You didn’t think it would come around this quickly. One day you’re in your regular routine, attending meetings, answering emails and socialising with colleagues. Then suddenly, there’s a farewell card on your desk, a bottle of wine from the team, and just like that, it’s your last day.
At first, it feels like a relief. No more early alarms, no more deadlines, no more inbox! But once the initial buzz fades, an unexpected, uneasy quiet settles in.
For years, you were busy. You had a role, a title, a place….a purpose. Now your calendar’s wide open, and time moves differently. Slower. It should feel like freedom, but instead, it’s a bit… weird. You’ve stepped off the treadmill, and now you’re standing still, unsure what to do with all this space.
People still ask, “So what do you do?” And that question used to be easy. Now, you pause. You hesitate. Because the title’s gone. And with it, a piece of your identity.
That’s the part no one really warns you about. Retirement isn’t just a shift in your schedule, it’s a shift in who you see when you look in the mirror. You didn’t just stop working. You left behind a version of yourself that made sense in the context of a career.
But here’s the thing: you’re not your job title. You never were. It may have been part of your story, but it wasn’t the whole thing. You’re still the person who can deliver a project, bring people together or navigate the chaos. That hasn’t changed.
What has changed is that now, you get to decide what to do with all that energy and experience. No rules. No ladder to climb. Just the chance to do something because it matters to you and the time to do it.
Maybe there’s a project you always put off. A hobby that got buried. A cause you care about. Or maybe you just want to try a bunch of new things and see what sticks. That’s not a crisis, it’s a fun and fulfilling life!
Retirement isn’t the end of your identity. It’s just the end of tying it to your job. Now it’s your turn to figure out what comes next, and that can be exciting once you let go of the pressure to have it all figured out.
So don’t just retire. Rewire.
Step into something new.
Something real.
Something yours.
And if you’re still not sure where to start, try asking yourself this:
What would I do tomorrow if nobody cared about my job title?
Join others who are on their retirement journey at Life Minus Work by clicking this link!
