RETIREMENT realities

From behind a desk, or during the daily commutes, retirement seems like a distant dream. But what exactly does it bring?

Whatever retirement meant to previous generations the concept has changed radically. It was once seen as a stretch of endless days just waiting to be filled with all the things you vowed to do, if only you had the time. It was when you would move to the summer residence that was always meant to be a home for the future, or take cruises and travel to places you had always longed to visit. Rarely did it mean a second crack at extensive childcare, staying in your job extra years to top up a

pension pot, or commencing an entirely new career to fulfill a life-long ambition or vocation, as is rapidly becoming the norm in the 21st century.

Worldwide, the number of people reaching retirement age is expected to double by 2050; too far away for many of us to contemplate. But in the years to come retirement as we know it might not even exist. As more and more countries are raising the age of retirement, and life expectancy is increasing steadily this is only to be expected.

But it is not all bad news. Judging by the current trend for choosing jobs that allow for lifestyle flexibility and provide plenty of personal job satisfaction, plus the freedom of movement digital technology has given workers, more people are likely to be happy to work on longer than our predecessors did.

Opportunities for taking early retirement need careful consideration; they may not be as attractive as they look. Working fewer hours, changing your job to one with a better work/life balance, or with a vocational attraction, are all ways to stay on in employment and still spend a happy ‘retirement’, just as you planned.

And how should that be?

There’s no real answer to this but, in homage to the years you

put in at the grind stone, it should be your choice. Family is often a priority but to ensure happy years ahead, don’t allow yourself to become a parent all over again. You’ve been there, done that and grown out of the T-shirt. A little extra grandchild minding, outings and treats are fine. But they should always be on your terms. Making a move is high on many retirees‘ agenda. The house is too big, it has equity tied up in it, the neighbourhood has become unbearable, we want to live near the children/abroad are all good reasons to look for another home. But be prepared for the feelings this change will create. You will be leaving a place full of years of memories and associations; most of the occupants will feel a particular bond with it that they never imagined would break. Sentiments will run high.

Downsizing to somewhere more convenient is sensible, but the required sale or re-homing of any contents you will no longer need will be no easy task. Instead, consider having a great clear out and then decorating and repurposing the spare space. It could lead to no end of possibilities and make the difference between being able to stay in your home or having to leave.

The number of people who have upped sticks to retire somewhere they know vaguely, or loved to visit regularly, but who end up regretting their decision is larger than you’d think. A monumental move on retirement really does need honest and realistic thought and planning before any final decisions are made.

Have a realistic approach to the signs of ageing and be sure to look after both mind and body. Respect any understandable limitations, without ignoring them to a point where they will become an extra burden. And, finding ways to stay mentally healthy without the discipline and demands of a regular working day is especially necessary. The saying use it or lose it has a definite ring of truth

Harness technology as a way of enhancing retirement and not just a working tool. Whatever those who grew up with computers and technology say, lots of us know that in so many situations it is quicker, better and more satisfying to use pretech ways. However, it can keep us in touch with all the aspects of life that we want to embrace. It is brilliant for researching and archiving the projects, family trees, collections and so on that we planned to do. It can make tasks easier. And, providing you know where to draw the line with shared information and our every movement being logged as data, we can make it work on our terms.

In fact, many current retirees consider themselves very lucky to be from a generation who really do have the best of both worlds. Apart from the temporary inconvenience of great chunks of the internet going down for a week, we could probably manage quite happily. The only worry is that as more and more of our lives become dependent on such cyber-tech operations we will end up living in a brave new world that we certainly never dreamt of.

Which could be why each older generation shares a timeless belief that so much was better in the past, and that retirement is just a time to live for today.