Retirement isn’t the finish line—it’s the culmination of a journey you began years ago without realizing it. Perhaps it’s time to rewind retirement and rediscover the next phase as a time of reinvention and impact.

The Myth of Retirement

The origins of retirement are rooted in the need to support aging workers who could no longer keep up with the physical demands on their bodies during the Industrial Revolution. However, technological advances and the automation transformed what was once a form of protection against financial and physical hardships for those workers into an end-of-life “reward.” Yet, since the Post-WWII Economic Boom, however, it seems less like a “reward” and more of a cultural expectation.

For many people, especially pre-retirees, the idea of retirement is seen as a well-earned respite from decades in a hard-working career; filled with hobbies, travel, and all other familiar clichés.

But what of the 20-30% of workers forced to retire due to corporate decisions like layoffs, restructuring, cost reductions, and streamlining their workforce with younger (and perhaps less costly) employees? (EBRI, 2019; Schwartz Center, 2020). And let’s not forget about the 40-60% who succumb to an unplanned retirement due to health-related challenges –their own or loved ones (Boston College, 2018; AARP, 2021).

Sound cynical? Well, the truth is that 35-40% of all retirees regret how they retired or felt ill-prepared for retirement, reflecting a level of cynicism with drastic side effects: Mental Health Issues, Social Isolation, Physical Decline, Financial Stress, and Lack of Purpose, to name a few.

Everything can be taken from a man, but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.

–Victor Frankl

What if I were to tell you that your attitude is under your control? Again, this article is not really about retirement. Instead, it is about our attitude as we navigate the many second-half-of-life transitions we all will face. I believe retirement is a human construct that sadly has limited our mindset around the beauty that life transitions create. When we reframe our reality and perspective of retirement, we can view it as the opportunity of a lifetime to thrive well beyond the paycheck stubs; focusing on purpose, fulfillment, growing in wisdom, and strengthening connections with others.

I was conversing with some retired friends who joked as they looked back on their retirement days. “Considering how busy I am in retirement, I wonder how I ever had time to hold down a job.”

I don’t know about you, but I love this! This couple is a powerful example of what happens when you refuse to see retirement as the end of your productive years. Instead, it is a time of exponential growth and an opportunity to repurpose — or reconnect to purpose — in one’s life.

Purpose: The Journey from Midlife to Retirement

Cultural norms have conditioned much of our thinking on retirement as an end-of-life exercise. Perhaps not explicitly, but the program consists of rest, relaxation, and a time to enjoy the fruits of our labor. This line of thinking is no surprise in our Western consumeristic mindset; sit back, relax, and consume all you have collected. You’ve earned it, after all. Yet, 55% of retirees report non-financial factors (purpose, health, and relationships) as more important than financial security (EBRI, 2020), and 71% of retirees said that purpose was a crucial factor to a fulfilling retirement according to a study conducted by Merrill Lynch and Age Wave in 2016.

In his book Replace Retirement, John Anderson encourages us to see this phase of life as an opportunity to “live our legacy” in real-time (Anderson, 2019). These are the legacy years; a time where experience and wisdom when intentionally nurtured, create a meaningful impact on your family, community, and beyond.

A friend of mine, Alan Graham, is an inspiring example of our so-called retirement years. Today, at 68 years of age, he now lives in the Community First! Village, “a master-planned neighborhood that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for men and women who are coming out of chronic homelessness.” After years in real estate development, then turning his entrepreneurial mindset into a mission to feed and house our chronically homeless neighbors, he is living out a life of legacy and transforming the narrative around homelessness in our world. So much so that he even caught the attention of Joe Rogan and found himself as a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience. Talk about impact.

In his book, The Second Mountain, David Brooks describes life as a series of two mountains. The first mountain is about finding our identity in pursuit of personal success, achievements, and material gain until we reach the summit of our lives. From this view, we often realize that our mountain is one of many mountains and peaks. Like Alan, once we reach the peak of our first mountain, we find fulfillment in climbing the second mountain. Still, this time, life is about relationships, service to others, and contributing to the greater good — something larger than us.

