[2023-03-10] To work or not to work after retirement
This week, I researched the pros and cons of working after retirement. I found myself struggling to decide whether or not to pursue several opportunities that had recently presented themselves.
From the various articles I read, I distilled a range of potential benefits of paid employment after retirement: extra income, a cure for boredom, social engagement, a sense of purpose, a way to fill time, and a means of remaining mentally, socially and physically active. The drawbacks could include less free time, more stress and increased complexity.
As I reflected on the pros and cons of returning to paid work, I realized that I wasn't looking for extra income, nor was I bored, lacking social engagement, searching for a purpose, in need of something to fill my time, or trying to become more mentally, socially and physically active. Moreover, I concluded that working at a job would have diminished, not enhanced, my ability to pursue activities that I enjoy, that bring me purpose and that keep me active. The only thing that would have increased was my income, but the tradeoff in time, peace and flexibility was not something I was prepared to make.
Another helpful piece of advice I came across while researching the upsides and downsides of working after retirement was this: "make sure your 'retirement job' is something that energizes you." That reminded me of what Colin Powell had written in his book It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership regarding his decision not to run for president:
It's easy to be flattered into a job.... The decision [of whether to run for political office] was mine to make. What drove my final choice was the reality that I did not wake up a single moment wanting to be president or with the fire and passion needed for a successful campaign. I was not a political figure. It was not me.
I did find myself waking up early this week, but not in excited anticipation of the opportunities; rather I awoke to doubts about my ability to do the work and misgivings about the degree to which I had the fire and passion to do it well.
In contrast, many of my existing activities energize me: blogging, designing visuals, learning a language, supporting loved ones, cooking and baking new recipes, organizing physical and digital assets, teaching English to my neighbour and learning Portuguese from her. What does not energize me is overextending myself because the people pleaser in me isn't satisfied with doing a good job. I want to do a great job. I want to impress the person I'm working for. I want to solve their problems. Consequently, I won't merely do a little; I will pour myself into an endeavour.
No matter what age we are, we can all struggle—at times—to know what is best for us. Like Powell says, it can be easy to be flattered into a job. It's ego-boosting to know that we are wanted and valued. Sometimes we say yes only to tell ourselves after the fact, "Well, I'm never doing that again." I'd like to avoid that situation in the first place.
Coincidentally, I chatted with someone this week who was contemplating a job change. She assumed that I would favour the move because it would have been a promotion. But I didn't. I've learned—through my life and career—that leaving a position in which we're happy to take a job largely because it offers more pay may not be in our best interests. Instead, my friend used the potential job as the basis for a discussion with her own managers about opportunities in her home organization—a conversation that only affirmed her instinct to remain with her current team.
She might have benefited from this tip about planning your goals from an article I read this week on how retired people can live an amazing life:
A plan should answer at a minimum:
1. What’s your current situation?
2. What’s your ideal situation?
3. How do you get there?
If your answer to the first question is "my current situation is pretty awesome," and your answer to the second question is "see answer above," then how you get there is to stay the course, enjoy the view, and keep sailing.
