CHOOSING ACTIVITIES FOR RETIREMENT
Many highly successful professional and business people have been so committed to their jobs that they have not developed many (or any) hobbies or interests. These are the folks who are the most likely to be frightened by the prospect of retirement, when that activity which demanded 16 + hours a day is no longer there. How do you fill all those hours?
There are many ways for all of us to choose activities that we wish to pursue in retirement, but I would remind you that the sooner you start this process, the smoother and more enjoyable the transition to retirement will be.
So. . .how do you figure out what you want to do? In my blog post of July 2, 2009, I mentioned Ernie Zelinski’s “Make-a-Life Tree” That’s a great way to start. Another way is to ask yourself “What do I love to do?” The answer to that question is simple – whenever you’re doing something and the time flies – that’s what you love.
Subscribe To TYPE A RETIREMENT
Posts
Comments
About Me
- greenhand
- David P. Green, MD has been practicing and teaching orthopaedic and hand surgeon for more than 40 years. He is best known as the editor of two widely used orthopaedic and hand surgery textbooks: 1) Rockwood and Green’s Fractures (now in its 6th edition, recently translated into Chinese), and 2) Green’s Operative Hand Surgery (now in its 5th edition, translated into Japanese and Spanish editions.). Born in El Paso, Texas in 1936, he is a graduate of Pomona College, Baylor Medical School, and the New York Orthopaedic Hospital (NYOH) residency program. In 1997 he was named Outstanding Alumnus of the NYOH. He is a past President of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. He also has a keen interest in history, and has published a book entitled Place Names of San Antonio, a compilation of some 600 mini-biographies of people for whom streets, schools, parks, libraries, businesses, and other places are named in his hometown.
After a wonderful career as an academic surgeon, I was forced to quit operating at age 58 for medical reasons. I admit that it was not easy to adjust to the idea that my career as a surgeon was over. I was not ready to “retire”, so I looked around for what I would do with the rest of my professional life. As I read on the subject, I came across the book by Bob Buford entitled “Half Time”. This book encouraged me to investigate opportunities for the “Half of my Life” that would be no only successful but significant.
ReplyDeleteDuring my investigation of alternative careers I came across the organization SEAK, a company founded in 1980. One of their major focuses is in training through a program called “Non Clinical Careers for Physicians.”
I am delighted to say that I am now enjoying the second half of my professional career in medicine.