It’s time for a hard dose of reality about your current retirement situation…
You’ve likely fallen victim to one of two extremely common retirement traps that can derail even the most carefully laid plans.
Trap 1: You thought you had a enough saved, but it’s becoming very clear you’re going to need more cash.
Trap 2: You thought retirement would be the happiest period of your life, but you feel your purpose is slipping away in front of you.
In both cases, the idyllic retirement you’d envisioned and worked so hard towards has taken an unexpected and unpleasant turn. Your finances, purpose, or both have been thrown for a loop.
It’s time to take matters into your own hands and find your post-retirement rich life…
Before we get to the positive, let me expand on those two traps I mentioned:
Trap 1: You did everything right – worked hard, saved diligently, and retired at 66 with enough money socked away to live comfortably.
But then you got overconfident and ignored those looming warning signs of an impending market crash.
Before you knew it, you’d lost nearly half of your invested life savings.
Now you can barely make ends meet and cover all the monthly bills. What are you going to do to fix this disastrous situation?
Trap 2: You also retired at 66 with sufficient savings after decades of hard work. However, a couple years into your golden years at 68, you’ve realized just how unfulfilled, restless, and purposeless you feel without that career to drive you each day.
Sure, your bank account is still in decent shape for now. But your overall happiness and life satisfaction? They’ve taken a deep nosedive without that meaningful work to give you a sense of identity and accomplishment. So again, what’s your plan for climbing out of this rut?
That’s where Un-retirement comes in…
Un-retirement is simply the act of rejoining the workforce in some professional capacity after retiring, whether due to financial need or a deeper desire for purpose and fulfillment.
For those trapped in Scenario 1, un-retirement provides the income stream needed to make up for those devastating lost savings. For the Scenario 2 folks, it’s a way to regain that vital sense of meaning, identity and daily engagement.
The core solution of un-retirement is simple in theory, but not always easy to execute in practice. That’s because most businesses today are programmed to seek out young, cheap labor over experienced but more costly older workers – especially those who have been out of the workforce entirely for several years like yourselves.
But here’s the secret to successfully navigating your way into a rewarding un-retirement:
Look to the places, businesses and communities you’ve built relationships and connections with during retirement and long before then.
The local hardware store you frequent every couple weeks, swapping stories with the staff? The cozy neighborhood diner where you’ve become a familiar regular face? Those familiar shops and hangout spots where you’ve forged bonds over years of patronage?
Those pre-existing relationships could very well be the key to unlocking the perfect un-retirement opportunity tailored just for you.
Think about the establishments you already enjoy spending time at and interacting with the employees.
Those are the business owners and managers who already know you, like you, and can envision you playing a valuable role on their team, even if just part-time. They’re far more likely to look past your age and respect the experience, wisdom and outstanding people skills you’d bring to the table.
So don’t just settle for an unfulfilling, lackluster retirement out of complacency.
Instead, take stock of the communities and businesses where you’ve invested time and built connections over the years.
Then get proactive about forging those familiar ties into rewarding un-retirement roles that check all the boxes – restoring your income, giving you that sense of purpose, and allowing you to keep living life with joy on your own terms.
Retirement doesn’t have to be the end of feeling engaged and living fully.
Those well-worn relationships and communities you’ve cultivated could very well be your gateway to your post-retirement rich life—whether that’s rich in money or rich in purpose.
Don’t accept stagnation – fight for the active, fulfilling life you deserve!