Consulting in Pre/Retirement

One of my newest friends and colleagues, Susan, sent me a great article about how professionals should try consulting near the end of their career and before fully retiring. 

The article by Josh Bernoff simply outlines this as a possibility for what I consider “bridge years” between being done with the 9 to 5 but not ready to be done with meaningful work. This is a growing phenomenon of people having to work longer for economic reasons and working longer because we are healthier and live a lot longer. 

Some think, “What am I going to do for 30 years?” If they are able to retire in the traditional sense of the term. 

I think this fits right in with the “Not Retirement” movement that is starting to grow and how we rethink what a healthy last quarter of life looks like. Work is certainly part of that equation, but maybe not the same as we work today. 

Working provides two of the most critical elements for human health - Income and community. There seems to be a positive recipe of finding more meaningful work at every stage of life that helps sustain us and the next generation. Right now, those over 65 that are still working report the highest job satisfaction of any age group surveyed. 

Do they actually know something we don’t? Is it perhaps that our fixation on being done with work is not as great of a vision for our future as we think?

What I love about Bernoff’s idea is that it invites creativity into the mix as opposed to the binary of job/no job. Consulting was something I had not considered as an alternative to the regular work and could be one of the most insightful suggestions. 

There is deep meaning in passing along insights and expertise. 

There is something beautifully human about young and old engaging together in mutually beneficial relationships. 

Consulting may be the perfect hybrid between two of the recommendations for avoiding post-retirement anxiety and depression - work and volunteering. 

I hope conversations like this one continue to make their way into future planning and that advisors go beyond a “nest egg” and take seriously the health and wellbeing of clients by providing additional visions for the future. 

Here is a link to the original article and think about what you would be a good consultant for. Who knows - it may be in your future. 

Here is the link to the original article.

https://bernoff.com/blog/why-nearly-all-professionals-should-try-consulting-before-they-retire

As always, if you come across a financially related article you’d like to send my way please do! 

Best place to send them is to me.

More next time!

Jonathan