You have retired from your lifelong career. But after a transition period I call the ‘Release’, you find yourself empty, or in a void.
You still have many years of healthy life ahead of you and don’t know what to do with them. Your finances are great! You are in good company, but feel alone, isolated, and useless…
I call this stage the ‘Landing’ after retirement, because you finally settle down after that initial euphoria and desperate thoughts begin to crowd your mind: “And now, what?”
This is the time when many unwelcome beliefs can lead retirees into stress, anxiety, and even depression.
Filling the Void
How do you fill those years with worthwhile pursuits?
One way is by reinventing yourself, by launching or re-launching your passion for those things you wanted to do all of your life. You never got down to do them because you were ‘too busy’ with your day-to-day job.
Think of the possibilities. What if you could turn a hobby into a source of additional income after you retire? Or, what if you could turn some of your ‘soft skills’ into your mainstream activities?
If you let baseless beliefs that nobody will pay for your services or products invade your thoughts and trigger fear or anxiety, then yes, you will probably fail.
How Beliefs Stop us
Sometimes we believe that we are late to the ‘game’ because others have already walked a successful path ahead of us. We think that the playing field is ‘too crowded’ or competitive. As a consequence, we feel frustrated, trapped, stressed, or simply stuck.
Our energy has spiraled down into states of non-action, or of total conformance. We think “oh well, that’s just the way it is…”, or “I am not as lucky as others…”.
This is certainly the way I felt when I completed my training as a professional Coach. I convinced myself that the ‘field was getting crowded’, and I felt frustrated. It took a while and the help of another coach to get rid of that feeling, and of the thoughts that drove me into it.
It’s absolutely natural to feel that way. But the thoughts around being ‘too late’ are unfounded.
Take any business that comes to mind. ANY business idea. Do you really believe that there is no room for additional talent and creativity for that unique spark we all carry? Last time I checked, people still have many needs and they are willing to pay in order to get them solved. And guess what. World population is still growing!
Unblocking Your Energy
What if you change that limiting belief, by tapping into your innate talents and gifts and by realizing that you can provide UNIQUE services or products that people will rave about?
Here, give it a try. Think of a belief that might be blocking you from becoming an entrepreneur after you retire. How does that feel? What happens to your energy and consciousness?
Where did that belief come from? Is it based on true facts based on your own experience? Or, is it the product of what someone else told you?
Now think of an opposite belief. Visualize success. See yourself fulfilling a new passion and being good at it, and that you have raving fans looking for your services or products. Again, how does that feel? Where is your energy and your consciousness?
I would love to hear from you. Please leave any comments on the blog or on my Facebook page.
And as always, feel free to grab my free gift ‘The top 5 Strategies to Kickstart your Retirement”.
In Peace and Prosperity,
José
