Working leads to Retirement Perspectives

RETIREMENT STEPPING STONES by Tony Hixon is meant to “Find Meaning, Live with Purpose, and Leave a Legacy.” Even the cover conveys a positive, playful attitude, and Hixon tends to take a realistic approach, noting “in life you will encounter stumbling blocks. Turn them into stepping stones.” He references “tough conversations about lifestyle, mental health, and the retirement transition.” While it is not happy news to learn that “your chance of suffering from depression goes up by close to 40 percent after you retire,” Hixon shares the personal story of his own mother’s suicide and devotes an entire chapter to looking at burnout, loss of structure and purpose. He offers a companion workbook filled with valuable exercises such as defining your values. In many ways, the questions he poses are not unlike those we might ask our students and/or recent graduates: What are you passionate about? What have you always wanted to try? How could your skill set benefit others?  This text will make readers think. For another recent perspective on work/life balance, see Adam Grant’s essay “The Real Meaning of Freedom at Work” in The Wall Street Journal.  

RETIREMENT AND ITS DISCONTENTS by Michelle Pannor Silver is subtitled “Why We Won't Stop Working, Even if We Can.” Silver, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, explores the tension between idealized (travel, hobbies, volunteer work) and actual retirement in this sometimes scholarly book. The main sections of her text deal with issues faced by retirees from five particular groups: medical professionals, CEOs, elite athletes, professors, and homemakers. Admittedly, a curious cross section, Silver shares details from interviews about work/life balance and the impact of transitioning to retirement, especially when work may be a key factor in one’s identity. Silver says, “I hope this book inspires readers to question the social construct of retirement and to create a retirement strategy that avoids some of the discontentment shared…”  Overall, an interesting perspective and, although RETIREMENT AND ITS DISCONTENTS was written pre-pandemic, there is insight here for everyone who is contemplating a change in employment status as we navigate the “Great Resignation” which has been in the news lately.