There are many myths and misconceptions get in the way of realizing the full potential of retirement. Bellow are a few of the most common ones. Watch for them and don’t allow them to ruin your chances for meaningful and reap the benefit of your retirement.
The Retirement/Early Death Myth
You probably know people who were not around long after their retirement parties. The unhappy news causes strange reactions. “It’s too bad Joe didn’t work longer.” “The moment people retire, they grow old.” “I’d still have Fred if he hadn’t retired so early.”
Retirement can be painful, but it is not lethal. It is, rather, a change not unlike others in life. Most people who die shortly after retirement probably had health problems before they stopped working. Retirement had nothing to do with their demise.
The only connection between retirement and early death may be that some retirees fail to stay active. They relax to the point that their bodies self-destruct. They give up. They fail to stay in charge. There are many reasons for retiring early, and there are just as many for retiring later, but staying on the job because you fear retirement will cause early death should not be one of them.
The Piece-of-Cake Myth
Retirement should be the dessert that follows the full-course meal of earlier life. Perhaps this is why some people view the transition as a piece of cake. Instead of thinking ahead to retirement, they make comments such as these: “My retirement plan consists of putting all of my work problems in my briefcase and presenting them to my boss as a farewell gift.” .“Retirement is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. You don’t have to plan for something that beautiful.”.
Many people are so occupied with getting out of a career trap that they seem to care little about what happens after they leave their jobs. Despite the fact they have planned other aspects of their lives, they seem to feel retirement will take care of itself. The opposite is often true. Many retirees go back to work because they can’t handle leisure time.
The Female-Exclusion Myth
Some people, including women themselves, continue to believe that only men retire. This misconception ignores career women who have the same retirement adjustment problems that men have. Also, it falsely assumes that women not holding down nine-to-five jobs can’t retire. This may stem from the old saying: “A man works from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done.”. Homemakers often have a more difficult transition than those who retire from other types of work. Women who have been homemakers all their lives need to insist on being a full partner when their spouses retire.
One reason this myth may continue is that women sometimes lose their spouses early. The transition to widowhood is so traumatic that it hides the equally important second passage they must make.
The Honey-Do Myth
Some folks put off retirement because they fear their life partners will control their free hours. It will be “Honey, do the dishes,” “Honey, do the windows,” and “Honey, take the dog to the vet.” Normally these individuals need not worry because most partners don’t want someone underfoot, monitoring their activities and invading their space. One woman expressed it well: “The only time you will ever hear me use that honey-do expression is when I say ‘Honey, do something on your own, away from the house, so we can both have room to breathe. ’”Both need the same autonomy after retirement that they did before—maybe more.
