Encore! Encore! Celebrating a New Beginning After Retirement …

After 59+ years, you find yourself at a crossroads. It’s a time brimming with potential, usually called “retirement.” I invite you to see this not as a retirement but as your “encore years.” The term is rich with promise and vitality and offers a perspective shift that can redefine how you approach this extraordinary chapter of your life.

Why Encore and Not Retirement?

Your encore years are not a quiet bowing out but a standing ovation, a testament to the life you’ve lived and the wisdom you’ve garnered. This period is your encore, an additional performance, and you’ve earned the right to design it with intention, joy, and authenticity.

These years may hold one encore or many for you. You may land on something right away that you live and thrive with for the next 30 years or more. Or you may create a new encore for yourself every year or two. There are no rules; you’re in charge.

A Celebration of Wisdom and Experience:

Imagine standing on a stage after a riveting performance, the crowd cheering for more. That’s what your encore years are about. You’ve played numerous roles, faced challenges head-on, and celebrated countless victories. Now, it’s time to channel all that experience into something that resonates deeply with you. Your encore years are an opportunity to leverage your lifetime of knowledge in ways that fulfill you — whether mentoring, starting a new venture, or diving into passions you’ve sidelined.

An Invitation to Growth and Exploration:

Retirement often conjures images of relaxation and leisure with nothing to do but golf and garden. While this might be true for some women, nothing could be farther from the truth for those I’ve spoken with. While gardening and golf may be among the activities they enjoy, they’re still energetic and interested in being active in their lives. Your encore years are ripe for exploration and personal growth. This time is about expanding your horizons, not limiting them. It’s a time to learn new skills, dive into hobbies, travel to places you’ve only dreamed of, or even meaningfully give back to your community. Your encore is about enriching your life’s tapestry with new experiences that spark joy and satisfaction.

Redefining Identity and Purpose:

For many, stepping away from a career or daily work routine can feel like losing a part of their identity. However, your encore years offer a canvas to redefine who you are beyond your professional life. You get to discover — or rediscover — what makes you tick, separate from titles and job descriptions. It’s a chance to align your activities with your core values and passions, crafting a deeply authentic and fulfilling life.

Embracing Flexibility and Freedom:

Your encore years come with the freedom to choose how you spend your time. Without the demands of a full-time job, you have the flexibility to structure your days around what matters most to you. This freedom is a gift, allowing you to balance relaxation with engagement in activities that challenge and excite you. Whether it’s spending time with family, volunteering, or pursuing a long-held dream, you can make these years your own.

Building Legacy and Impact:

Your encore years are also about legacy — what you leave behind for future generations. This period provides a unique opportunity to focus on making a lasting impact through community service, environmental stewardship, or sharing your knowledge and experiences. It’s a chance to reflect on what you want to be remembered for and take steps to make those aspirations a reality.

Navigating the Transition with Grace:

Embracing your encore years means navigating this transition with grace and intention. It’s about acknowledging the mixed emotions that may come with this change and giving yourself permission to explore what this new phase means for you. It’s perfectly normal to feel both excitement and trepidation as you embark on this journey. The key is to move forward with curiosity, open to the possibilities that your encore years present.

Living Your Encore with Joy and Peace:

Ultimately, your encore years are about living with joy and peace of heart. It’s a time to celebrate your achievements, embrace your passions, and cherish the moments that bring happiness. By viewing this phase of life as an encore, you shift the focus from what you’re leaving behind to the abundant opportunities that lie ahead.

By embracing your encore years, you’re not just retiring from something; you’re moving towards something extraordinary. It’s a period for living life on your terms. So, as you stand at this crossroads, look forward with excitement to the encore performances of your life — ones that promise to be as rich and fulfilling as the chapters that preceded it.

I have also heard from the many women I’ve spoken to that creating a new community post-career is critical for them.

Visit The Joy Test … and learn more about what’s possible and how to do that.