When you envision retirement, positive thoughts likely bubble to the surface. You may be excited to relax, enjoy your freedom, and spend time with loved ones. However, retirement may not be exactly as it is imagined. What do I mean by this?

Erin Martinez, K-State Research and Extension specialist and associate professor of Adult Development and Aging shares her expertise:

“When you have your eyes set on retirement without a plan about how you are going to spend the time, it can be a bit of a shock and can disrupt your life by bringing about emotions about a lack of purpose.” She advises folks to not only have a financial retirement plan but also to think about what they want to accomplish in retirement. 

“You don’t have to know exactly what you are going to do day-to-day, but spend time reflecting on what you value and what you want your big priorities in retirement to be,” Martinez said.  

Knowing your purpose will help you move through the stages of retirement: honeymoon, disenchantment, reorientation, retirement route, and termination. 

While honeymoon refers to newfound freedom, Martinez said feelings of disenchantment can follow if you haven’t found a new purpose. During the reorientation phase, folks find new activities and form a plan for their retirement years along with settling into a new routine. 

Termination can refer to ending the retirement plan by going back to work, but more commonly it means that the retiree needs to reduce their involvement due to declining health.  

For some, shifting from full-time work to part-time work is a fantastic strategy that allows a person to slowly transition into retirement.

Martinez advises, “Talk with your employer to see if you can step into a part-time role or see what other options there might be even if it has never been done before.”

Looking for volunteer opportunities is another excellent way to find a purpose in retirement.  

“Volunteer Kansas is a great website to explore when looking for ideas,” Martinez suggests.

Serving others is one way that older adults can keep themselves physically and mentally healthy while maintaining social connections.

“As you shift in retirement, you can go from volunteering at school events to helping out at the senior center. This allows you to make different friends in new spaces,” Martinez said. “Socialization is incredibly important to healthy aging.”  

As part of the retirement plan, it is important to communicate with family about your plan so that children and spouses don’t make assumptions about how you are going to spend time. 

Sometimes family dynamics struggle in retirement because of uncommunicated plans. If ideas don’t align, friction can occur. Martinez advises couples to talk through their retirement goals and have a clear plan of what they hope to accomplish.   

She added: “Mentally preparing for retirement involves a lot of internal processing about what is most meaningful to you and what you want your retirement legacy to be.”

Taking time now to understand your goals and purpose for retirement puts you on a rewarding path that allows you to get the most out of this stage of life.

Karissa Winkel is the family and community wellness agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. Contact her at 620-793-1910 or krwinkel@ksu.edu.