It seems the new retirement trend is not to put our feet up and close the door on contributing to the economy, but to actively jump in with both feet and pursue our passions to make a little money and keep us busy.
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Retirement ideas – liberating or confining?
Okay, while many might view this as a grim future because they feel they may need to work until they die, there is a bright side.
Because we’re living longer and healthier we’re redefining what life will be like at 60, 70 and 80 and this means that conventional retirement as our parents knew it will probably not be in the mix. Our own retirement years will either be liberating or confining, it’s really up to us.
Case in point
Lifestyle reader Jill Harrison has always loved writing and photography but what got in the way was her job. … recently she gave up work to concentrate on her food photography and facilitating photography workshops. While once she only had the time to snap photos on camping trips she was itching to pursue her hobby in a full time way and not just take quick snaps of meals whipped up in a hurry. She wanted to get up and take photos at leisure of sunrises, and set up shoots for food photography, and earn a little from it. Her aim – to find a market in which she could subsidise a retirement living from her passion.
Protirement is the new buzz word
Welcome to the new retirement.
The old notion of finishing work and putting your feet up, gardening or looking after the grand kids has gone out of the window. Today you’ll more than likely be exploring new interests and continuing to earn money hopefully doing something that you really enjoy, doing part time work, consulting or volunteering.
There’s a huge section of the travel industry geared towards baby boomers who are assumed to have more disposable income, and are in need of targeted experiences. If you want to travel when you retire start looking around for travel companies and accommodation providers which specifically cater for older people – because they’ll be catering for your needs and not those of 20 year olds. An example is Peppermint Lane Lodge in the Ferguson Valley which is a wonderful grown-ups retreat where baby boomers are cosseted and coddled.
Think about what hobbies you might like to take up and start planning around them. I’ve just spent a lovely weekend in the Ferguson Valley in South West Australia and I met artists, guest house owners and entrepreneurs all over the age of 50 doing what they love.
I bet lots of you love cooking? Susan Footner is living her dream and has started The Passionate Providore from a food van. She’s creating the most gorgeous and gourmet delights in her tiny but very productive space in a kitchen on wheels.
How will you stay fit and healthy? What can you start doing now so that it becomes a habit well into old age – things like walking, pilates and yoga spring to my mind.
Fashion is reinventing, it’s not all about stick thin 20 year olds anymore. Older people are admired and feted – think Twiggy, Helen Mirren, Goldie Hawn, and all the ‘Advance Style’ icons feted in New York.
“The term “protirement” was coined by Frederic Hudson in the early 90’s to define this new desire to “begin anew” – to not be limited to the traditional options of retirement but to embrace “an increased drive toward living life to its fullest on a day-to-day basis.” Protirement is an act and attitude of looking forward to forging a new life chapter – proactively and fulfilled,” says Vivien VanLier a career and protirement coach
Zoe Meunier in Prevention Mag said that the idea of Protirement can also be linked to Dr Tim Sharp, Chief Happiness Officer at the Happiness Institute and author of Live Happier, Live Longer: Your Guide to Positive Ageing and Making the Most of Life
So Why Protirement?
Well for a start, we’re living longer, we expect to live well and we are beginning to understand that living well is helped by being mentally, physically and socially active, in fact, the more we do the more we can do.
There are lots of positive health benefits to staying connected and active.
Many people are looking at the work they are doing and considering if it could still be done on a part time or on a consultancy basis after retirement.
Some people are looking at things they’ve loved doing, not really had the time for, but would like to explore and take further.
How to Protire
Think about …
- Where have you gained experience over the years?
- What value could you add to a voluntary organization or another company?
- Could you re-train in a field you’ve always wanted to get into to?
- What about learning more computer skills?
- What have you always wanted to do but your parents wouldn’t let you as a child?
- What haven’t you had time for in your working or child rearing years?
Consider the ‘rule of three’ which Jo Parfitt talks about in A Career in Your Suitcase – A Practical Guide to Creating Meaningful Work… Anywhere
- Do something that allows you to learn.
- Do something that contributes to the community.
- Do something for your own enjoyment.
