I remember noticing that my pension would be maximized soon and that if I continued along with my career I could only make the equivalent of the deposits on eighteen pop cans more, than if I retired and didn't continue to work for a paycheck! Heck, I thought, that's a morning at the beach with a pair of rubber gloves, half an hour with a garbage bag at a rock concert or an hour visiting my neighbors recycling contributions.



I had hobbies I wanted to pursue, newspapers to read, late night films to watch, and for once I wanted to be the one in charge of what I did each day. For thirty-eight years, like Pavlovs' dogs, I had responded to a bell. Ring, start work, ring, stop for lunch, ring, time to go home. The choice was an easy one. It took all of thirty seconds.

Don't get me wrong, I had a very enjoyable and challenging career that I wouldn't have exchanged for anything, but as retirement day got closer, I became aware of other retirees in training and the confusion that was creeping into their lives. Some, like me, were relaxed and counting the days while others fretted, worried and appeared sort of "lost".

But this is where it gets interesting. I still have trouble understanding why some retirees have so much of a problem, not working. Admittedly some have money difficulties, either because there was no pension of any sort or there was a failure to save for the future. Sometimes a family catastrophe or ill-health has forced the issue. Whatever the reason, I believe you have to have the correct approach, and a plan, if retirement is to work for you.

Most important of all, however, is the approach. As in so many things in life, it's more in the way you approach the problem than the actual problem itself.

Try and look at retirement as a second High School graduation.

We all wanted to leave High School and move on. We all planned what we would do and some even had jobs or education establishments to move into. None of us planned to go back. We wanted a new beginning, a new life. We wanted to experience life and grow up. I don't recall any of my friends saying, "Geez this is boring I wish I could go back to High School!"

Take the same outlook on retirement. Plan before you jump. Look at it as a new era of your life, an opportunity for a new beginning, an opportunity to change, take up new things, live a more exciting existence, learn a new language, take up a new hobby, start a home business. Change directions!

Retirement should be our elder college graduation, and I for one don't want to go back.

Actually I'm not really a good example because after my High School Graduation I spent a few years in University and then went back to High School as a teacher.

Poor example really.

Well, you get the idea anyway, don't you?

Us retired people can handle stuff like that: a change in direction!