I was quoted in an excellent Australian Financial Review article written by Lucy Dean, below are the highlights….

It’s deceptively simple but one of the first and clearest signs you’re ready to retire is that you don’t enjoy work any more, says Jon Glass, the founder of retirement coaching firm 64Plus.

You might feel dread on a Sunday night, and every additional meeting that pops into your calendar makes you groan.

“The fountain of passion starts to dry up,” Glass says. “People get sick and tired of workplace bureaucracy … and of dealing with unpleasant people, which feeds into a feeling of a lack of control and choice.”

Glass says it’s worth mapping out what you get out of your job, and how you plan to replace that in retirement.

For example, if you’re concerned about leaving behind a routine, a sense of relevance and an identity, think about how you can replace those elements in retirement. One way to do this is by thinking about your “retirement business card” – what would you like to write on it?

Glass encourages retirees to identify at least one habit or skill that they wish to acquire. “One sign [of readiness] is thinking about what you might achieve on the other side,” he says. “You might have longed for years to give something back to your community through volunteer or charity work. Or there may be some hobby that’s been in your mind for years.”

Glass explains: “There is a stereotype where the wife’s been the homemaker and the husband retires. On that first Monday, he turns to his wife and says, ‘So what are we doing today?’ and her answer is, ‘What are you talking about? This is the day I’m with my friends.’”

For couples in this situation, it’s likely that the former “workaholic” needs to find not only ways to fill their time, but also a sense of purpose and relevance. This could be becoming a board member of a charity, or finding a way to serve the community and still feel relevant.

“But you have to put your finger on it to recognise that need,” Glass says. “There’s no point wandering around in a circle thinking, ‘What’s next?’ You have to recognise that need [for relevance] and act upon it.”

For many couples, the COVID-19 lockdowns offered a crash course on how to survive constant proximity with family members. If you and your partner figured out strategies, routines and hobbies that allowed you to spend a lot more time with each other, without friction, that’s a sign you’ll be able to navigate a new way of living together in retirement, Glass says.

If you haven’t spoken to your kids before you retire, it’s a sign you’re not ready, or at the very least you could run into some misunderstandings.

This is particularly the case if they have kids and were counting on you for care, or if you imagined you’d be spending more time with the grandkids than works for their schedule.

“Someone said to me recently, ‘I’m open to all offers and requests from my children as long as it’s not ‘every’,” says Glass.

That is, not every week, every day, or every month. “Caregiving has got to be discussed openly and honestly, and the balance – which may change – has to be established, so all people feel comfortable.”