Women struggle more than men with life after retirement according to an article in the Daily Mail. Women are more likely to worry about lack of income and social life and 80% feel they have no purpose in life after quitting work. The full article can be read here.
This got me wondering why this is so and here are my thoughts on the matter. Many women fall in to the trap of doing a job that is not fulfilling for many years and literally watch the clock until retirement. By the time retirement comes, they are so glad to be giving up the daily grind but probably have not given a great deal of thought to how they will spend their retirement.
Once the novelty of not having to go to work wears off (and there is only so much gardening that one can do), life can become a bit empty. This is why I think that it is so important to live a purposeful life, both professionally and personally.
When I say purposeful, I mean living and working in a way that is authentic to who you are and doing something that adds meaning and value and makes you happy as a contributing member of society.
In the past, I too had been watching the clock. I would wake up on Monday mornings, full of the Monday morning blues. I would go in to work and along with colleagues be wishing it was Friday again or we would count the days to our next holiday. At times I used to think to myself how sad it was that we were wishing our lives away. Now that I am doing something that I am really passionate about, I cannot imagine myself retiring. Monday morning blues are a distant memory. I no longer wish the days away but wish that there were more hours in the day.
The difference between then and now for me is that I am living a purposeful life. I can clearly see how the work that I do makes a positive impact to other peoples' lives and I am working in an authentic way whilst doing something that I am passionate about.
We all have an inherent longing to be needed and when we focus on making a difference to others and not on ourselves, we feel more fulfilled. Focusing on ourselves all the time can leave us feeling empty and shallow. It is more satisfying to help someone and make a difference in their lives than to continuously be focused on me, me, me.
I work with many women who are at a stage in their lives when they are searching for their purpose and passion. They are even prepared to take a drop financially if this means that they can do something more fulfilling. They have come to the realisation that success for them is not just about having a more than healthy bank account to spend as friviously as they choose, they are looking for something that adds more substance and meaning to who they are.
If you are in a job that you do not enjoy, look for something else that will be more purposeful for you. If you are not in a position to change jobs at the moment, find purpose in what you are doing now.
In my survey Pursuing Your Passion at Mid Life, only 30% of employed women said they loved the work that they do. This compares to 76% of self-employed women who said they loved the work that they do.
Do not spend the next 20..30... years doing a job that has no meaning and purpose to you then find that when you get to retirement, you too become one of the 80% of women that feel they have no purpose in life. Look for meaning and purpose in what you do now.
Abounding Solutions will help you to decide the career or business that you want to do that will provide you with meaning and purpose . PLUS you will put together your very own personalised career change action plan that will help you to achieve it. Contact Carol or Join the Ladies Business Brainstorming Club for more details.
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