Rewirement – not Retirement


Fulfilling work that fuels your passion

You may be approaching the time when you are thinking about stopping work full-time. For some, the idea of discovering new purpose in retirement, which lasts much longer than for previous generations, evokes a broad range of emotions.  What is known is that for people who have hobbies, passions and dreams, the ‘living longer bonus’ is a gift.

Traditional retirement, in the old sense of leisure only, isn’t for everyone. Retirement has meant a going from, a single event that means withdrawal from the workforce into leisure, relaxation, a slide into the end of life. The article offers you a new word to express how you will modify the retirement of leisure to make it work for you – rewirement! You still have the same skills and interests you have always had, but now you refocus your energy into new environments.

Is Rewirement for You?


Your outlook and attitude to retirement is likely to differ with others. Do you recognise which category you may fit as you approach retirement?
  1. You are excited and know what you are getting into in transitioning to retirement
  2. You are excited but have no idea what you are getting into
  3. You are anxious and have no idea how to get in control of your life, in planning your transition to retirement
  4. You are angry and not physically or mentally ready, but are being forced into retirement.
Except for the last category, you are likely to be open to the rewiring process. Do any of these reasons to rewire apply to you? You desire to do something meaningful and/or significant. You want to do activities you have postponed in your earlier life. You seek a balance between work and play. If any of these apply, then read on.


How to Rewire


Rewiring is all about your personal energy flow; how you will use it to fulfil your mind, body and soul. Your energy needs to be re-routed into more satisfying alternatives than retirement and leisure. Rewirement is different from retirement because it starts from inside you, not from some calendar or date line about the age you are. Rewiring is a process that can be described as the five Ws – what, why, who, when and where. All of them require experimentation. You explore new activities, try them and pursue or discard based on what you are seeking.

What – comprising two parts, the mental part requires you to redirect your energy to what you want; the physical part is decide where you will be and who will form your network to help you use that energy towards your desires.

Why – as mentioned earlier, statistically you are going to live longer than any earlier generation. Working in retirement is a growing trend; you may have income from a pension or superannuation and being paid work also. You may want to work to stay connected to your community and the world.

Who – anyone can rewire – those already retired those who are contemplating retirement, small business people and corporate people.

When – it is never too early to start to rewire. Don’t wait until you have retired – contemplate and plan your transition and rewirement now.

Where – You can rewire anywhere. It may be a sabbatical or a move to flexible hours or a phased retirement that you consider. You may move to working flexible hours, or phase to retirement. Your rewiring may be a move to a warmer/cooler climate. Your choices are your own.


Ingredients for a successful rewiring


Retirement is a going from while rewirement is a going to. Rewiring offers you a new mindset to think about the next stage of your life, a particularly long one of maybe 25 years. How will you make rewirement work for you? Here are some characteristics that you will embrace to start on the rewiring journey: a  positive attitude, good health, an awareness of your financial position, an open mind, a desire to stay connected, self-knowledge, meaningful interests or a desire to discover them, intellectual curiosity, a willingness to explore, flexibility.

For those of you ready for rewirement there a number of pointers from people who have rewired. Some of them are:
  • Have a plan
  • Dare to discard ideas and activities that don’t work for you
  • Recognise that your plans and goals can change.
  • Don’t look to other for direction or approval – this is your rewirement.
  • Think of freedom as a good thing. Think of too much freedom as a bad thing.
  • Don’t over commit


Can you work towards your rewirement on your own?

Are you ready to start with considering your retirement as a move to what you want? What is the first thing you will do? What if you need some help?

Contact us for a complimentary consultation to focus on how you can plan for your rewirement. We work with you to discover what you want for your life and how to transition to a life of meaning and purpose. It will be the best 30 minutes you spend to get started.

What about completing a transition assessment that provides an indication of your preparedness? Click here to complete the assessment.


Reference

Sedlar, J & Miners, R 2007, Don’t Retire, Rewire!, 2 nd edn, Alpha Books, New York.

© 2011 Helene Strawbridge, All rights reserved. You are free to use material from the Second Half Success material in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read: By Helene Strawbridge of Second Half Success. Please visit Helene’s web site at www.secondhalfsuccess.com.au for additional articles and resources. (Make sure the link is live if placed in an newsletter or in a web site.)