"For the first time in 40 years, I had space to think. Not the kind of thinking you do between meetings, or on the weekend between obligations, or in the shower before you rush to get dressed. Real space. Hours of it. Days of it."
"I was good at my job. I was respected. I made decisions efficiently, managed people effectively, delivered results consistently. I developed a professional self that was competent, controlled, strategic, and slightly detached."
"That self was, I can see now, a construction. Not a lie exactly. More like a heavily edited version of whoever I was before the career started."
"Self-determination theory describes how people internalize external demands along a continuum. At one end is external regulation, doing something because someone else requires it."
Retirement often brings unexpected challenges, including a profound space for self-reflection. After an initial adjustment period, individuals may confront the realization that their professional identity is a constructed version of themselves. This constructed self, shaped by external expectations and demands, can lead to feelings of discontent. The process of self-determination theory illustrates how people internalize external pressures, which can result in a disconnect from their authentic selves. Ultimately, retirement can serve as a catalyst for reevaluating personal values and identity.
Read at Silicon Canals
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