9 Retirement and Reinvention 241
through retirement. Whether working, knitting, singing in a chorus, studying,
volunteering, traveling, or all of the above, whatever engages the adult and
makes her or him feel satisfied, needed, appreciated, and pleased, that is what
is important during this phase (Schlossberg, 2004, 2009). All of the readings at
the end of this chapter from “third quarter” adults express their desire to live
a life that is meaningful to them and to make a difference—they each want to
matter in different ways. Norma (reading at end of chapter) reflects similar
feelings as she did not consider paid work to be a part of her retirement experi-
ence and now leads a fulfilling life of volunteer work with two organizations
that have great meaning for her.
Loss of Routine: Search for Balance
Retirees redefine themselves while losing the routines to which they are accus-
tomed. The yearning and searching so typical after other losses also marks this
phase of life. The search for a path through this transition marks the “work”
of this phase. Balancing part-time work (paid or volunteer), leisure activities,
relationships, and time for self is paramount. The loss of reassuring routines
and sense of time structure that comes with full-time work can lead an adult
to feel somewhat disoriented. The routine of getting up every morning and
following one’s work schedule provides a pace to life. Some individuals are
more comfortable with less structure, while others feel adrift, not knowing
how to spend their time.
As the commitment to work loses its intensity and the structure of the
workday disappears, the adult has more time to indulge in his or her passions
(Levine, 2005). Many people in the phase between enmeshment in a career
and entering total retirement want to pursue their passions. These passions
will fill the time that had previously been structured and filled by work. When
one is involved in a passionate endeavor, one is lost in time; examples include
artists when they are creating, writers when they are writing, musicians when
they are playing an instrument or conducting, and tennis players on the court.
Corbett (2007) asserts that it is the adult who defines the job that she or he
does rather than the job defining the adult. Although Corbett (2007) does not
believe there is a right way to move into retirement and reinvention, he does
believe that slowing down and reflecting on one’s use of time for fulfilling
activities is important.
Loss of routine and a structured sense of time can also lead to new focus
on creating more balance in one’s life. The process of reinvention or “pruning
one’s life portfolio” (Corbett, 2007) is based on the concept of balance. Balance
requires energy for work, for leisure time activities, for relationships, and for
time with self. Time with self is what many adults fear most. Prior to or during
the retirement transition, most individuals search for new ways to organize
their time. The focus of this stage is on making choices about how one wants to
spend one’s time. For some adults having this choice is exhilarating, while for
others it may be overwhelming. Marcia (reading at the end of chapter) speaks
of how energizing choices can be. However, later in her memoir she speaks of
being overwhelmed by the many choices and having to learn to say “yes” only
to what she really wants.
