The New Year is Hard for New Retirees
- Ed Zinkiewicz
- Jan 1
- 1 min read
Does January 1 have a special meaning for you this year? Many of you may have selected to align the start of your retirement with the start of the new year.
That’a an interesting choice. Why interesting? Because the new year is hard for new retirees.
For many new retirees, the first few months feel like walking through a quiet fog. The routines that once shaped your days disappear. The meaning you found in work doesn’t instantly reappear. And even when retirement is something you wanted, it can still feel… unsettling.
Compared to what you might have hoped for a “new” year, this whole pattern of feelings might not only be a surprise but be disappointing as well. What happened to the “new” that you expected?
Retirement coaching helps bring clarity back by helping you rediscover purpose, structure, and identity on your own terms. You don’t have to navigate this transition alone — there is a way forward.
Good point. I think the New Year is often a time of assessment and can lead to disappointment when thinking about goals for the coming year (even if employed). I know for me the idea of retreating (into freedom of retirement) from the more disappointing aspects of my job seemed great, but as your post points out -- the formlessness of retirement also has its challenges.