My determination to become a retirement coach like Wendy
by Larry Steward
(Aiken, SC)
Hello fellow retirees,
I'm a member of this wonderful site as part of my continuing research to learn more about the issues we all experience in our transition to retirement.
I've been on a journey over the last four years to become a retirement coach. I have been in retirement for 10 years now and have continued working. This may sound strange, but hear me out, - the work I've been doing for the past 10 years is a home improvement service I started in Connecticut. I was involved in career management work previously in the corporate outplacement industry in New York. However, I wanted to start my own business and since I had a lot of experience in home improvement work fixing-up my own properties, it seemed a natural choice. However, at my age now, the work is more difficult and I am subjecting myself to injury.
So four years ago I made a decision to get back into coaching - this time to develop a service to support those in retirement who plan to continue working like I am. I feel what I am experiencing in this journey will serve as good credentials in leading others through their transition.
I've always believed what's important in life is not where you are at the moment, but where you are going. If you have your sites set on something you are totally committed to and have a passion driving you forward, you can make it happen.
But why has it taken so long and yet my coaching practice is still not up and running?
A long story but the highlights include winding down my work in Connecticut; selling our house; relocating to one area of South Carolina where my wife and I worked on a horse farm; leaving that area to accept another horse farm job in Aiken, SC where we plan to settle long term. Oh yeah, we then bought a home here and I have finally phased out of all most of my other work.
Over those four years, I have participated in numerous coaching programs, completed a ton of research, taken website development classes, purchased many coaching books to study, created my masterplan; have a draft of my website (Work in Retirement); met with SCORE professionals and collected many resources to offer others that I will be coaching.
My path is now clear enough and I am healthy enough to more fully concentrate on launching my coaching practice.
If there is one thing that keeps creeping into my mind it is - if I start this practice at 75, just how long will I be able to keep it active? I don't dwell on that but it is hard to ignore.
My attitude is what the hell, I have something to contribute and I'm going to keep moving forward because I want to help as many as possible find a way to make their golden years as best as they can possibly be.
