Plan for retirement to enjoy life

NAIROBI: Sometime back, I was involved in a voluntary rural development project with an element of fund raising and support from the private sector and the government.

The chair of the project was a highly respected senior government official. His influence and connections had until a point been extremely useful in bringing together well wishers and sponsors to support the project.

When he retired, he continued to lead the project albeit with plans of handing over to a younger team which I led.

My predecessor taught me the techniques of fundraising and I could not help but notice a very subtle but real change in the response he received to his fundraising requests.

Doors that had previously been open to him began closing. Access that he had previously taken for granted was now denied. His attempts to reach the PA’s of the influential were thwarted and his calls went unanswered.

As the reality of his new status dawned on him, his lost confidence, became withdrawn and was at a loss on how to proceed. The people he thought valued him  had no time for him. He was irrelevant in the society.

We have all seen people who once were important and are referred to as “has beens.”

Could that mean some of us have the inherent fear that after employment we would lose our importance or become irrelevant?

We all enjoy feeling that our views matter. We like having our opinions sought out. But retirement does not have to diminish your value.

Living outside the pulse of society can be very disarming but you cannot allow your status to be defined by your job.

Some people define themselves by their jobs and positions and what they do. To have that rug suddenly pulled from under them can be very disorienting. What do I do all day once I retire? Not knowing how to fill the retirement days worries many people.

Nobody would like to imagine sitting around the house all day watching TV or checking out their Facebook pages.

Studies have found that half the retirees miss the camaraderie that went with their lives in the work places.

Many said the novelty of staying at home, and not going to work, wore off in less than a year and they felt they were no longer intellectually challenged. In short, they were very bored.

Many people look to retirement as a sort of “after life.” Things will take care of themselves when they get there.

They put together a few haphazard ideas and consider that a retirement plan.

Some people attempt to start businesses of their own, often based on their hunches. This, they think might actually not just cure the boredom but also put some extra cash in their pockets. Retirement is a transitional phase in life similar to adolescence, and these shifts can cause anxiety and sadness. This is a period when a retiree feels like the ground under him/ her is not the same.

However, the next phase brings new opportunities. Instead of just seeing the downside, one can start to see there are certain things he/she can proactively look forward to.

You could have decades ahead of you and if you have looked after your health and your finances, those years can be the best of your life. You should be fine financially because you live within your means and had saved since you started working. You should not be bored at all because you put in place things that make life interesting.

Retirement can be a difficult transition, but everyone has to retire at some point. It is better to be prepared and walk out with your head high rather than be forced out. Work out a fool proof way to ensure your retirement becomes the most enjoyable part of your life.