HBR Guide to Designing Your Retirement

Make a retirement plan that includes more than golf, mah-jongg, and grandkids.

When what you do is inextricably tied to who you are for so much of your life, it can be daunting to think of who you'll be if you slow down—or stop working entirely. You've charted your own career journey, made difficult choices, led teams through times of turmoil, celebrated big wins, and moved on from devastating losses. How do you just stop? What do you do without a purpose and a plan—and a crowded calendar? How do you make this next stage of your life fulfilling and satisfying?

While the idea of not working can be simultaneously wonderful and overwhelming, you can figure out what you want the end of your career and your retirement to look like before you submit your resignation. This book won't help you figure out whether or not you can afford to retire, but it will help you figure out what you'd like to do and who you'd like to be. You'll learn how to: assess your readiness to make a transition; make a plan to slow your pace—or stop completely; experiment with possible future selves; find new ways to apply old skills; communicate your plan to key partners; bridge your old identity to the new one you create; and keep connected to the passions and people that matter.