Retirement is a big change. You’re stepping out of a role you’ve known for a long time—likely your job has been a big part of your identity. That can feel strange. But new doesn’t have to mean wrong or uncertain. It just means unfamiliar—for now.

As they say on NPR’s classical music station, “Remember that all music was once new.” The same goes for the parts of life we now call classics. The Wizard of Oz and It’s a Wonderful Life weren’t instant hits. It took time for people to appreciate them and make them part of our culture.

Retirement might feel that way at first—unfamiliar, maybe even a little awkward. But you’ve already handled “new” many times: the first days at a new job, starting college, big life changes. You adjusted. You grew. You found your way.

This next chapter will be no different. Expect goodness from new sources. Give yourself time to explore and settle in. New doesn’t mean empty. It means full of possibility.

And don’t forget to ask around. Plenty of people have walked this road before you. Some embraced retirement fully and found joy in fewer demands on their time, or in travel, or new hobbies. Others missed the rhythm of working life and found purpose in returning to work in a new job, a part-time role, or volunteer work. Listen to their stories. Learn from their paths.

Use their experiences to help shape your own. There’s no single “right way” to retire—just the version that’s right for you.