Your Only Retirement Constant Will Be Change (Turn, Turn, Turn)

Retirement is like that Pete Seeger / The Byrds song, “Turn, Turn, Turn.”

“To everything there is a season.”

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Some of us retire at 70. Others at 40. But no matter your retirement age, your retirement will change over time.

At times, it’s literally seasonal. My parents love gardening. Spring through late summer, it’s their #1 retirement pastime. But their daily schedule undergoes a change in winter. Turn, turn, turn.

What else changes?

You get older. This one is pretty obvious to most retirees. I was speaking to a client recently about the “go-go, slow-go, and no-go” phases of a typical retirement. After a trip to Europe, they felt a little less “go-go” and more “slow-go” than before

But everyone else gets older, too. Your grandkids go from diapers to kindergarten to “too cool for you” to college and beyond, all in the span of your retirement. Your own children will go from young professionals to married with kids to empty nesters. They are changing too! 

Health rhythms (and surprises) change. Even if you start retirement feeling great, your body changes. A bum knee will alter those daily walks and golf habits. A doctor’s order will shift your diet or exercise. Heck – for some retirees, the biggest health change is simply more doctor appointments filling your calendar.

Friendships and social circles change. Friends move away, chasing their grandkids. Others pass away. Others surprise you and get closer. Your “people” change over time, and with that comes new rhythms of connection, or loneliness, if you don’t adapt.

Joe-Saul Sehy frequently shares a story about his friend whose goal was to “retire to the mountains.” Decades of hard work and planning, and he made it happen: he retires to a beautiful home in the remote mountains.

…and within months, realized he had completely isolated himself from all his previous social circles and couldn’t wait to undo his choice and move back to civilization.

Finances and markets change. The “4% rule” is only a guidepost. Your retirement withdrawal strategy will change over time. Markets don’t move in a straight line. Inflation, tax law changes, or even just your own spending patterns may shift how you approach your money.

Your community and environment will change. Your neighborhood, town, or city changes. The coffee shop closes. A new park opens. Neighbors come and go. Or maybe you move yourself – downsizing, moving closer to family, or chasing warmer winters.

Our neighbors moved last month. They’re ~70 or so. They wanted to downsize out of their family home to a smaller, one-level, ranch-style home.

And the new neighbors who moved in? Also, retirees, also about ~70, moving ~6 hours north from New Jersey to chase after 3 of their adult kids and multiple grandkids, who all happened to end up in suburban Rochester.

Your energy and priorities change, too. Your mileage may vary. At 60, you’ll be up for adventure. At 70, your routine feels better. At 80, you’ll focus on simplicity.

The things you want from retirement will evolve, and that’s not bad. The juice you squeeze from daily life will also ebb and flow (more ebb than flow as time goes on).

Technology changes, and I know that sounds small, but it’s massive. Just look: how long do you want retirement to be? Would a fair number fall between 20 and 40 years?

Well, the World Wide Web is 35 years old.

WiFi is ~25 years old, and became commonplace (at least here in the USA) starting 20 years ago.

iPhones are 18 years old.

Simple stuff like GPS maps, “FaceTime” video calls, streaming TV shows, or even text messaging weren’t ubiquitously proliferated until ~10 years ago.

Tech will keep changing by leaps and bounds all within a single retirement. Adapting to it can expand – or limit – your world.

Purpose and meaning can change. Some retirees discover purpose in volunteering, mentoring, or faith communities. Others lose steam after the “honeymoon” period of retirement and need to reinvent how they find fulfillment.

And again: 20, 30, 40 years is a long time. That fulfillment cycle can turn, turn, turn over and again. We all know people who have “re-invented themselves” throughout their 20s, 30s, and 40s. Do you think that ceases in the 50s, 60s, and beyond?

It might slow down for some people. But it speeds up for others, and rarely halts altogether.

No matter your age or retirement plans, the only constant will be change.

Turn, turn, turn.

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