It was late morning on a Tuesday, the Man rolled his trash and recycling cans to the curb for the afternoon pickup.
Setting them in place, he looked to his right, then to his left.
His neighborhood was silent.
No cars, no people, he was alone.
A sense of displacement washed over him.
Mumbling, yet audible, “The rest of the world is at work, and I’m here doing this mundane task with no real thing to do the rest of the day.”
The Man started to question his purpose, wondering if he should be doing something more important, more meaningful…something that contributed to his financial assets, something that would make the day go by quicker, like it did when he was at the office before he retired just 4 short months ago. A hollow feeling sunk deep into the pit of his stomach as he contemplated his life.
His head hung low as he began to meander back to the house.
Sighing, he searched deep within.
Hoping somewhere, somehow, he mattered.
He glanced up and through the window he saw his Wife of 32 years busying herself in the kitchen. Likely preparing lunch. He loved her so much. But lately, he just felt like he was more in the way than anything.
The routines of work were now gone, and their marriage, while healthy, felt a bit strained as they went from a bit of healthy separation during his career phase, to now being together all the time. There wasn’t as much to talk about anymore, since they spent their days together now with no day jobs.
Before retirement, over dinner, he reported about his work and his workmates.
Now, the news occupied most of their conversations, often drawing them both into negativity and Below the Line thinking.
He scuffed his shoes against the driveway as he approached the porch steps that would lead him back inside.
He grabbed the porch railing and swallowed hard against the lump in his throat that was beginning to form.
How could he go on?
He was facing a long future ahead.
He was healthy, and his grandkids lived 3 hours away.
Then, it hit him.
He and his wife had attended a retirement workshop six months prior. At that point, he was 2 months away from his official retirement date and saw an ad in the local paper. “Find meaning, live with purpose, leave a legacy.” the tagline read.
The fine print said that this workshop would deal with the non-financial side of retirement. On a whim, he texted his wife to see if she’d like to go. She agreed.
Turns out, the workshop was nothing they’d expected, but everything they needed. It taught them to identify their values, create a vision, and develop action steps to make their future bigger than their past.
“How could I have forgotten!” he declared out loud.
He rushed inside to grab his dusty workbook off the shelf. He poured over the work both he and his wife had done over the course of the workshop sessions. He remembered that while taking out the trash was surely mundane, the bigger story revealed that he was helping others, learning new skills, and enjoying interesting and fun pursuits.
He and his wife had planned well financially; they had enough money to sleep at night.
And, after the workshop, he knew he was set up for success to have enough purpose to get up in the morning. It was all right there in his Retirement Summary Plan. He had just let it fall to the wayside. He remembered the Life Coach that led the workshop offered accountability through his private coaching service.
He walked into the kitchen where his wife was still prepping lunch.
“Honey, remember this workshop?”
“Um… Yeah, I do. Seems like a long time ago now.” she said.
“It does… I almost forgot about it. Want to go through our notes over lunch?”
“Sure! I really need to be more intentional about my action steps. Remember the life coach that guided the workshop? He had said he provided private coaching… Think we should get a tune up on our Retirement Summary Plan?”
The Man smiled. “I think that’s a great idea. I’ll give him a call this afternoon.”
~~~
Does this story resonate with you or someone you know? At our firm, we want our retirees to continue to live a life of meaning beyond retirement. That’s why we have an on-staff Life Coach that helps you look beyond the numbers and refocuses your path, helping you make your future bigger than your past. Find out more here. We’re here to help!
