A 2023 survey conducted by ULeadU Post Career Pathing indicated that people approaching or in retirement are more concerned about maintaining a sense of purpose post-career than they are about losing their work community or steady income.
That’s interesting because often when asked what they’ll miss about working, people immediately say, “The people I work with!” or, “A regular paycheque.”
While it’s encouraging that we understand the importance of having a sense of purpose in life, it’s perhaps unfortunate that many of us might see work as creating that purpose, as opposed to work being just one expression of our life’s purpose.
We all need to feel that our lives are purposeful and that we matter. Without that, life becomes pretty meaningless. And yet, few of us think very much about our life’s purpose, let alone how to actually live it. Instead, life literally gets in the way, and we end up creating purpose out of the things we do: getting an education, pursuing a career, raising a family, etc. No surprise then that when we’ve done all the things and it’s time to move on, we wonder what our purpose will be now. What will give our lives ongoing meaning?
The approach taken by many is to just get busy again. Find some hobbies, volunteer, exercise more, spend time with the grandkids, travel…there are a million things to do!
Alternatively, we can use the free time we suddenly have in relative abundance to discover our life’s purpose – Big P Purpose – and let it be the engine that drives our choices going forward. This journey can be challenging at the outset but, ultimately, really enlightening with the reward of bringing the traveller to a place of deep fulfillment.
If Big P Purpose is too overwhelming to consider, it may be enough to think about purpose in just this stage of life – what we want to accomplish before we die, what legacy we want to leave. That can lead us to consider the WHY behind each of the things we choose to do. For example, embarking on a healthier lifestyle in order to increase our health span so we can remain independent as we age. In that case, knowing WHY makes every physical improvement activity more fulfilling and we’re motivated to continue.
For some, it may be enough to think about their daily purpose or what gets them out of bed in the morning. That could be as simple as gratitude for whatever the day will bring. This is part of the Japanese concept of “ikigai”, sometimes translated as “your reason for being”.
However we think about it, being “on purpose” helps us navigate when the going gets tough, when we have difficult, complex or emotionally charged decisions to make, or in those times when we’re just plain scared of what’s next.
Discovering purpose is a matter of peeling back a lot of layers, experimenting with different activities and pursuits, and paying close attention to what comes up.
What you can do
- Think about what purpose means to you. Is it Big P Purpose, daily purpose, or something in between?
- Consult books or other resources related to finding your “why” or living with purpose.
- Think about the kinds of things that fulfilled you in the past and see if there’s a common thread that links them.
- Try out different activities and pay attention to how you feel doing them. Fulfilled?
- Enlist the help of wise friends or an experienced retirement coach. The search for purpose is often more successful when done with others who can help us see what we’re missing.
Marilyn Hintsa is an accredited Retirement Readiness Coach who works with leaders of all kinds that want to continue making a difference in their post-career lives. On her own retirement journey since 2019, Marilyn lives the perspective that retirement is no reason to stop and go out to pasture, and every reason to now “do life” your way. She is dedicated to helping her clients navigate one of life’s biggest transitions with confidence and excitement for what comes next. Connect with Marilyn at linkedin.com/in/hintsa/ or book a Retirement Readiness Chat at www.ulead.ca.