As I promised in last night's post, I have created a new grouping on my Categories page called Retirement, Transitions and Aging Gracefully (see list of posts below). I often get asked about retirement: preparing for it, living it, thriving in it. Not surprisingly, then, retirement is a recurring theme in Jenesis.

It's been more than two years since I announced my intention to retire from Canada's Public Service and more than three years since I left the workforce after my unexpected diagnosis with ovarian cancer. My decision to retire felt bittersweet at the time—as I said then, it felt anticlimactic to retire after a year's medical leave.

However, once my decision to wind up my career was made and communicated, I settled into retirement, and it has felt wonderful ever since. I took the advice of the many people who wished me well in the next phase of my life. I didn't look back and, instead, focused on what lay ahead. I acknowledged that my retirement would be a joy to me and to those who loved me. I heeded the advice not to overcommit. I trusted that I was—as one person said—off to share my light with the rest of the world. And I recognized my value beyond work, especially my commitment to raising awareness of ovarian cancer, which someone called my most important public service.

Four months after my official retirement, I reflected on three questions that one can ask oneself to assess whether a role is or would be a good fit—be it paid employment or a voluntary role during one's career or in retirement. The three questions were these: Am I learning? Am I making a difference? Is my work meaningful? I concluded that I was learning, making a difference and doing meaningful work, largely thanks to my blog.

And a year into retirement, I shared eight tips for having a happy, post-career life:

I struggled with the question of whether or not to work after retiring. After much reflection each time, I turned down every invitation for paid employment that came my way because I couldn't find the sweet spot between meaningful work on the one hand and optimal use of my talents on the other. Instead, I pursued a voluntary opportunity with Ovarian Cancer Canada on its Board of Directors because the work was both meaningful and a good use of my talents.

To my friend who begins the retirement countdown next month, I hope that these posts will inspire you to imagine a future filled with purposeful productivity, enriching relationships and enduring health.