in our lives there is ritual,\u201d he said. \u201cIn high school,&nbsp;when you contemplated college, you go visit campuses. There\u2019s counseling. When it comes to retirement, people are basically told \u2018good luck, have a good time.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">The first big change is identity. \u201cWhether we realize it or not, we have our identity linked to our work, and the way we describe ourselves, how we introduce ourselves, and what we might say if we are sitting next to someone on a train. Our identity has been forged and tweaked and shaped by our work life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">In addition, relationships change. \u201cWhen we asked retirees in a&nbsp;<a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"http:\/\/agewave.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/2016-Leisure-in-Retirement_Beyond-the-Bucket-List.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study<\/a>, conducted by&nbsp;Merrill Lynch in&nbsp;partnership with Age Wave, what do you miss the most, way at the top of the list was the relationships,\u201d Mr. Dychtwald said. \u201cThey didn\u2019t realize how much they would miss the person whose desk was next to theirs, or whose office, and asking about their kids and all of those things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">The third shift is activity. \u201cMost of us, until our retirement day, have lived our lives in a structured lifestyle,\u201d he said. \u201cYou retire, and all of that is dissolved. For some people, that\u2019s a kind of terror. They feel that they are in a state of free-fall. Others see it as freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-o6xoe7\" aria-label=\"companion column\" aria-hidden=\"false\"><\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"story-ad-4-wrapper\" class=\"css-2ninbb\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div id=\"story-ad-4-slug\" class=\"css-l9onyx\">\n<p>So often, Mr. Dychtwald said, the focus is on finances. But, he added, \u201cI think it\u2019s really a psychological metamorphosis. During this transitional period, some people still feel unsettled, anxious or bored, but eventually they realize that \u2018I can be fresh. I can be new.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-79elbk\" data-testid=\"photoviewer-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"css-z3e15g\" data-testid=\"photoviewer-wrapper-hidden\"><span style=\"color: #23282d; font-size: 1.6em; font-weight: 600;\">Getting Involved<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">Three years ago,&nbsp;Lester Strong, then 67, retired from a large nonprofit in Washington, where his work focused on older adults tutoring and mentoring elementary school children. \u201cI was feeling stale,\u201d Mr. Strong said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t growing and developing, so I decided it was time to retire. I didn\u2019t know if I was going to be sitting around the house in my slippers, but I knew I needed to keep searching.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">What he didn\u2019t expect, he said, was the period of wandering around that followed, as he tried to sort out what he wanted to do. Then Mr. Strong and his wife,&nbsp;Patrice, went to a police community forum in&nbsp;Kingston, N.Y., where they now live.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">There had been an incident in the city involving the&nbsp;use of force&nbsp;by police against a black man and the community was upset. The police were trying to explain what was going on, and people were talking past each other, recalled Mr. Strong. \u201cI thought maybe there is something I can do here with my past experience and as an African-American.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">He decided to get involved. \u201cI wanted to give back in a more hands-on way. I felt in my heart of hearts that I was a teacher. I had even majored in education in college, but had never pursued it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">In&nbsp;January, he started a pilot program,&nbsp;<a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peacefulguardiansproject.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Peaceful Guardians Projec<\/a><a class=\"css-1g7m0tk\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peacefulguardiansproject.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">t<\/a>. The initiative links Kingston City School District middle-school students with the Kingston Police Department to bridge the gap between local youth and law enforcement. Police officers and young people form teams and work on activities that foster understanding, empathy and trust. The goal is to learn to see a situation through other eyes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">\u201cI still don\u2019t know exactly where I\u2019m going, or what it will be like, but I\u2019ve started,\u201d Mr. Strong said. \u201cI have something to say, something to offer, and this is something I can do that will bring me the enthusiasm.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-exrw3m evys1bk0\">For now, Mr. Strong has decided that his job is to pay attention and keep asking \u2018how can I help?, how can I help make things better?\u2019 \u201cI get up every morning to do something new and make a difference,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>By&nbsp;<span class=\"css-1baulvz last-byline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\">Kerry Hannon<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"bottom-of-article\">\n<div class=\"css-wg1cha\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-13ldwoe\">A version of this article appears in print on&nbsp;<time class=\"css-10rvbm3\" datetime=\"2019-09-12T04:00:00.000Z\">Sept. 12, 2019<\/time>, Section&nbsp;F, Page&nbsp;2&nbsp;of the New York edition&nbsp;with the headline:&nbsp;After Work, What\u2019s Next?.&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytreprints.com\/\">Order Reprints<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/pages\/todayspaper\/index.html\">Today\u2019s Paper<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscriptions\/Multiproduct\/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY\">Subscribe<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"css-mrshpo\">\n<div class=\"css-889szm\"><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-small.png?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top:5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Bebo\",\"Delicious\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"small\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"What&#039;s Next After Retirement\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many retirees do not have a plan. And for those who encounter retirement earlier than expected because of a health crisis or downsizing, facing the new reality can be rocky. Isolation and loneliness can emerge. <\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-small.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top:5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Bebo\",\"Delicious\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"small\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"What&#039;s Next After Retirement\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6898,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[59,9],"tags":[333],"class_list":["post-7795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-careers","category-retirement","tag-retirement"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kerryhannon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/download.png?fit=240%2C210&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3YFQS-21J","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7795","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7795"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7795\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7801,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7795\/revisions\/7801"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}