That, however, was not at all how I felt when I first approached this vast unknown. Rather I was filled with a huge array of conflicting emotions. I loved my career as a Diagnostic Radiologist – looking inside the human body to determine what was causing a patient’s symptoms, determining the seriousness of their illness or how well their treatment was going. Pretty compelling work.
I lucked out as my career spanned one of the greatest periods of growth and innovation in the history of medicine…CT, MRI and PET scanning (not that kind of pet…Positron Emission Tomography mainly for cancer detection), Nuclear Medicine and Interventional Procedures, to name a few.
So shifting away from all that was not so easy. I was very happy to get away from the stress of work, but then again missing it…the work, not the stress. It has now been 10 years since I stepped away from my 36-year long practice and much to my surprise, I now feel that
… retirement is one of the most unique, fulfilling and exhilarating opportunities we will ever experience.
I’ve learned a lot during this time (including that I prefer rewirement over that other word), and some of the most helpful concepts that allowed me to embrace my future were what I like to call, The Four Freedoms of Rewirement. Although they are largely relevant throughout life, they are clearly easier to embrace when your job isn’t on the line.
#1 Freedom from Failure
We are in a whole new realm where “failure” is now irrelevant. The mere thought of it is a hindrance to moving forward and finding satisfaction. This is a time for experimentation, pushing the envelope and evolving. I like Tyler Perry’s approach which is, if you try something that doesn’t go exactly the way you had hoped, don’t think of it as a closed door, but rather like in a maze. Decide what you have learned or would do differently and just move onto the next turn.
#2 Freedom from Self-Comparison and Doubt
We are no longer on the competitive playing field, unless of course you like that field. We are here to enjoy ourselves, learn and be useful. A friend recently said, “I would like to try writing, but I don’t think I would be any good at it.” Well, guess what? That’s not the point! The point is to give yourself the opportunity to find out what works for you and what doesn’t (the maze, right?). I tried an improvisation class where I turned out to be 3 times older than the average student. A little intimidating at first, but ultimately very fun. And with my “Experienced Brain” I had a lot to improv about.
Also, remember that if you take a drawing class or try to learn a musical instrument…NO ONE ELSE CARES if you are any good. NO ONE…except maybe you. And you will never know until you give it a shot. This is also a good time to eliminate the word, “perfection” which as you may recall is the enemy of progress.
#3 Freedom from Expectations of Others
This is no longer work. This is a time for you and those you care about. It is time to clean up the clutter. No more doing things you really don’t care about or spending time with people who don’t make you feel good. THEIR expectations are out of our control, to say nothing of being just plain irritating. As Mel Robbins so succinctly says just, “Let Them and Let Me.” Remember, it’s your life and this is very valuable territory.
#4 Freedom from Valuation by Monetary Compensation
When working, many people value themselves by what they are getting paid, whether this is appropriate or not. However, now we can do things without judgment, and the reward is simply feeling good. Again no need for competition or worrying about what someone else might think. I ran into this issue when I tried to sell my photographs at the beginning of my rewirement journey. I valued my artwork by what someone would pay for it, which turned out to be a disaster. I learned to shift gears and ended up donating my prints to hospitals which made me feel much much better.
What we are talking about is being re-hatched and now ready to fly like an eagle into skies unknown. You may just want to relax a while, but your rewirement can last 25% of a lifetime, so the curiosity and purpose itch will probably enter into the picture.
So, in keeping with the philosophy of MEA, give stuff a try and create a new life of joy and purpose. Embracing the mindsets of “nothing to lose” and “leave no regrets,” will allow you to soar. Buckle up and enjoy the ride. You’ve earned it.
-Harry
Harry Agress Jr., MD is the author of a new book, “Next Years Best Years – Taking Your Retirement to the Next Level / A Resource for Personal and Emotional Well-Being.” NYBY contains over 100 opportunities for engagement and joy plus 60 curated references with active links to original source material which significantly expands the scope of educational information. For more on Harry and the book please visit nextyearsbestyears.com.