The Baby Boomer Generation (born between 1946 and 1964) are not likely to retire like their parents did. The world has changed and there are now different choices available for this generation as they reach this new life stage.

The definition for Work Re-orientation is as follows: The degree to which you have emotionally distanced yourself from taking your personal identity from your work. To make a successful transition from work to this new life stage called “retirement” we need to shift our view of ourselves and redefine who we are. Many of us may have over-invested in our work and now see ourselves primarily in our professional role. Our jobs begin to define not only what we do, but also who we are. Our careers become the defining issue of our lives. This factor may hinder our growth as we move into this new stage of life. We will need a significant re-orientation of self to help us navigate the future with success.

This process in no way discounts our past success as unimportant or even less significant. It is more a way of letting go of the culture and environment where we were and looking to innovative and exciting ways in which we can continue to succeed. For healthy closure we need to celebrate and mourn the past, disengage, and move forward to new, exciting and challenging adventures.

The future will hold…
The future will hold many opportunities for growth and change. There will be large numbers of people wanting to put their talent, experience and positive outlook back to work. Each individual will manage this change to suit their own needs and circumstances. Some will want to do flexi-time work or will perhaps want to volunteer, while others may choose to work in a completely different field. It looks likely that many will choose a phased approach to retirement in the future.

Successful Re-orientation
To successfully re-orientate ourselves we need to dig deep within and discover the answer to the question: “Who am I?” This will help you to define who you are beyond your relationship with your work. We come to appreciate our inherent worthiness as a unique person. This internal journey is not easy for most of us: it takes time and significant introspection before we can develop and become comfortable with a new self-definition.

For many this is a very challenging process. They can’t let go of their former self-definition. For them the future is destined to be burdened because they become stuck in the narrow definition of themselves from the past. The old retirement was for many a withdrawal, leading to non-involvement and an apathetic approach. Those that do not face this factor may find themselves heading down the same road. For those that want to live with the “new retirement”, the process of developing a new self-definition is not an option, it is mandatory.

Making the best decision possible
We must arm ourselves with as much information about ourselves as we can so we can make the best decisions possible. Try to estimate how important this factor is for your life. The degree to which you can answer this question will tell you how strongly you identify with your work and how much energy you have been putting into your work.

We have a tool called the RSP that measures 15 success factors for retirement. This test gives quantitative measures for each factor. This tool is available through the Refirement Network. This is your life and you should live each day to the full until your last.

Most of the content for this article is taken from the book “The New Retirement – Discovering your dream” by Richard P Johnson. This is the handbook for the RSP tool used by Retirement Options. Lynda Smith is the only accredited coach with Retirement Options in South Africa. She can be contacted on 082 490 2822 or visit www.refirementnetwork.com

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