Stan's World - What am I going to do?

Let me start by wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year. I hope 2025 proves to be a good year for all of us.

As I look back at 2024, a few things changed for me. As per my plan with John, I spent less time at the office while John added more tasks to his work portfolio. While I’m still engaged in our financial planning practice, I’ve cut back. 

Having extra hours each day puts me on the receiving end of a discussion I often initiated with clients over the years. As they (you) approached and entered retirement, I typically asked: “We know what you’re not going to do (i.e., work), but what are you going to do?” 

When I had those discussions with clients, I often heard a lot of hemming and hawing. Clients had spent so much time figuring out how to get to the end of their working life that they hadn’t committed much time to think about what they would do on the other side. And therein lies the rub for me: I’ve barely given any time thinking about ‘what’s next?’ 

Unlike clients whose jobs often ended on a specific date, my work life hasn’t come to a complete stop. While my schedule is more flexible, there are several tasks I still perform. I also have the liberty of doing more if the opportunity arises. But the time I spend on work will continue to compress, while my non-work time will likely expand. 

That puts me in the same position so many of you have faced and the rest of you will eventually address. We write about or discuss post-retirement activities with our clients because staying meaningfully engaged is important after you end your career. It’s important for multiple reasons: mental health, physical health, and self-worth, to name a few. 

I recall starting the ‘what’s next’ discussion with Pearl when she retired from teaching, only to be told she would figure it out. (She has and did.) But now it’s my turn. Much like the tale of the shoemaker whose children don’t have shoes, I’m the planner who has yet to plan the non-financial portion of my retirement. 

Suffice it to say I’ll continue to explore my options as the days go by. I never told clients the ‘next act’ was easy, so I’m not surprised at the degree of difficulty I’m having. After all, the follow-up to a terrific career will take a little work, but I think I’m up to the task. If you have any thoughts, it’s my turn to listen.