Retirement isn’t all that the hype suggests it will be. In fact, if individuals are not careful, a lot will crack once they retire. And the word “retirement” might need to be replaced with something new.

Many pre-retirees do not fully comprehend how dramatically their lives will change. Research shows that adjusting to what should be an exciting part of life, they report more boredom, anxiety, restlessness and feelings of uselessness. Rather than leading to joy and excitement, it can lead to depression and even an early death.

Consider having a coach help you develop a focused plan for this new adventure in your life!

Here are some brutal facts:

• Ten thousand Americans retire every day.
• While retirement in the past marked the beginning of the end of life, nowadays it might be better described as the end of midlife.
• Retirement nowadays lasts decades – far longer than we spent in schools and, in some cases, longer than we spent in our careers.
• Increasing longevity and the changing nature of work requires more radical rethinking of life stages.
• The language people have grown to use about retirement is, at best, far from clear or realistic; it should have a different name – more exciting – such as a New Adventure;
• “Retirement” connotes a retreat from battle or a step back to safer ground – a concept that does not capture the range of retirement adventures that many embark upon today.
• The old perspective on life stages might require rethinking – such as abandoning the old school – work – retirement timeline to spreading periods of wok, education and sabbatical throughout our lives.
• The challenge of those who are turning sixty-five (about 12,000 per day in the United States) will be to figure out what to do with the expected thirty more years of life that they face.
• Most people who have led active lives are “not good at” doing nothing, and “don’t like” doing nothing. This puts them in a position where they eventually become miserable – and they die.
• Planning on ways to move away from being “not good at” something (like being idle) and “liking” what you are doing is the key to a happy and productive retirement.

We coach individuals who:

• Are “retired” or are contemplating retirement;
• Are looking for a New Adventure;
• Have been active throughout their lives;
• Are not interested in a next step in life in just playing golf or watching TV;
• Want to remain active and productive;
• Want to make a difference;
• Are not looking for financial counseling.

Our fundamental principle:

It is imperative that individuals develop a focused plan that combines those skills at which an individual is “good at” with those endeavors which the individual “likes.” This combination results in motivation, eagerness, and satisfaction.

Our coaching strategy is as follows: 

• Determine what SKILLS an individual is “good at;”
• Identify activities and endeavors which require or embody those skills;
• Sort out those activities and endeavors which appeal to an individual – those that he/she “likes;”
• Match those endeavors which the individual likes with those skills which the individual is either “good at” or “not good at;” (It’s important to have several in which the individual is “not good at.”)
• Show that engaging in such endeavors or activities put the individual in a position where he/she can enjoy and become skilled;
• Help develop a plan for the new adventure that will enable the individual to become engaged in one or more of these activities to lead a richer and more satisfying life.

Our Methodology

We employ the principles of the powerful Co-Active coaching methodology. You can find out more about this methodology by clicking HERE.

If you seek further information about the coaching we provide, please use the contact form or send an email to: ccjett@msn.com

Charles Cranston Jett is the author of:

WANTED: Eight Critical Skills You Need to Succeed, and

The Doom Loop – Straight Talk About Job Frustration, Boredom, Career Crises and Tactical Career Decisions