Glass: In the early days of retirement, retirees often ask ‘I know what I have retired from, but what am I retiring into?’ Their first challenge is to identify meaning for themselves, especially when they’ve come from a corporate culture, like Qantas.
They’re going to miss things that aren’t obvious at first, like collegiality and collaboration.
They’re going to miss things that aren’t obvious at first, such as a sense of collegiality they had with friends and acquaintances. They’re going to miss collaborating, getting involved in projects and activities and working with other people and having successful outcomes.
Wrapped inside that is a deeper concept, which is a feeling of usefulness. All the things that apply to a good work life — meaning, collaboration, collegiality, and feeling useful — new retirees may feel they don’t have once they’ve stopped working.
New retirees may also find that they have to renegotiate the space they share at home with their partners or others now that they’re there seven days a week. What was taken for granted when they left the front door at 6 a.m. and returned at 10 p.m. could now be something that needs to be negotiated. That’s why it’s important to talk with your family about your post-work plans.