Liberty Financial Planner Mariette Tappan shares some of the life lessons she’s learnt from her clients who are over 60
I’m privileged to have been part of the financial journey of many of my retired clients and I have learnt a great deal from them about how to live a fulfilling life. What I know for sure is that as we get older, we become more spiritual and appreciative of life, and there is a real need to give back to family or society at large.
Find your passion and give back
Sixty is no longer considered old and, while many people formally retire at this age, most of my clients choose to continue working in some area that is linked to their passion. These are people who have always been active and who want to keep busy. Fortunately for them, they don’t have the financial responsibilities they carried in their younger years. Still full of life and energy, this is a time for them to follow their passions and use the skills they have developed to give back in some way.
One of my clients has always loved to sing. She now has the time to be a member of a choir, which brings some cheer and joy to people in old age homes and hospitals. She told me recently that watching people listening and dancing to her music fills her up emotionally and gives her the opportunity to connect with them.
I also have a cycling-crazy client who now has more time to spend on his bicycle. He is getting others his age to join him, encouraging them to get fit and be healthier.
Sharing your passion is a way of giving. For one of my clients, it is an opportunity to give her daughter – who has a handicapped child – a much-needed break when she needs it.
For many grandparents, there is great joy to be found in spending time with their grandchildren. They often find they have so much more patience than they did as parents and can offer wisdom and different perspectives to their families.
Moving into your second life is a process
What all these clients have in common is that they planned for their retirement and by this, I don’t mean only financially. They realised that they still had so much to give and were not ready to sit back and watch the daisies grow after finishing their careers. However, there must be a period of transition from working every day to retiring and finding your passion.
When I started discussing retirement planning with one workaholic client, I advised him that he ought to find a hobby because otherwise retirement would drive him crazy. He took up art classes. Although he still consults, it is on his own terms, giving him the opportunity to paint and spend time in his garden, which give him great joy. When his sister’s husband died recently, he was able to be there for her and even used his painting to help her heal. Retirement is a process, not just a moment in time.
Don’t leave downsizing too late
As you move into your second life you may need to make changes and it’s better to take action earlier rather than later. A Klein Karoo client shared with me that he and his wife had decided to move from Pretoria to a retirement village in a small town when they were 62 and could still make their own decisions. They were in charge of the move and could pack and handle their boxes themselves. In the retirement village where they now live, they sometimes see new residents who waited too long to move, making the process much more traumatic.
Nurture every aspect of your life
While it is vital to prepare financially for retirement, you also need to look after the other aspects of your life. Lifestyle choices and the relationships you build over the years are important factors that enable you to build a real legacy.
The one characteristic my happily retired clients share is that they have taken care of their bodies, minds, spirits and relationships. If you haven’t lived a balanced life during your working years, it’s hard to start doing so at a later stage. Invest in your health by eating the right foods and exercising – you have so much living still to do and you want to be in great shape to enjoy it.
While family and relationships are important, remember that your children will be busy with their own lives and you cannot rely on them to be around to keep you entertained. You need to have your own life and interests.
You don’t get to 60 without facing challenges
The amazing thing about my clients is that while they all embrace life and are grateful for all they have, almost all of them are facing a personal challenge. They include the father whose 32-year-old son was in a coma for three months after a car accident and will never be able to work again, and a parent whose daughter fell pregnant accidently and needs help raising her child.
We are all dealt unexpected cards and no one has a perfect life, but how you choose to handle these challenges makes all the difference. Happy people are those who make plans to enrich their lives.
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