Retirement for Women: Identity, Purpose, and Life After Work – Part 2 (Ep. 126)

What happens when the career that shaped your schedule, relationships, and identity is suddenly no longer part of your everyday life? Preparing for retirement can mean thinking beyond the financial pieces.

In this episode, I continue my conversation with Kelly Ottman, PhD, Professor at Milwaukee School of Engineering and Executive Leadership Coach at Leadership Portals, LLC, about preparing for the personal transition into retirement.

We explore how women can rethink identity beyond a job title, create new sources of purpose, maintain important relationships, and build structure before leaving work. Kelly also shares practical ideas from her research, including practicing retirement habits, creating a curiosity list, finding mentors and role models, and becoming more comfortable with a different pace of life.

Kelly discusses:

How women can begin separating their identity and sense of purpose from a professional title before retirement

Why relationships and social connections deserve intentional preparation before leaving the workplace behind

How practicing new routines, hobbies, health habits, and social activities can make the transition feel more familiar

Why a curiosity list can help women explore interests and possibilities they haven’t had time to pursue before

How mentors, role models, friends, and family can provide valuable support when retirement starts to feel overwhelming

And more!

Resources:

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