I was recently talking to a friend who retired from a career in law enforcement, and he remarked about how it had really been much more difficult than he had ever imagined it would be. He followed the typical financial advice about retirement, had saved, invested wisely, and had enough money to support a standard of living to which he was accustomed. What he wasn’t prepared for were other changes that retirement from law enforcement would bring to his life. 

Most of us have spent our careers giving much of our time, effort and talents to our work. We have learned that our work as law enforcement officers brings meaning to our lives and gives us a reason to get out of bed each day. Our co-workers become a second family as we form close bonds. Over the years, we often spend more time with our co-workers than we do with our own families. We can see how our work changes the lives of others for the better. But what happens when we retire, and all these things change?  

“I was retired for about three months, and I had to go back to work! I had enough money, but all of my friends were still working. I didn’t have anything to do!”

While we are dreaming of retirement, which allows more time for family and friends, hobbies, and all those things we may have put off for years, we should also keep in mind that retirement represents a major life shift. As we count down the days until we retire, marking each day off a calendar, we should not forget to plan for life after retirement, not just financially but mentally, spiritually and even physically. While considering how you will get the bills paid in retirement, also ask yourself:

• Where will I find meaning and purpose in my daily life?
• How will I challenge myself mentally to keep my mind sharp?
• How will I keep active and in good physical health?

It has often been said that a failure to plan is a plan to fail. While you’re working off your last days on the job, work on a plan to live life to the fullest in retirement!

Spend time thinking about what matters most to you. Your answers are as unique as you are and will help you to focus on where your time and energy will go after retirement. For example, many realize in retirement that they had underestimated the importance of feeling connected to family and friends.  

Reassess your professional identity. Recognize that your job as a law enforcement officer may have become a significant part of your identity. Ask yourself, what aspects of that identity do I want to keep, and what parts can I do without? Engaging in part-time or volunteer work in retirement may be the answer. The benefits of volunteering include expanded social ties and the sense of purpose a person can feel by committing to charitable causes. Research shows that retirees who incorporate a low-to-medium level of volunteering in their life report more satisfaction with life and fewer symptoms of depression than those who did not volunteer.

Find a retirement mentor. Look for someone you look to for advice who has been there and done that. That person might provide valuable insight about many things, from navigating expenses to deciding whether to relocate to warmer climates or age in place. Lean on your mentor to learn how to overcome those days when the transition seems tougher.  

Be mindful of your physical health. We often see that sudden health issues can throw a monkey wrench into retirement planning. We have all heard about co-workers who passed away soon after retiring, when they previously had no known health issues. Keep in mind that good mental health and good physical health are closely connected — you truly cannot have one without the other.

Be flexible. You may think that you want to spend your retirement relaxing at home, painting, cooking or reading, but after months of doing these things, you may find that you are unmotivated and bored and not really fulfilling the lifestyle you dreamed about. It will likely take some experimenting to help you find the right balance of how you want to spend your time. You can always increase social activities later or develop new hobbies if you want to stay busier.

Make adjustments along the way. Think about other times in your life when you had to course-correct to make life more enjoyable or manageable. As you learn what works for you in retirement, build on those habits and let go of habits that don’t work. Remember that what may have worked for you during your law enforcement career may not work for you in retirement. And that’s perfectly OK!

Reexamine your budget. Even if you have planned financially, it’s not a bad idea to review your expenses after retirement. Figure out what you need in your new post-career life, and what you don’t. Establish a budget that will help you see how much money you have for entertainment or fun. You might learn you need a part-time job so you can go on an annual vacation. Or, you might discover you have enough money left over to take your grandkids to lunch once a week. 

Cultivate your friendships. There’s a significant risk of becoming isolated during retirement. After 30 years of meeting friends through work and seeing them every day, it might not be as easy to keep up. Think about it, make a plan, and then make an intentional effort to maintain those special friendships. For example, you may ask one friend to meet you for lunch every Monday, another friend to go walking with you on Wednesdays and a third friend to grab a coffee on Friday afternoons. If you and your partner are friends with other couples, aim to invite them over for dinner at least once a month. Check out any programs offered at your church or a local community center, or find a group of like-minded individuals who share an affection for your favorite hobby. 

Don’t stop setting goals. If achieving goals fueled your work in law enforcement, that doesn’t have to stop in retirement! You can still focus on goals after you retire, though they might be a little different than they were before. Working on goals can give you a sense of purpose, and accomplishing new things can give you a sense of achievement. Think about what milestones you might want to meet in the first month, six months or one year that you’ve been retired and write them down. The sky’s the limit.

Keep structure in your days. Nearly everything we do in our law enforcement careers is structured. If you thrive with a schedule, you might establish a retirement routine that helps you plan your days. Experiment with various activities and time slots to see how it makes you feel. You may find that structure keeps you motivated or may find that it feels restrictive. Adjust your level of structure according to what works for you. Include time for lingering over the newspaper and enjoying a cup of coffee, but add in regular time for exercise, social activities, volunteer opportunities and family meals. While your days don’t need to be rigid, having a set wake-up time and routine can help you feel more normal now that you aren’t going to work. Sometimes it is just as valuable to figure out what not to do in your first 30 days as it is to figure out what to do. Therefore, limit the amount of time and energy you commit to watching TV and avoid becoming too sedentary or limiting yourself to one activity.  

Expect to feel varying emotions. At first, you may experience a feeling of freedom. It’s like you’re on a vacation that’s going to last forever. Once that sense of novelty wears off, you may settle into a slower lifestyle. You might experience second thoughts and wonder if you retired too soon. This may be followed by anxiety and boredom. You might even feel guilty for not enjoying retirement as much as you think you should.  Allow yourself to experience a wide range of emotions, whatever those emotions may be. Look for healthy ways to deal with those feelings. You might find exercise, reading, writing or talking to others helps you deal with your emotions. Retirement is often portrayed as this perfect time of life where everything goes as planned and ends up better than expected. However, there will still be people and situations, even in retirement that will stress you out. Be patient with yourself, and remember that you’re still living!

Don’t forget to celebrate. You worked for many years to achieve retirement and your commitment and achievements call for celebration! Whether that means buying a nice bottle of wine, going out to eat at an upscale restaurant or taking a weekend trip to relish in your accomplishment, give yourself a pat on the back before starting this next phase of life. Entering retirement is a privilege that some people never get to experience. You made it!