Retirement Stage of Career Continuum

Some retirees continue to do what they love while others may be turning what they love into what they do for the first time. This blog segment describes the retirement activities of two people in the last stage of the career continuum. They are embracing the Encore Retirement Lifestyle, which blends the activities from their work with their personal interests. One example is from a participant in the “Turn What You Love into What You Do” course sponsored by the Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR) at Baldwin-Wallace University. 

A Valuable Resource
Millions of Baby Boomers, the biggest demographic in our history, are retiring. Most grew up in the ’50s and ’60s when social consciousness was a premium. Many joined the Peace Corps, Vista, and civil rights marches. They are a valuable resource for our communities. 

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” -John F. Kennedy

They are also the healthiest generation in our history, living the longest, thanks to growing up with excellent medical care. All this adds up to a huge group of people who can contribute to our society in many important ways. 

Millions of socially consciousness Baby Boomers + good health + long life = a valuable resource

Encore Retirement Lifestyle
The concept of the Encore Retirement Lifestyle is to continue the time associated with work activities we enjoyed pre-retirement and increase the time in the leisure activities we enjoy.  The goal is to merge these two lifestyle aspects to achieve maximum satisfaction and fulfillment in retirement. To do so, retirees must examine their past, explore and envision their future. 

An “encore career” is part of the Encore Retirement lifestyle enabling people to continue doing only the aspects of their work they enjoyed. People usually do this part-time on a schedule that fits their lifestyle. For the first time in their lives, work fits their lifestyle rather than the other way around. For many people, it provides a continued sense of purpose. It also gives the employer an experienced, reliable employee to perform select duties. 

This, when coupled with more time for personal interests, hobbies and passions, creates a retirement lifestyle of satisfaction and fulfillment. 

A win-win-win situation. We’re all familiar with the win-win situation where two parties benefit from the same activity. The Encore Retirement Lifestyle creates a win-win-win situation where three parties benefit from the same activity. 

Retirees win by staying in the game on their terms, reaping the benefits of working without all the hassles. 

Employer wins by getting an experienced, proven, employee performing  limited duties on a reduced schedule. This employee often costs less because they have their own benefits package.

Beneficiary wins – In each case of the Encore Retirement Lifestyle, someone benefits from the work the retiree does. It may be a student, a parent, a worker or a patient. 

Two examples of the win-win-win situation follow.

Sue – Sue retired after 32 years teaching elementary school. She enjoyed most aspects of teaching but especially tutoring, because it gave her a chance to assist a student who needed more help. And it was a one-on-one experience. She really got to know the students while observing their improvement and progress. She returns two days  a week as a tutor. It keeps her in the game on her own terms. The school receives an experienced, professional tutor and the student benefits from the extra attention and her expertise. Everyone wins.

This lifestyle also gives her more time to pursue her personal interests and hobbies. She likes to refinish furniture, gardening, exercising, biking, kayaking and spending time with her three grandchildren. She also has plans to revisit her love for quilting. She enjoys this lifestyle that blends her personal and professional lives. 

Maria – Maria’s retirement lifestyle was the inspiration for the Encore Retirement Lifestyle concept. She retired from a school administrator position 12 years ago. A primary aspect of her career was to supervise teachers. She continues to teach part-time at Kent State University, preparing teachers in Career-Technical Education programs in Northeast Ohio. She enjoys sharing her years of experience with new teachers as they problem-solve their way to become effective teachers. Her students benefit from her experience and KSU gets a quality part-time instructor. 

Much of her leisure time is devoted to her church, her family (including three grandchildren) and book clubs. She is also very active as a volunteer for  The Institute for Learning in Retirement at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio (ILR),  coordinating their travel programs (she looooves to travel). The mixture of her personal and professional lives benefits her, KSU, ILR and her many students. Win-win-win. 

My June blob segment will review the psychic income benefits retirees gain from living an Encore Retirement Lifestyle which enables them to turn what they love into what they do.