Celebrating Next | Elaine Roberts

It is our mission at Lifelaunch Consulting to help others define their ‘next’ with purpose and intention, and to celebrate as a new chapter unfolds. As part of this, we are highlighting our friends who have successfully navigated the move from ‘now’ to ‘next’ and are thriving as a result! It is our hope that by sharing these stories, we inspire others to live their lives to the fullest.

My Name:

Elaine Roberts

Three ways I spend my time in retirement:

Playing golf and bridge, boating, developing friendships in a new community, travel and serving on two corporate boards.

What I love most about retirement:

The freedom to decide each day what I want to do without the pressure of a rigid schedule. I don’t miss all the meetings and sitting in an office.

My biggest challenge with retirement:

Time seems to fly by. There are some things I haven’t done that I need to do. i.e., finish unpacking all of the boxes in storage from a recent move. It is more fun to be outdoors playing!

What I did to prepare for retirement:

I met with a financial advisor a couple of years ahead of my desired retirement date to make sure it was affordable. I mentally and emotionally started enjoying and grieving the “last time I’ll do…” on the job. It prepared me for the transition.

I bought property for a future retirement home five years in advance of retirement, then timed construction of the home to coincide within a few months of my retirement date. This gave me something to work toward and made the move very rewarding. I think it would have been much harder to finish the house two or three years early and not be able to enjoy it full time. While not everyone will relocate after retirement, I did find this to be helpful in dealing with the separation of the work.

Something I’ve recently done for the first time:

I joined a women’s golf league and am looking forward to a bucket list trip to the Galapagos and Peru.

Most recent book/article I’ve read:

John Leland and Gracious Leadership, Lead Like You’ve Never Led Before by Janet Smith Meeks (former President of Mount Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital in Westerville).

My future:

I have an active lifestyle and am optimistic about getting in better physical shape so I can continue to enjoy hiking, playing golf and boating. I hadn’t played bridge in 20 years and now am active in a weekly group that stimulates my brain. I’m developing new relationships that have been very rewarding. Two of those new friends are traveling to the Galapagos with me. I am starting to engage in volunteer activities in the community, which I expect to increase with time.

My advice for future retirees:

Don’t let yourself be defined by just your career and work. Find other interest and hobbies before you retire to help with the transition. Embrace change, new relationships and the future. You’ve worked hard to earn retirement, so enjoy it!