{"id":8616,"date":"2021-01-03T07:50:11","date_gmt":"2021-01-03T11:50:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=8616"},"modified":"2021-01-03T07:56:46","modified_gmt":"2021-01-03T11:56:46","slug":"time-to-rethink-retirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=8616","title":{"rendered":"Time To Rethink Retirement"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>When someone retires, three substantial changes take place, said Ken Dychtwald, psychologist, gerontologist and founder and chief executive of <\/span>Age Wave,<\/a>\u00a0a consulting and research company.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

\u201cThey struggle with their identity, relationships and activity,\u201d he said. \u201cSome people feel unsettled, anxious or even bored, but eventually they realize that relationships, wellness and purpose really matter \u2014 perhaps more than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his new book, his 17th, \u201cWhat Retirees Want: A Holistic View of Life\u2019s Third Age,\u201d Dr. Dychtwald and his co-author, Robert Morison, parse how boomers are redefining retirement.<\/p>\n

For this book, the authors surveyed more than 100,000 boomers, exploring facets of\u00a0retirement<\/a> \u2014 family, financial security, health, housing, leisure, philanthropy, work and happiness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Photo courtesy of Age Wave<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I spoke with Dr. Dychtwald about the book, the authors\u2019 conclusions and also about his personal views of retirement. The highlights of our conversation are below and have been edited and condensed.<\/p>\n

How have your views about retirement changed because of coronavirus and turning 70 this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been talking about retirement for 45 years, and my views are transforming. That\u2019s partly sparked by Covid-19 and partly by turning 70, and also by having studied so many successful and unsuccessful retirees over the past half century.<\/p>\n

Now let me unpack that. When I was getting started in this field, in the 1970s, we were inclined to think of retirement as kind of a short wind-down period, following a life of hard work. Back then, when people managed to get to the end of their work life, it was kind of a triumph. There was generally the view that retirement was a mark of success, and the earlier one did it, the more successful they must be.<\/p>\n

It used to be that in retirement people sought to do things that they always liked, but didn\u2019t have time for during their working years, like taking an extended vacation, playing more golf, socializing with friends, or reading some good books. That is how I thought about it, too.<\/p>\n

That changed for me when I realized that retirement was getting longer \u2014 and longer. In addition, our studies were showing that many retirees were feeling bored and irrelevant, for decades. And I also began to notice that what was emerging was that some of the most successful role models for me weren\u2019t winding it up when they turned 65. In fact, they were reinventing themselves and starting charities or organizations, or staying longer with their companies \u2014 with many even doing their best work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

I decided in my later years it was not going to be turn out the lights and devote myself to playing 24\/7. I\u2019ve come to see this evolving stage of life like a portfolio, and I now have the freedom and self-awareness to change and reprioritize my mix of activities. I view it as having a better balance between quality time with my family, work, play, continued learning and volunteering.<\/p>\n

Read on The New York Times<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The pandemic this year has given many of us an enormous appreciation for the preciousness of life. I\u2019ve come to realize that I\u2019d like to be useful<\/em>\u00a0more than\u00a0youthful.<\/em><\/p>\n

However, I have been very troubled by the lack of usefulness among so many of my cohort. I\u2019ve observed far too many boomers and older adults make themselves irrelevant. I was really troubled when I read that last year the average American retiree watched more than 48 hours of television per week. I don\u2019t believe that\u2019s the best we can do, or that\u2019s the best we can be as elder men and women.<\/p>\n

I realize that it takes a lot of effort to remain current, and it takes a lot of work to understand new technology and a lot of work to understand modern culture and understand why folks like Childish Gambino or Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas are so interesting and to understand the appeal of TikTok. Stepping outside your time and your era and being a part of the present requires a willingness to continually learn and grow.<\/p>\n

I challenge pre-retirees and retirees to ask: How do I try and see and feel the world from the perspective of those far younger than me? That is an important activity in our new longevity. That we spend time and energy not to just try to hoard our life and our memories, but that we also actively try to be empathetic to different people, younger people.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n