The Retirement Newsletter: Am I getting retirement anxiety?
Issue Number: -14 — Am I a chicken?
Welcome
Welcome to issue -14, where I wonder if I am a chicken, discuss retirement anxiety and think about what I will do next.
Retirement Anxiety
Anxiety is an interesting thing.
I am not a trained mental health worker, so I am writing my opinions based on what I have read and observed. Please don't hesitate to correct me in the comments.
These days, anxiety is considered a bad thing. Recently, it seems to have been classified as a mental health issue that we should all be concerned about. There appears to be this idea that we shouldn’t be anxious.
However, I see anxiety and being anxious as part of the human condition. It’s part of why we have been successful as a species. Being anxious about the coming winter allowed our ancestors to prepare so they didn’t starve. Being anxious about our surroundings has prevented us from being eaten by bears, wolves, and the like. Being anxious is good. It is part of our survival mechanisms. We should be anxious.
There is being over-anxious. That is, worrying about things beyond our control. And that can be crippling and needs specialist help and treatment. But I don’t think we can expect to live anxious-free lives. It’s just not possible or healthy.
So, what are my retirement anxieties?
Well, simply put, I guess it is the fear of the unknown and all the questions retirement brings up:
Is it the right time to retire?
Will I enjoy retirement?
Can I afford to retire?
What if I have got this all wrong?
Will I miss my job?
Basically, I am anxious about the change and what awaits me. Is there a bear in the woods, and I’m I about to get eaten?
But I might also be a chicken.
Am I a chicken?
I worked in the States for five years, and one difference I noticed between Americans and Brits was their attitude to failure.
In the US, there seemed to be a feeling that you were a failure if you didn’t try. If you tried something in business and your business went broke, you weren’t a failure. You had tried. You were a failure if you didn’t try. Furthermore, you were a chicken for not trying.
In the UK, it has always felt to me that it was the opposite. If you tried, you were brave. You were a failure if your business went bust or your idea didn’t work. You were not a chicken for not trying; you were sensible.
In US terms, I think I have been a chicken for most of my life and a failure in UK terms.
Over the years, I have had numerous business ideas. I’ve launched a few as side-hustles, and as I have kept my day job, I never had the time to commit fully. Hence, I have tried (in US terms, I’m not a failure), but I have never fully committed (in US terms, I am a failure or chicken). I’m a failure in the UK because all my business attempts have not succeeded.
Maybe I have commitment issues?
I have not been able to commit to any of the businesses because of my fear of failure and desire for a career in academia. But, when I retire, I can fully commit to a business idea. Exciting times.
So, in my retirement, as I will have a financial cushion of my pension, and I won’t be working, I can commit to my business ideas fully. Hence, I won’t be a failure in US terms, and I won’t be a chicken. I will be brave for trying, and I will only be a failure if the business doesn’t work out.
As I said above, these are exciting times.
But what am I going to do?
The Future — “What are you going to do?”
I have recently been out with some friends I hadn’t seen in a while, who I thought I had told about my retirement plans but hadn’t.
They were surprised when I said I planned to retire in less than 15 weeks. They all thought I would stay in my job forever. Not only that, but they seemed to think my job defined me and that I would be lost without it.
They all commented, “Can you afford to retire?” And they all said that I would be “Bored within a month” — “What are you going to do?”.
I thought my friends knew me.
Yes, my job defines me — I am a scientist and an educator — but I don’t have to work at a university to continue being a scientist and an educator. I have plans.
If you look back to Issue Number: -36: Fourteen ways to make a little extra money in retirement, you will know that I have three side-hustles I will be pursuing when I retire:
Online Courses — Based on my professional experience as a scientist and lecturer, I have the knowledge to tackle this and the skills to produce the learning material and videos. (If I don’t, then I have been seriously short-changing my students for the last 25 years.)
YouTube — I enjoy making videos. I could improve my current YouTube Channel to get it monetised (I only need another 230 subscribers and double the watch hours) and also use it to promote my Online Courses and other learning resources.
Travel — I already blog about my travels, and I would love to find a way to make some money from my travel experiences. This will be something I will explore as a side-hustle in my retirement.
So, I will be busy, and I won’t be bored. And when I mentioned doing the above side-hustles to my friends, they seemed surprised. What do they think I have been doing during my career? Sitting in a dusty office and delivering the occasional lecture. Teaching at a university has changed. You have to develop a broad skill set.
Plus, I am still considering starting a paid add-on to this newsletter. What do you think? Should I?
Travel — Nostalgia Corner
This week, I think about the time I spent in Singapore visiting a remarkable Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemetery, a site of a battle for Singapore in the Second World War, and a fantastic wetland reserve at Sungei Buloh:
Singapore — Kranji War Memorial, Singapore — A memorable visit — an incredible place; even now, just looking at the photos makes me reflect on what those men and women must have experienced.
Singapore — Kranji Beach Battle Site, Singapore — Exploring a Second World War battle site in Singapore — one of the few victories during the invasion of Singapore by the Japanese.
Singapore — Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore — a free day out! — How did it take me so long to discover this wonderful place? A great day out.
Next week, more tales from Malaysia.
Next week
Next week, in issue -13, I will reveal if I have pushed the big red button and officially started my countdown to my retirement.
Thanks
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Until next time,
Nick
PS, If you would like to contribute something to the newsletter — a story, advice, anything — please get in touch.