Within our generation, an extra 30 years have been added to our life expectancy – and these years aren’t just a footnote or a pathology. Many of us are vital, active, healthy, experienced, wise and ready to live our best lives just as we hit retirement age. This means the path to retirement is not as clear-cut as it once was. The old vision of the rocking chair or the golf course is outdated, but where do we go from here?

Reinventing Retirement: Life’s “Third Act”

You may be financially or emotionally ready for retirement, but unsure of what your next steps are – or what your life is supposed to look like now. The good news: there is no blueprint! We are the first generation to experience this – these are uncharted waters. Forget what you think you know about retirement. If you are 10 or fewer years out from retirement or retired already, this is your moment to reinvent retirement for yourself. What will your “Third Act” be about?

Retirement Challenges

After retirement or when faced with the changes that come with advancing age, we may feel lost, irrelevant, uncertain, “stuck” or stymied by the possibilities. Leaving a life-long career can make us feel useless, out-of-the-loop, or adrift. Others (our spouse, our children, our friends) may have expectations about what we are supposed to be doing, which may add to our confusion. Despite our youth-obsessed culture, studies show that people of advancing age actually often have the following advantages over their younger counterparts:

• They feel better
• They are less stressed, less hostile, less anxious
• They see commonalities with others, rather than differences
• They are happier
• They have a powerful sense of well-being
• They are more “themselves” than ever

A Meaningful, Worthy & Significant Time

We may lose sight of the fact that retirement can be our most powerful time of fruition and growth, when all the pieces of our life’s puzzle start to come together. It is the perfect time to look within, discover who we really are, and implement changes in our lives. It may be the best time to connect with your true self, that unique, brilliant, magnificent person inside of you – the one you were always meant to be. My Life Coaching for Retirement can help you frame this exciting time in your life as a time of growth, exploration and continued contribution. I have helped my mature-age clients move to the next stage in their lives, and see these additional years as a meaningful time with their own significance. I can show you how maturity can bring courage, wisdom, authenticity, growth and new possibilities.

Retirement Coaching with Catharine Ecton

Having retired from a career myself, I have personal understanding of my retirement-age clients’s fears, hopes, wishes, and aspirations. I’ve gained valuable insight and perspective on what you’re going through via both my own experience, and that of my clientele. My mature-age clients tell me over and over again that talking to someone and entering into a mentoring relationship has allowed them to ask the important questions, feel understood and find purpose and meaning in their lives. Together we find ways to move forward, achieve balance and fulfillment, and create a meaningful, fully-engaged life. Here’s how:

• I am an Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Certified Professional Co-active Coach (CPCC), and completed my Master’s Degree in Education (M.Ed.) — think of me as a highly-credentialed personal trainer for living your best life
• I use navigated conversations, powerful questions and encouragement to help uncover the best in yourself
• Unlike self-help books or the Internet, I will work collaboratively with you. Unlike your friends and family, I’m an expert at the process of changing behavior … which is much more valuable than instructions or advice when you truly want to make a change.
• As a trained and certified Life Coach, my job is not to ‘instruct’ or ‘advise’ you. My job is to help you explore and come up with the best choices for you based on where you want to be, and develop a concrete plan with actionable steps to get there.

Most often, Retirement Coaching sessions focus on finding fulfillment and plugging in to your own hopes, dreams and desires post-retirement. I have also had excellent success in helping people decide when and how to retire. Sometimes, sessions address issues such as improving communication skills, achieving wellness, staying active, “slowing down”, overcoming obstacles, and developing a more satisfying approach to life.

I believe we can change our lives one day at a time. We aren’t broken and don’t need fixing. We have everything within ourselves to create the life we’ve always dreamed of. We are teachable. We can change. With the right tools, a few powerful questions and the intention to create something amazing, we can get to where we want to be. We don’t even have to know what “our best life” looks like, just that we want to live it.

Schedule Your Complimentary Retirement Life Coaching Appointment Today

If you plan to retire in 10 years or less, this process is for you. The sooner you begin to prepare, the smoother your transition will be, and the more enjoyable and productive your retirement years will be! Contact me for a complimentary, no-obligations life coaching consultation. Use my Appointment Scheduler to pick a time that works for you. I coach 90% of my clients over the phone, and my DC-based Life Coaching clients have the option of meeting with me in person. Together, we can help you find meaning after retirement … and in the process, create a more fulfilling life.

Learn more about my Life Coaching Services. I also provide:

• Life Transition Coaching
• Career Coaching
• Life Coaching for Women
• “Empty Nest” Coaching
• Life Coaching: Unexpectedly Single (divorce, widowed)
• “Midlife” & “Third Act” Coaching (design an exceptional life after 40, 50, or 60