Larry Gard Ph D

Done With Work Larry Gard Ph D

Deciding to retire usually involves thinking about what comes next. Without the structure and demands of work, life in retirement can present a seemingly blank canvas. Consequently, the prospect of retirement has been described as akin to jumping off a proverbial cliff of uncertainty. Some people fear that they will become bored or regret their decision to retire. Others, having watched a parent or grandparent suffer in retirement, believe that their experience may be unpleasant as well. And still others worry that they will feel diminished and adrift without the sense of personal identity they derive from work. In the face of such profound concerns, with so many big questions about what comes next (and "next" could potentially last a long time), how do people make this consequential decision to retire in the first place? This book is about people who chose to retire from their long-term occupation. It is based on semi-structured interviews with individuals who were gracious enough to share their decision-making process. Their stories are presented with the intention to help others who are grappling with the question of when to retire. To paraphrase one interviewee, "it's not easy to decide when to be done."