It is a time that can start as soon as your early 40s or during that other cultural norm: The midlife crisis. And yet, the crisis is only a sign of our stubborn pursuit to continue the climb focused on material success and achievement. For some, they miss the second mountain and choose to hike the same mountain.

Yet, when you rewind the reality of your life, you discover the second mountain and all it has to offer you. You see, the second mountain offers an opportunity to reassess priorities without the constraints of self-aggrandizement. In exchange, you receive the freedom that comes with focusing on the living legacy or way of life that lives on long after our names are forgotten. This way of life legacy brings more profound satisfaction focused on real purpose in service to a greater good handed down for generations.

Reflection

Take a moment to reflect on the many passions and interests you’ve set aside during your working years. How can you be more intentional with them now that you have more time? If you’re not quite to the point of retirement, what intentions, habits, and goals can you set now to begin the climb of your second mountain?

Repurposement Plan

One of the greatest gifts I have learned on my journey up the second mountain of my life is the intentional practices that support my physical health, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth. Granted, not everyone has the advantage of being naturally curious, but curiosity is the key to being intentional throughout life’s journey.

Life’s ruts are actual, and succumbing to cultural norms in every aspect of life is easy. The easy way through life, or at least the mindless way, is to embrace the status quo life that has many stuck in the rut of endless pursuits that have lost their usefulness. To what end do we continue to pursue more wealth, success, status, achievement, etc.?

Such pursuits often come at the cost of one of life’s most fulfilling aspects: Strong community connections. You see, we are only relevant in this life against the backdrop of the people in our lives. We must resist the codependent nature of a culture vying for our attention with products that promise us greatness, beauty, and safety while telling us we’re not enough unless we buy that product.

As we navigate life’s transitions, these products rarely, if ever, provide us with the fulfillment we long for. These life transitions allow us to deepen our relationships with family, friends, and our local community. In doing so, you not only enhance your sense of purpose, but model a way of life legacy that impacts those around you.

Way of Life Legacy

Think of an area of your life where you might begin the journey up that second mountain of your life. Instead of years trying to navigate your middlescence years as a crisis, choose curiosity and journey off that culturally worn path. Instead of facing the forced retirement path, how might you prepare yourself, financially, but also in pursuit of a way of life that reprioritizes mentorship, community involvement, and the abundant life that comes when we see ourselves within the whole of humanity? Real meaning resides here.

Way of Life Memoir

Take a moment to consider the possibilities that come when you choose to document life’s lessons. The real power of life comes when we rewind the reality of our life, rewatch our journey, and look for the teachings that only a life lived can reveal. We empower others with wisdom. When we are intentional about this pursuit, life shifts from ME to WE.

Conclusion

Today is all we have, and while many choose to ignore the past, fearing the past is doomed to repeat itself, you have the opportunity to take a deep dive into your story, mining for the gold found only in the lessons we’re willing to learn. Sure, facing our fears can seem daunting but the reward of rewinding the reality of your life is that we not only learn from our journey, but others will follow.

How will you contribute to your community, share your wisdom, and live intentionally into a purposeful life? Your second half of life holds the potential of many lifetimes to come. Perhaps we owe it to those who follow to embrace them fully.

Remember: Retirement is not the end of your journey — it’s a journey that starts with intentionality long before the last paycheck. It’s an intentional choice to climb the second mountain; to choose a new adventure filled with purpose, growth, and meaningful connections.

Join us in reshaping your retirement and life’s next chapter! Text REWIND to (888) 599-4491 to claim your free Rewind Retirement: Rediscover, Reflect, and Reinvent worksheet OR email [email protected] to schedule your Life Repurposed Introductory Call TODAY. Together, we can help you embrace retirement as a time of reinvention, service, and legacy-building. Take the first step toward a meaningful future by reflecting on your passions and reconnecting with what truly matters. Your intentional choices today will shape not only your future but the lives of those around you for generations to come.

Les McDaniel
Chief Purpose Officer & Certified Retirement Coach
Howard Bailey Financial
[email protected]

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