Guest Post by Bob Lykke

At 76 years of age I’m in my 15th year of retirement.  After being in the education profession for thirty-five years I transitioned from the busy life of being a school principal to serve as a supervisor of student teachers and administrative practicum students
at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. I knew that I could not just retire with nothing to do, so I spent considerable time planning this first transition.

I believe planning for retirement is much like planning for a special trip you are taking.  This thoughtful preparation is critical for those early years after stepping away from a job you have enjoyed and treasured.

The other thing I’ve noticed about retirement is that it has been a series of transitions.  I spent eleven years at the university, but after eight or nine years there I began to scale back my schedule.  At this time I once again put careful and thoughtful planning on the front burner.  I asked myself what I wished to do after my second retirement.  During the last three years at the university, I studied what I wanted to do in the next stage of life.

Keeping busy in retirement

I am now retired and volunteer as a tutor in four elementary schools a week.  In addition to that I deliver meals on wheels one day a week, and am very involved in our local Kiwanis Club.  I volunteer in schools because I knew that I needed to be around children.

It is very important to know yourself, and think about how you want to spend the extra hours you have each week. I’m a firm believer in having a purpose and finding meaning, and working with children has fulfilled those things for me.  Each year, I
take some time to look ahead, and think about the next transition in my life.  My tutoring ends at noon each day which gives me the afternoon for golf, fishing, and other hobbies I have.

Retirement has also taught me the importance of balance and truly enjoying leisure
time. I’m still learning about this stage of life called retirement. I prefer to call it, “Finding a new life.”