Retirement: Living a Life That is Flexible and An On-Going Work in Progress

In part two of this conversation, we continue our chat with Chris. Chris shares some thought provoking insights into his experience of the transition to retirement. One thing he mentions is the invisibility that can come with being retired. Yet invisibility is never the whole story. Within it sits a quieter opportunity: the chance to redefine your visibility as you construct and negotiate your retirement identity - remembering that you are the driver of creating this new identity. Without the noise of workplace expectations, many people begin to notice parts of themselves that were previously overshadowed — creativity, curiosity, community, rest, contribution that isn’t tied to productivity. The challenge is not to fight invisibility, but to redefine it on your terms as you build new forms of being seen that feel genuine, chosen and relevant.

In this episode, we hear from Chris who has had a varied (understatement) and interesting career. He finished university with a planning degree and then worked in a variety of roles in New Zealand and overseas before moving into the education sector. Chris shares some thought provoking insights into his experience of the transition to retirement. One thing he mentions is the invisibility that can come with being retired. Yet invisibility is never the whole story. Within it sits a quieter opportunity: the chance to redefine your visibility as you construct and negotiate your retirement identity - remembering that you are the driver of creating this new identity. Without the noise of workplace expectations, many people begin to notice parts of themselves that were previously overshadowed — creativity, curiosity, community, rest, contribution that isn’t tied to productivity. The challenge is not to fight invisibility, but to redefine it on your terms as you build new forms of being seen that feel genuine, chosen and relevant. 🪪📈🫥🫂

In this episode, we hear from Dave, whose career has been in both the United Kingdom and New Zealand. 🎙️ He reflects on the importance of pausing to consider who — or what — you are becoming as you move toward retirement. Dave has watched former colleagues step into retirement without thinking about how the transition might reshape their identity, routines, and relationships, and he’s clear about the value of preparing for that shift. Like others in this series, Dave factored in his responsibility to colleagues when considering the timing of his own retirement. He didn’t want to step away while the team was under pressure or short‑staffed. At the same time, he offers a grounded reminder: no one is truly indispensable. Organisations adapt, teams adjust, and the transition is ultimately part of a larger rhythm of working life.

In this episode, we hear from Trish who in hindsight sees that a gradual shift into retirement will give your identity time to adjust to not working fulltime. Easing into retirement means not suddenly stopping working fulltime and abruptly not having daily contact with colleagues or the routine of work. Instead, easing into retirement through such things as reducing your hours, lets you test new routines, build other social networks, explore and develop interests, and build confidence in a life beyond full‑time work. One surprise for Trish was how quickly the void left by no longer working was filled by other activities.

In this episode, we hear from Neil, a builder who owned his own business. Neil has a life that has been - and continues to be - well lived. I have known Neil for years and he was always on the verge of retiring. But there was always one more house to build, one more builder mate to help out, and then there would be another house to build. This went on for years...and years. So what slowed him down in the end – maybe realising it was his body that now needed (re)building. And even then he was heard to mutter maybe just one more house. Yes, he still wears a Swandri and gumboots (because they are comfortable) and drives a ute (because it pulls the boat). Neil talks about what he misses about working and what he doesn’t.