“We believe it’s a right to be able to do what we love for a living. If we want to be energised by work, to look forward to each morning, to be authentic and enthusiastic, then it is vital we’re passionate about our work. If we do what we love then our enthusiasm and energy will do our marketing for us.” Jo Parfitt
Protirement could consist of a career in your suitcase …
“A portable career is work that you can take with you wherever you go. It is based on your own unique set of skills, values, passion and vision and is not based in a physical location. Lower costs of travel and technological advances have made the global labour market a more accessible option for more workers and businesses than in the past. Megan Fitzgerald, expat career and entrepreneur coach defines a portable career as location independent, using skills that are in high demand, providing virtual products and services. Examples include working in administrative support, accounting, IT services, coaching, writing, graphic design, teaching and consulting, or anything ‘virtual’. Technology opens many doors for portable careers, but other careers can be portable without using technology. The only real limit is your ability to imagine and create it.” Jo Parfitt – A Career in your Suitcase
If we’re considering protirement perhaps we should think about what we want to have achieved with our lives. What will people say about us at our funerals, or what would we write in our own eulogy? It will probably give us a big nudge towards choosing something meaningful to do in our later years.
Over to you Lifestylers – what would you like to do or what are you doing in your Protirement?
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It’s great to revisit this article today Jo, thank you. I don’t have any work at present owing to the pandemic, but expect to continue some work into the future. So I’m not really ‘protired’ nor ‘retired’. I’m calling myself ‘gainfully unemployed’, just for the fun of it! Recently I saw the term ‘refired’ used in relation to this stage of life. I like it!
Fortunately, throughout my life I’ve always had lots of hobbies and been involved in community groups and committees. So nothing much has changed during this ‘not working’ phase, and it is filled with lots of lovely activities balanced with sufficient time at home.
So glad you enjoyed it again Jo. I like the term gainfully unemployed! It seems as if you have a very full and rewarding life, very balanced, and lots of fun too. Well done you. I think it takes application to achieve those things.
I’ve reinvented myself so many times, I’m getting dizzy but it’s certainly not dull! Protirement – keep the inspiration coming!
Keep on reinventing Michele! It’s the best way 🙂
Unlike our parents who started off in one job and then in all likelihood received their 40 years of service with the same company, our generation has been the first to go through (potentially) a number of re-inventions along the way so I think we’re more open to the idea that we should continue to develop ourselves, and by following our hearts we’ll not have to “work” another day in our lives! 🙂
Yes, that’s so true Linda. We definitely have been schooled a different way via all the changes in our lives. Here’s to not ‘working’ another day! (Blogging doesn’t count, does it?)
Protirement that’s the word for it. I protired about three years ago and fill my time travelling and blogging as well as being there for my parents who are 90 years old and still living independently. I’m not sure where my path will take me but I look forward to it. 🙂
Sounds like you are definitely a Protirer Jan 🙂 I love following you on your adventures 🙂
Thanks for this interesting article, which pretty much sums up what I am doing with my life currently! However it left me with some kind of unease about protirement which I couldn’t put my finger on initially. Now I’ve nailed it… It is my growing awareness of how many women in their 50/60s are doing it really tough financially as a result of changing life circumstances. For eg, divorce, unexpected retrenchment, becoming homeless, limited superannuation or poor health and illness – not such a lucky country for some. So without sounding all ‘Pollyanna-ish’!!! let’s also think about what re or pro tirement might be like for people in less happy circumstances and how we might be able to give them a lift.
Yesss, I do so agree Ginny. None of us are immune to how the flick of a dice can change our life circumstances. I think this is something I need to address in as positive a way as possible in a future post. Thanks for your kind and insightful comment 🙂
Thanks for featuring our little bit of heaven on your blog Jo.
Following your bliss is amazing and that’s what Glass art has become to me. I plan to aspire instead of retire in the next stage of my life – could be considered a career change!
I love that Heather! “Aspire to retire!” Perfect 🙂
I love the concept of protirement!! I can’t imagine my life right now if I didn’t travel, write and take photos. What would I do all day? Your article makes me feel successful for making the decisions I made after leaving my 9 to 5 position!!
So glad you did leave your 9 – 5 to follow your creative energy Marilyn 🙂
Great advice! We can rest when we’re dead.
So so true Carole – let’s keep on truckin’!
Hi Jo
great to see you again in our little corner of Paradise. Wish we’d had more time to talk.
Thanks for featuring Lyndendale Gallery in this interesting blog. I think I was in protirement and went to full time work with the Gallery and my art practice -no wage unfortunately.
But what a wonderful meeting place, a gathering place for art and artists you have created Denise. I’m glad you do what you do and create great things yourself as well 🙂
What an inspiring post! Love your philosophy of new doors opening~
Thanks Irene, glad you found it inspiring. Yes, here’s to new doors opening, rather than old doors closing 😉
Protirement – what an interesting word! You have give me some food for thought here Jo. I hope to continue to travel, write about it and maybe just inspire other older women to keep active and pursue their dreams. Using Jill’s story was a great example of retiring from a humdrum job and starting up a new enterprise in the latter years (not that Jill is that old!) There is still a lot of hope for us ‘more mature’ women just yet!
Hi Kathy, you’re a great example of active protirement 🙂 Yes, Jill has been working towards this I know, and she’s taking it away 🙂
Your definition of “protirement” says it all. We realized how truly wonderful life could be when we chose to begin writing new chapters by pursuing our passions and interests. So fun to read about other boomers who are also finding happiness in work they love.
Thanks Anita, and yes you are both living proof of protiring well!
I didn’t know it had a name, but I moved into pro-retirement at the young age of 51 by which time 25 years of lawyering (always more than full time) had taken its toll on my health and spirit. Actually, I semi-retired first, but I’m immensely grateful that I’ve had this time (and the resources, thanks to my husband who still has a day job) to explore old and new passions. My husband’s younger brother died suddenly and unexpectedly at age 50 last year which was a rather loud wake up call. Carpe diem resonates loudly for us now.
I’m sorry to hear about your loss Suzanne 🙁 Cape diem is a very good term to live by and I’m so glad that in protirement you are finding the time to explore your old and new passions.
I’d not heard the term Protirement before, but I like it. I am in my protirement and can now devote more time to writing and have started travel blogging. Who knows what else I might tackle? I must admit I don’t think the concept is that new though. In the rural family life I grew up in, people stayed active with all kinds of things late into life. A retired uncle opened a tree nursery at least twenty years ago. Aunts have taken up painting (and with some skill). Another aunt was in her late sixties/early seventies when she started teaching piano (and said it was the best thing she’d ever done).
Hi Donna, yes perhaps it is a new spin on an old buzz which didn’t have the word to go with it. I’m waiting to see what else you might tackle in your protirement but for the time being I’m very happy following your travels on your blog 🙂
Nice. this is the first time I have heard of protirement but I suspect I will be seeing it much more often.
These buzz words do seem to come and go, I wonder if it will stick, Charles.
Brilliant post Jo, you have me thinking. There is hope out there other than being put out to pasture, you just need to make it happen. I am particularly taken with the providor caravan, I just need to learn how to bake. I am so impressed with Jill’s photography, her work is stunning x
Thanks Rae 🙂 Yep they wont be putting us lot out to pasture any day soon! Im betting you are a secretly amazing cook. Jill’s photography is ace isnt it 🙂
We began our journey toward location independence in 2008 after a come-to-Jesus moment when we realized we didn’t have the means to afford a traditional retirement of the leisurely sort our parents had enjoyed. Three years later, Pete quit his day job, we moved to Hawaii after that, and last year we went full nomad. Now all we need is an internet connection and we’re good to go just about anywhere. People still think we retired early. LOL I love the fact that more and more are at least willing to consider an unconventional choice or two. It’s keeping us young!
Well done Betsy … and I love following your travels but I didn’t realise the story behind them. Yes, I think our generation has at its heart the unconventiality of the hippy era to draw on 😉
For a variety of reasons I have straddled the retired / not working at the moment divide for a couple of years and am still not sure that retirement is for me. I am looking into volunteer work and have been painting and writing, but I reckon if money fell from the heavens while I did this I would be pretty pleased. The idea of having a sort of job that you can take with you anywhere is very appealing. SW Western Australia looks fab Jo. Definitely on my to do list.
Haha Sue, yes we just need the heavens to rain a little gold every now and then 😉 I’m glad I’m doing a good job on ‘selling’ SW Australia – it is fab, and it’s a place to get to before the crowds totally discover it 😉
What I learned is that pennies from heaven fall all over the world. Traveling makes it easier for me to catch them!
Lucy from Florida with grandchildren in Bunbury, WA
Keep on travelling Lucy and catching those pennies! Your comment reminds me of when we were children in my Grandmother’s garden and she would tell us to run down the lawns to the bottom and look up into the tree for the money fairies. Then she would toss half-pennies up into the air and down over us. What a magical time it was! I hope you enjoyed your visit to Bunbury this year and come back again soon.
thank you so much Jo for featuring me in your wonderful blog post about Protirement. Now I am here I need to keep moving forward, stay positive, be involved, weather the down days and keep following my dreams and passions. I’m going to hop over to Jo Parfitt’s post and be inspired I am sure.
Thanks Jo for another wonderful post. It was great to see you on Sunday.
You’re already doing great things Jill, continue doing what you do so well, and hope you enjoy Jo’s Career in a suitcase – she’s another micropreneur inspiration.