Don’t Retire The Word “Retirement” Yet

Call me old fashioned, but I don’t feel this deep-rooted need or a strong conviction in my core to get rid of the word “retirement”. I realize I am in the minority of people who think this way because almost every time I start a retirement conversation, presentation, or workshop, people are quick to chime in and tell me how the current definition doesn’t even come close to fitting into what it means to people today.

Now don’t get me wrong, I fully support a new era and approach to life after work. One where a more modern set of guidelines, norms, thoughts, and feelings re-define it, especially when compared to 20 or 30 years ago. However, I think a metamorphosis is already underway and the concept of retirement is already taking on a new meaning, similar to how other popular words and phrases have changed over time.

For example, when you were growing up, did certain words and phrases mean something different when compared to today? When I was younger:

A friend was someone you were close to, saw on a regular basis, and did things together with. Currently, it’s pretty much a broad range of contacts that you have varying degrees of relationships with on a social-networking website.

A text was a physical book or other form of literature that you read or studied. Today, it’s the primary way that people communicate in order to avoid speaking with them.

Something viral was a form of illness and may even be considered contagious. Now it’s the art of becoming very popular by circulating a video or picture on the internet.

Unplugging was to eliminate the flow of electricity to a television or lamp. Today, it meansavoiding the use of any digital or electronic device for a period of time.

This is just a small list of general word and concept changes that have taken place in the last couple of decades. The point is, that we don’t have to eliminate the word, we just have to enhance or expand it, to more closely fit how people think and feel about it today.

Along those lines, I also don’t think it’s necessary to create a crafty play of the term to symbolize that change is underway. I’ve heard everything from rewirement, arrivement rehirement, third act, encore life, and the list goes on. While I don’t think these terms fit the new age definition of retirement on their own, collectively they help because it broadens the number of factors that can, and need to be included in the new definition.

There is no doubt that retirement can mean different things to different people, and the nice thing is, it’s already happening.  So, let’s not find another way to divide this country, and instead continue to alter the definition of retirement so that like other words and phrases that have changed over time, we can deliver a new and fresh perspective to future generations when they are ready to move on from their primary careers.