Keys to a Successful Retirement: Staying Happy, Active, and Productive in Your Retired Years

Fritz Gilbert 2020
Read: 2024
Non-Fiction, Reading Now

After I finished my first year of retirement, I found this book. Mr. Gilbert’s book is thoughtful and introspective in his analysis and reflections. His advice would be to read this book and start thinking about all of this at least three years before you are considering retiring. I would say that anywhere from one to three years before would be helpful, but even one year before is fine. And in my case, it’s not too late to read this book one or more years after you retire. I have subscribed to his retirement blog, and I look forward to continued wisdom and stories from him.

A few gems that I enjoyed:

He thinks we should look at our retirement as an opportunity to start over. Imagine we are in a white room, and we can draw whatever life we like on those bare walls. “Buy the biggest box of crayons you can find, and begin thinking about what you want to draw on your walls.” I don’t go that far. To me, retirement gives us a chance to more deeply pursue passions we already have, but I do like the idea of adding a new room to our lives, and putting those crayons to use in that new room.

He is concerned that our chances of being depressed go up after retirement. I believe that. Work is a source of identity and purpose for many of us. It just can’t be the only one. Gilbert writes, “Losing a sense of purpose in life often leads people to a bad place, and finding a new purpose is often the most effective road to recovery.” And he encourages us to find our identity beyond our jobs, citing Richard Leider, “If you are what you do, who are you when you don’t?”  Good stuff.

He details his struggles with how much structure to put in his days and weeks. I can relate. One year into retirement, I’m wondering the same thing. I think I need more. I appreciate his honest reflections, his admission that it is a work in progress, and his knowledge that everyone needs to find their own journey.

And it’s a little corny, but I love this quote from Gilbert: “If you look up the definition of ‘retire,’ you’ll find ‘to withdraw from action or danger.’ I prefer to think of it as “re-tire,” an act in which we put new tires on our vehicles for the changing road conditions ahead.”

Bottom line – It’s a solid read, and a great jumping off point for deeper thought if you are considering or already in retirement.

You can purchase it on Amazon by clicking here.