Tag: #retiregradually

At a recent class reunion, I noticed a clear trend: many people were already retired. Some were financially comfortable and eager for less stress. Others were relying on a solid pension. Quite a few were counting down the days until they could finally stop working. But one conversation stood out. I spoke with an attendee who still works full-time—and doesn’t…

Here’s a little secret I’ve recently uncovered about retirement: all those things we set aside for “someday”? We may never actually get to them.  For years, even decades, I’ve tucked things away for “someday”: books from as far back as college, a box of old VHS tapes to digitize, and a long list of hobbies I hoped to explore.  There’s this mystique of retirement as a magical time when the calendar clears,…

This week, I was up and out early one morning to attend a local service organization’s weekly meeting. One agenda item was a reminder to recast our goals throughout our lives (I suppose having a defined set of goals in the first place is a given). Our goals at 18, or 30, or 50 may look very different. And I realized that it’s important to reframe our…

One of the things people don’t talk about much when you leave a full-time role — whether you retire completely or just slow down — is how different it feels to show up in the same spaces. Many people are supportive, interested, and maybe even a wee bit jealous of your newfound freedom. But…it can also happen that you go to an…

Jonathan Clements was a former Wall Street Journal personal finance columnist and author of several books on the subject. He died on September 20th of a rare cancer at the age of 62. He also founded and ran the Humble Dollar blog and, since his diagnosis last year, he was very transparent about how he would spend his time and…

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…