According to UN projections made in 2006, over 37 percent of Europe's population will be over sixty by the year 2050. In the US todday, almost half the workforce is aged 40+. And because we are generally fitter in old age than previous generations, most people will spend an average of 25 years in retirement.

Retirement involves some very significant changes in life; it is not only a question of not having to get up at 7 every morning to catch the 8 am train to London, or the subway to Manhattan. It’s not just the of playing golf every day instead of once a week – the excitement over that would wear off more quickly than you would imagine. There are many other dynamics involved; your income will reduce, the use of your time will be different and your relationship with your spouse/partner and friends will change too.

I worked in an industry where some of the employees travelled a great deal…sometimes they would turn up for work at 9 in the morning and be on a plane to Moscow two hours later, possibly for several weeks. Wives got used to dealing with everything left behind at home. I remember one wife confiding that she was dreading her husband’s retirement!!! Him being at home all the time was going to impact on her routine and her life too!

In addition, once the euphoria wears off, some people find themselves at a loss. Some feel unwanted and useless.  It is hard to imagine that one could get depressed about finally being retired. And of course life at the old job still goes on…people who swear to keep in regular touch don’t and after working somewhere with the same people possibly for 30 or 40 years, it is a shock to discover that relationships with your working colleagues were quite so transient.

Of course we will all deal with our retirement prospects in different ways and it is as well to ask ourselves some pertinent questions:

- Will I have enough money to live on? Is there anything I can do now to make sure I will be secure financially throughout my retirement? 
- Am I as active as I could be? Is getting fit for the future a realistic avenue to follow?
- What will retirement mean to my family? Will I enjoy spending more time at home, and will they enjoy having me around more often? 
- Will I be bored? Could I take up some new leisure pursuits? Or would I prefer to spend more time on the ones I have at the moment?
- Should I consider some voluntary work? Whilst some older people volunteer because they have always done so, for others retirement is the trigger for volunteering for the first time. 
- Is this a good time to opt for a major change,….moving house, or even moving country?
- Are there any options open to me for retiring early?
- Will I miss work at all? Should I consider adding to my skills so I'll have a better chance of getting another job if I want one?
- Should I consider changing career? How can I get on a training course or acquire new qualifications?

Is this a good time to opt for a major change,….moving house, or even moving country?

Are there any options open to me for retiring early?

Will I miss work at all? Should I consider adding to my skills so I'll have a better chance of getting another job if I want one?

Should I consider changing career? How can I get on a training course or acquire new qualifications?

The vast majority of people do not give anywhere near enough time over to preparing for their retirement and largely waste the first 18 months or so after stopping work. These are the months when they are probably still at their fittest.

Many of the rules we previously took for granted are being rewritten....and many current retirees have seen their hard earned savings and pensions diminished by the current economic crisis.

A lot of employers now do recognize the value of providing their staff with pre-retirement courses; it takes the fear out of retiring and makes the remaining time in work feel less like a death sentence!  The ideal time to attend such a course, is 2 years prior to retirement.. whether this be at normal retirement age or earlier.

But even if you don’t work for a large company that offers such a course as an employment benefit, why not take the plunge yourself? Indicators show that more people than ever are considering 'retirement career'options and are enrolling in further educationa and training courses.

Many retirees don’t want to completely give up work; others will have to keep up some sort of employment to supplement a pension,  so why not re-train in order to do something different?  What if you are planning to retire abroad? …perhaps you could do some computer training with a view to internet work; or do a TEFL (teaching English as a Foreign Language) course.  Or even some volunteer work. 

You might not have been to a workshop or course for many years; but if nothing else it is a way to meet like minded people….you will soon find that you are not alone and you could make some lasting friends too.

Taking a course about retirement doesn’t just mean covering the financial aspects; there are now lifestyle courses for helping you to adjust to the real pressures of going through such a dramatic change. Many courses include segments on health issues, State benefits, wills and estate planning and even residential care considerations.

There any many companies throughout the UK and the States and elsewhere running courses and workshops....some for a day, others longer. We recognise the value of training for other important issues in life, so why not do the same for retirement?

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