According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans ages 65 and older is at an all-time high and is expected to more than double over the next 40 years, reaching 80 million in 2040.
“There are a lot of years in retirement, which wasn’t the case 80 years ago. Now we’re living longer, and we’re healthier, and we want to do more,” Phyllis Diamond, LCSW, a retirement coach and psychotherapist, tells mindbodygreen.
It’s Diamond’s job as a coach to help clients identify how they want to spend this time. This starts by uncovering their perceptions about retirement, learning about what interests them, and ultimately helping them form their own “retirement road map.”
Purpose often plays a major role in shaping this map. While many people’s purpose in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s revolves around making money, advancing in their careers, and taking care of family, it tends to change once they reach retirement age.
“For so many people, their job basically is their purpose. It’s what gets them out of bed every day; it provides that structure in their life,” says retirement coach Jennifer Rovet. “When that comes to an end with retirement, that can be a struggle for people. They need to find out what their purpose is and what their identity will be in their next stage of life.”
Here, Rovet and Diamond share some ways to start illuminating your purpose and passions, even if they’ve been buried by other commitments for a while:
