Find Your Path series part 1: Dream Big
Every journey to and through retirement is unique and personal. In part one of this three-part series, we will look at the impact that incorporating passions and purpose into your retirement lifestyle can have.
Dream Big
A happy life is one with meaning, accomplishment, and engagement. The same holds true for happiness and contentment in retirement – the more intentionality and purpose the better.
You may not think that planning for your lifestyle in retirement is as important as planning for your finances, but science disagrees. Neuropsychologists and behavioral scientists say passion and purpose are very real predictors of how well a person will live and thrive as they age.1 People who have the sense that their lives are meaningful actually live longer and they're less likely to:2
- develop disability
- develop Alzheimer's disease
- or suffer cognitive decline
But just what is “purpose”? And how can we integrate our interests, hobbies, and passions into a purposeful (and fun) retirement? The answer can be quite simple – follow your dreams.
Patricia Boyle, neuropsychologist and behavioral scientist, explains that we experience purpose when we “surround ourselves with the right people, in the right place while doing the things we are passionate about”.
For some of you, incorporating your hobbies and passions into retirement feels like a challenge. This is where our post-career interest assessment can help. The interest assessment developed by Dr. Roger Hall, PhD, is rooted in the career-interest theory created by American psychologist John Holland (1919–2008). The Holland system uses a series of questions to divide people and jobs into six basic types – and while you may fall heavily into one category, your interests, skills, and passions may fall into other categories as well.
Take some time with our interactive assessment and discover ways to turn your interests, hobbies and dreams into new activities in retirement.