RETIREMENT NOTE: DOES MATTERING REALLY MATTER

 

Jennifer Wallace in her recent WSJ article on retirement wrote about how important mattering is to well being. It’s rooted in our ancestors when making a contribution kept you in the tribe and safe. The article spurred numerous conversations on the subject. So the question is does mattering really matter?

The answer is yes, but maybe in a different way than discussed. When we retire, we leave behind a portfolio of skills and experiences we used to make a difference and help people. It’s only natural you want to use them to continue helping others. To remain part of the action. 

You go to the local food bank thinking they will want you to help manage or at least be on the board. But, you find they want you to restock shelves or carry out carts of groceries to waiting clients. Not what you imagined. The lack of opportunity to matter in a major way can lead to depression, a major problem for seniors. You begin to loose a sense of self.

You can change all of this over time. You find that other retirees seldom ask you what you did in your career. They are more interested in you as a person now. How much you develop as that person is the key. This is where a new sense of mattering can be found. Just being an interesting and good person may be enough.

It’s good to start defining that new person while you are still working. Devoting time to hone the new skills that match the new passions you want to pursue. Learn an art, practice public speaking, research history or philosophy. The list is endless. You also discover there are a myriad of small things you can do every day to help others. That maybe as simple as taking tIme to talk with someone or hearing their story. It's all part of the journey to what really matters, peace of mind.

You sometimes forget how much effort was needed to keep those career skills sharp. Time that takes away from the freedom retirement offers. Finding ways to help others in small ways and learned new passions takes far less of that investment, all you have to do is look around.