When psychologist Erik Erikson delineated his concept of the lifecycle he perceived the 4th Age (the final stage of life) as beginning in one’s 60s.
He later re-visited his earlier work to take account of the new demographics and warned against an initial retirement holiday followed by a time of virtual inactivity and wasted years of living. Erikson and his colleagues urged those in their 50s to develop plans to meet the lifestyle retirement challenge head on and advocating how retirees in our present society might become more integrated into community life.
An organised effort could help boomers envision, and plan for, a life that achieves meaningful fulfilment in their later years by connecting in new ways to the larger community in which they live. Are you involved or are you planning to be involved
in the larger community? What are your interests and skills? How can they be used to make a positive contribution to your community?
This is but one of the lifestyle planning issues that are discussed in formulating a lifestyle retirement plan.
Many people associated with this web site share the view that the Third Age is a time for renewal. Words like ‘ retirement’, ‘volunteer’ and ‘seniors’ oversimplify a complex reality and could be perceived as barriers to change. These words imply a relatively frail, dependent person. On the other hand an ‘active’ ‘young looking’ or ‘productive’ person in the Third Age may also have limitations. Do the boomers need a new word and image to re-envision their role, value, meaning and purpose in their renewal?
Alan Greig agreig@gil.com.au