He had been planning his retirement for years. Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan wanted to be a cowboy after hanging up his baseball uniform. But he found the transition to retirement a lot harder than he thought it would be. It wasn’t the long rides or the tough work of being a rancher that were hard on Ryan, it was the loss of his past life that gave him trouble. He missed going into the ball club and being part of a team every day.
In my experience with clients transitioning from work to retirement, Ryan is not unique. Many people entering retirement are greeted by mixed emotions, even fear. Helping them work through those initial feelings of trepidation and focusing on their long term financial goals is a rewarding part of what I do each day.
Glenn Ruffenach talked with Ryan about his transition:
“I didn’t realize I was going to have such a tough transition emotionally,” Mr. Ryan told us. “It took two years,” he said, before he started to feel comfortable in his new life.
So…if retirement isn’t all you thought it would be, you aren’t alone. You have just gone through one of the biggest changes in your life—walking away from a job or career that might have occupied 30 years or more of your time. If you loved (or even simply liked) your work and your colleagues, it would be surprising not to feel that something is amiss.
Give it time. Continue to do the things that give meaning to your days. Retirement usually ends up being more than satisfying. At first, though, it can throw you some curves.
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