My colleagues at the Harvard Business School and I dedicated a decade to speaking with individuals in order to unveil the psychological, interpersonal, and lifestyle changes they underwent. challenges of retiring —and the most effective ways to maneuver through them.
We found out that questions around identity often become significant for individuals. This is particularly relevant during the initial stages of retirement as they navigate decisions regarding when and how to step back, striving to emotionally disconnect from their professional lives.
These issues can be particularly challenging for those who feel a strong connection to their work.
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If you wish to experience a seamless shift into a new phase, satisfying In retirement, numerous queries may arise; foremost amongst these is " Is my savings sufficient? Before clocking out for the day.
However, among the most crucial questions is undoubtedly, "Who will I become once my work is gone?"
Here’s my top guidance on how to address this question for your own satisfaction.
To be truthful: Do you see your job as merely what you do for work, or does it define who you are?
People who believe they haven't strongly associated themselves with their profession during their working years might still face unexpected identity crises.
Consider Irene, among the 120 participants we tracked. Prior to her retirement, she was content with her role in the technology sector, appreciated her colleagues, and held her employer in high regard. Although her profession didn’t entirely shape her identity, it still took her four years to make the decision to finally step away formally.
Whenever she posed the question to herself, "Why don’t you simply retire?" her response would be, "People tend to show more respect when you’re actively working. Perhaps less so once you stop."
The idea of being a "successful career woman" was more significant to her than she had acknowledged.
What actions can one take when they're unable to completely define themselves outside of their job?
- Begin by posing this reflective question to yourself, just as we did with our interviewees: “Am I inclined to describe my occupation as what I do, or rather as an integral part of who I am?” If your truthful response reveals that your profession defines your sense of self, recognizing this might assist you in assessing how tightly bound your professional identity is holding you back from embracing a potentially fulfilling retirement lifestyle—or at minimum, making the shift smoother.
- Enumerate your primary self-identities alongside your key needs, principles, objectives, and inclinations—both how they stand now and how you envision (or desire) them to evolve in the near term. For instance, someone could identify themselves as a "leader," "outgoing individual," "parent," "mentor," valuing "health," "friendship," and "purposeful engagement."
Consider the elements of your current identity before retiring that you wish to maintain during your retired years. This concept is known as "identity bridging."
Ways to close the identity gap between working life and retirement
A former corporate executive whom we refer to as Victor closely associated himself with the role of a leader at his firm. After retiring from the business world, he embraced this sense of leadership by taking up a leadership role in his church quite soon afterward. This transition provided him with substantial fulfillment.
Shortly after stepping down from his role at the consultancy firm where he was a partner, one of our interview subjects, Jay, mentioned that his identity was tied up with his work. During his extensive professional journey, he had either overlooked or failed to uncover who he truly was as an individual.
Forming a fresh insight, or making a discovery, turned into his major undertaking post-retirement.
Jay revived an abandoned persona as a "hot rodder," drawing upon his youthful pursuits when he actively customized classic vehicles, raced them, participated in rallies, and relished the sense of belonging within that close-knit group.
After cutting back his work hours to part-time for half a year, he purchased a hot rod and started modifying it. For Jay, this seemed like a significant move towards finding out who he truly was, with work no longer being a central aspect of his daily routine.
What about Irene? After she retired at last, she relocated to their holiday house on Cape Cod along with her spouse who was still working. There, she managed the refurbishment of the property. In less than twelve months, she became involved with an organization focused on ocean preservation and engaged actively in various aquatic pursuits. This phase marked the emergence of a significant new role for her in retirement: becoming what she called an "ocean person."
In the end, when delving into retirement, reflect on your current professional identity and decide which aspects of it you can carry forward. Also, determine what parts you wish to shed. Afterward, let your mind wander broadly. Consider what fresh roles and personas you could embrace in this upcoming phase of your life.
If you manage to accomplish this with honesty, you'll be more likely to discover a fulfilling retirement ahead.
Teresa M. Amabile She is the Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration, Emerita at Harvard Business School. Teresa earned her Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford University, and She is one of the authors of " Relaxing into Retirement: Crafting a Lifestyle That Suits You ."
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Adapted from "Retiring: Crafting a Life That Suits You" by Teresa M. Amabile, Lotte Bailyn, Marcy Crary, Douglas T. Hall, Kathy E. Kram. Copyright © 2025 by Teresa M. Amabile et al. Reproduced with permission from Routledge. All rights reserved.
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