When I needed a job and applied to become a Los Angeles police officer, benefits were a factor in my decision. A steady paycheck and medical insurance were considerations, but having a pension was the ultimate benefit.

As a young officer, I did not think much about my pension, other than it was a deduction from my paycheck. Likewise, my contributions to my deferred compensation account were minimal. I never had a plan for the age at which I would retire or a monetary goal, beyond the notion that someday I would retire.

I spent my career consistently working toward a goal of either choice assignments or promotions. I was by no means a “climber,” as some would refer to an individual on the fast track to becoming a command officer. I viewed myself as a hard worker, choosing to serve in some of the toughest neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Over my 31-plus years of service, I held a variety of assignments, including field training officer, gang crimes detective, homicide detective, field sergeant, watch commander and, finally, lieutenant leading of a group of detectives investigating child abuse. During 10 years in homicide, I lost plenty of sleep, missed family events and, by most metrics, would have been considered a workaholic throughout my career.

My model for retirement was my father, who retired from a small police department in Orange County, California, after 27 years of service. He encouraged me to apply to a large agency like the LAPD because of the opportunities he missed working for a smaller department. My father worked patrol throughout his career, achieving the rank of corporal. His favorite remark when asked if he would seek a “part-time gig” in retirement was, “I had a job, and jobs are overrated.”

My goal before retiring was to be financially sound, and I was fortunate to participate in the city’s deferred retirement option plan (DROP). DROP was started to entice LAPD personnel to stay on the job longer. It allows you to technically retire, sets your pension percentage and lets you keep working for a maximum of five more years. You start earning your pension the day you enter DROP, and the pension check goes into a tax-deferred account that becomes accessible once you exit DROP. In essence, DROP is a huge savings account.

The plan

So what does a goal-oriented workaholic do in retirement? My plan included creating a routine that rotated my hobbies throughout the week. My schedule would consist of golfing, bicycling, working out and kayaking — activities I did regularly before retiring. I also wanted to travel regularly, both internationally and domestically. Maintaining a positive mindset was part of the plan and continues to be an important factor in staying healthy and active during retirement.

What I’ve learned in my three years of retirement is that my plan was never going to mirror my father’s or that of my friends who retired before me. Still, creating a routine and schedule has proven to be crucial.

The reality

My plan has not unfolded the way I thought it would. I have traveled as planned, but I play more pickleball than golf, and I am grateful that retirement affords me time to help my aging parents.

I still consider my law enforcement training in retirement, specifically adaptability, flexibility and evaluating whether I am satisfied with my routine. I am perfectly OK with being retired from law enforcement. I do not crave the power that some miss when leaving law enforcement. I do miss the adrenaline rush, but mostly, I miss the satisfaction of contributing to the world around me in a meaningful way.

My routine now includes playing pickleball at least three days a week, golfing once a week, with other activities squeezed in. I have found that pickleball satisfies a few needs I didn’t foresee in my retirement plan. Pickleball is much more competitive than my other activities, and that competitiveness fills the void associated with the adrenaline rush I got in my work. Pickleball also provides a sense of community that I lost upon retirement. I have met wonderful people playing the game. Playing several times a week and learning about people’s interests has enabled me to have the types of conversations I miss from working, such as current events, sports and travel experiences.

What I miss in terms of shared experience conversations, I satisfy by planning dinner with friends from work or a golf outing with some of my former homicide partners who are also retired. Occasionally, we will invite a colleague who is not yet retired to play golf. Listening to the current complaints about LAPD affirms that being retired is a wonderful thing.

Being retired also allows me to support my aging parents when needed. They have been living in Arizona for the past 13 years and are still able to care for themselves. My mother has had both knees replaced, and being able to spend time with her during her post-surgery recovery was important for both of us. It is not easy to watch your parents age; however, I am extremely grateful to still have both of my parents. I am also happy to say that this past December marked the point when my father began earning his pension longer than he had paid in.

Another reality that set in during the past year is the cost of long-term care and understanding more precisely what my finances look like over the next 30 years.

My significant other is the trustee and has power of attorney for an elderly family member with dementia. The cost of a quality memory care facility in California is exorbitant, and I can only imagine what the cost of care may be in the future.

My pension and savings allow me to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. The concern about long-term financial planning caused me to hire a financial planner/investment broker, and I got busy understanding how much I can spend and maintain a “nest egg” for the future. Competent financial planning has alleviated an unnecessary stress and given me confidence about my independence.

The other reality at this point in my retirement journey is the question of contentment. Having lived a life of service, I feel at times that I am not contributing enough to the world around me. That feeling is tempered by the knowledge that I gave a great deal of myself to the people of Los Angeles and the police department during my 31 years of service. Still, I question how I can maintain the freedom that I enjoy in retirement and still have a sense of contributing in a meaningful way.

Adaptability and flexibility

A valuable lesson I learned in police work is the asking the question, “What would I do if …?” Any ops plan we ever develop in police work needs room for adaptability and flexibility, and the reality is that my retirement plan needed to be revised.

I realized how much I missed writing and the satisfaction of creating something. As a lieutenant, I was responsible for completing many projects, including writing new policy for my division and updating the old. I also regularly wrote major case briefings that were presented to the chief of police.

It is important to understand that being retired does not change who we are; it just changes what we do. I have come to realize that my retirement will look different from my friends’ and my father’s retirement, just as my 31 years of service did. We each have a unique path to follow; there is no right or wrong way to be retired.

To survive in retirement, I will continue to set a meaningful routine, keep a positive mindset, prioritize my physical and mental health, remain flexible, and most importantly, ensure that I earn my pension longer than I paid in — three years down, 29 years to go.