Retire Smart, Retire Happy
Most of us look forward to our retirement from full-time work, eagerly anticipating more free time and opportunities to play. But the reality of retirement can be different and hard to adjust to. Unexpected challenges may present themselves, leading us to question who we really are and what we can reasonably expect to accomplish in the remaining years of our lives. We may be confused by our changing relationships with family and friends, which no longer conform to an easy structure.
Retire Smart, Retire Happy is one of the first books to provide guidance on the psychological and emotional adjustments we make in retirement. Nancy Schlossberg, a psychologist and experienced counselor, provides tips on coping with its ups and downs and reassures us that retirement can be one of the most fulfilling times of one's life. Readers are introduced to some common personality types among retirees, including Continuers, Adventurers, Searchers, Retreaters, and Easy Gliders. Armed with this knowledge, the author shows us how understanding our retirement "type" can help us put our strengths and resources to work.
Each of the seven chapters contains dozens of examples of situations experienced by actual retirees and includes short self-assessment quizzes. Topics covered include doing a personal inventory, shoring up one's relationships, investigating new roles and activities, and taking charge of one's future. This thought-provoking book is a must-read for recent retirees and those about to retire.
Acknowledgments
Introduction
- Demystifying Change
- Looking Inward
- Building Relationships
- Discovering Your Path
- Taking Charge
- Learning Retirement Lessons
- Looking Forward
Final Thoughts
Notes
Index
About the Author
This book felt like visiting a career counseling center and finding an adviser who "gets you." Dr. Schlossberg spent a career as a university professor and counseling psychology. Her book shows it. I saw myself in her war stories. I appreciated her research. It's one of the few retirement books out there that discusses the psychological upheaval retirement causes in one's life.
—Boomer Money and More
