I Retired in 2025. It Lasted Six Months
Turns out, retirement might have little to do with age.
I technically retired (redundancy Dec) in 2025. I only lasted six months. I attended a session about retirement as I was keen to see how I could connect the dots, hear from others and share my experience if the opportunity arose.
Although, I wasn't very good at retirement, what surprised me about the session was how little of it was just about retirement instead it was more about change, transition, mental health and well-being. As I listened, I realised how ill-prepared I was in my short stint of retirement.
A strange in-between space that challenges you to appreciate where you are while simultaneously wondering:
Should I be somewhere else by now and should I have done more?
In the workshop we watched a TEDxSurrey clip - speaker Dr. Riley Moynes shares the four phases of retirement.
He begins with the first phase being the vacation phase. Where we think, yes woo-hoo total freedom, feeling the joy of having no routine or structure to follow. I do remember this myself – where I had the freedom to choose what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be. Post redundancy, I did plan a short break and as the days went on, realising this is what retirement could look like.
Then came phase two, it’s where the shine starts to wear off. One moment you’re excited and jumping up for joy, then reality of change in your routine start to kick in. For me, it was things like regular contact with former work colleagues and my networks started to dwindle. I questioned my identity and self-worth that was tied to a job title and ‘what I used to do’. Reflecting on my purpose, combined with thoughts of ‘now what and what now’? I noticed my mental health over time started to feel like it was taking the wind out of my sails in the name of reinvention.
The initial joy of freedom, started to feel confronting.
Next was phase three, the trial-and-error stage. Dr. Riley Moynes referred to this as the experiment stage, where you try new things, rediscover or reconnect with your longtime interests. This part is when you ask yourself, how you want to contribute to the world around you, what feels meaningful to you. Of course, not everything is going to stick as things will naturally fall off. The encouragement was to experiment until you start feeling “you” again and only you will know when that is.
Final phase, four, Dr. Riley Moynes described it as how do you squeeze the juice out of retirement, every single little drop. In the name of reinvention, how do you invest in yourself and others more by creating opportunities to share your wisdom in service to others. Your mission may look quite different at this stage and that it’s a great place to be.
This TedTalk wasn’t just about retirement it was about transitioning. As I reflect on my last six months, I've been living in Perth for four of them.
Reconnecting to myself, rediscovering a new version of me is both positive and scary in equal portions. When you move in a different direction in life, you build a new and the thought does cross your mind of if you’re running away from or toward something. Perhaps at some point in life, you’ve asked yourself the same.
The biggest reminder from this session was that change is a pendulum. It swings left to right and we can feel caught in the middle, trying our best to bob and weave to get out the way. Sometimes this technique works and sometimes it does not.
Gratitude and presence, a guiding light as I listened to other people’s retirement experiences linked to one of the four stages. It’s amazing the depths of wisdom that sit quietly inside people. It only requires us to listen.
Different ages, careers heights, wins and losses that shaped decisions and perspectives. Not everyone’s story will resonate, nor will you take on everyone’s advice but one things for certain, we can never judge a person on the chapter we just walked in on.
Three things I'm taking with me
Respect the pendulum. We can be grateful for where we are now with curiosity for the future.
Keep experimenting. A short-term plan vs. five years figured out is good enough. Explore interests to fuel your purpose.
Don't believe every thought you have. Every thought doesn’t deserve your attention all the time. I address unhelpful thoughts with: I'm not listening to you right now, let’s move on.
Retirement can occur for several reasons – win lotto (I wish lol), redundancy, relocation, or retiring from your job. In addition to planning on how to fund your new lifestyle, also think about community for social connection, discovering interests or doubling on your current ones.
When I came out of retirement, I discovered water colour art. As I finished painting the bowl of lemons, I moved onto the cherry tomatoes where I clearly went rogue, adding my artist impression of mountainous landscapes because we all know, fresh produce, always taste better in the wilderness!
Discovering watercolors with Artist Jeremy Blank, Rockingham Arts Centre.
So, over to you. What season are you in right now and are you allowing yourself to be in it?
Until next week,
Zee
Power in Change reflects on adaptability, leadership and the small shifts that help us move with change.
Move with Confidence | Adaptability Advantage Podcast
