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Week 8 Assignment: Retirement

Rodney Ivery

American Public University System

Prof. Twanda Grey

July 27, 2025

Myself

 Age: 54

 Gender: Male

 Occupation: US Military veteran

 Education: BBA

 Location: Dumfries, Virginia, USA

Interviewee

 Age: 58

 Gender: Male

 Education: MBA

 Location: New York

1. How do you envision your retirement phase? What are your hopes and expectations for

this period?

My Response: I plan to rest, travel, and grow in retirement. I plan to explore interests I've put off

owing to work and focus on my health.

Interviewee: Retirement is a chance to relax and enjoy life. I'll see relatives, travel, and maybe

paint or garden.

2. What factors or considerations are important to you when planning for retirement?

My response: Financial security and a retirement activity plan are important to me. As this life

phase unfolds, I want to be physically and psychologically ready.

Interviewee: Financial stability was important to me. I also thought about health and quality of

life. Being close relatives matters too.

3. How do you perceive the concept of retirement? Is it a time of rest and relaxation or an

opportunity for new beginnings and pursuits?

My Response: Retirement is a time for recuperation and fresh beginnings, in my opinion. It

allows me to try new things and give back to the community.

Interviewee: Both. Retirement was first a time to unwind, but I soon discovered I wanted to learn

and participate in new initiatives, especially volunteering.

4. What are some of the emotions or thoughts that come to mind when you think about

retiring from your current occupation?

My Response: I'm excited and nervous. I'm eager about the freedom, but I'm not sure how I'll

adjust to not working.

Interviewee: The shift first made me anxious. The concept of no daily purpose was

disconcerting. I've grown to cherish retirement's independence.

5. Have you thought about the potential challenges or adjustments you might face during

retirement? How do you plan to address or cope with them?

My Response: Yes, I've considered social adjustment and routine loss. I'll keep active with

hobbies, volunteering, and friends and family.

Interviewee: Lack of structure was my biggest issue. I scheduled exercise, hobbies, and social

time with friends and family to cope.

6. What role does financial planning play in your retirement aspirations? How confident are

you in your financial preparedness for this phase of life?

My Response: Financial preparation is important to me. I'm secure in my retirement savings and

investments, but I worry about unanticipated needs.

Interviewee: Financial preparation was crucial. I saved hard for retirement and feel financially

comfortable, but health bills are always a concern.

7. How do you anticipate spending your time during retirement? Are there specific activities

or hobbies you plan to pursue?

My Response: I'll travel, read, and learn more. I also want to see relatives and friends.

Interviewee: I've begun gardening and painting and want to keep doing them. I want to volunteer

at local schools and travel more with my husband.

8. What impact do you think retirement will have on your social connections and

relationships? How do you plan to maintain or nurture those connections?

My Response: I suppose it will impact my social life as I won't see coworkers. I want to keep in

touch and spend more time with my family to strengthen these bonds.

Interviewee: Retirement has altered my social life. I no longer see coworkers every day, but I

remain in touch through social media and buddy meet-ups.

9. How do you think retirement will affect your sense of identity and purpose? Are there any

concerns or uncertainties you have in this regard?

My Response: Work is a huge part of who I am, thus I think it will alter my identity. I fear losing

my purpose but hope to discover new ways to participate.

Interviewee: I struggled with purpose at first. After years of being bound to my career,

volunteering and hobbies made me feel useful again.

10. Have you sought advice or guidance from others who have already experienced

retirement? If so, what were some of the insights or lessons you gained from their

experiences?

My response: I haven't talked to many people about retiring yet, but I hope to ask those who are

farther along.

Interviewee: I chatted with numerous retired colleagues. Staying active and involved was my

major tip. They stressed that retirement is about discovering new ways to live a fulfilled life, not

relaxing.

Part 2: Reflection:

The perspective of retirement as an opportunity and a change was also evident between

the interviewee and me from the two interviews. Our responses reveal that attitudes toward

retirement and the challenges they face differ.

We both expressed concern that we would miss the structure and routine of the working

year and the opportunity to have continued physical and cognitive development to keep our

minds and bodies active in retirement. The theory of psychosocial development that Erikson

(1978) proposed, emphasizes that it is challenging to identify a sense of meaning and purpose in

life during late adulthood. That change was concerning, the respondent explained, because their
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identity was tied to their work. Cognitive activity and psychological wellbeing after retirement

depend on new areas of interest and/or reasons or need to engage cognitively.

During the interview, we both realized retirement affects the way we socially behave. It

added that while the respondent spoke of missing regular contact with colleagues, they were able

to stay in touch through volunteering programs and social media. I wanted to stay in touch with

family and friends, but I was aware that my social circle would be undergoing a change when I

left my job. These results align with Neugarten (1968), whereby, during later age, networks and

social relations shift, necessitating new social contact in order to attain an important aspect of

well-being.

Retirement planning was both in the interviewee’s top priorities and also one of the first

things I identified regarding financial security. The person being interviewed said that having

finances in place before retirement is crucial to enjoy it, while I said am confident in my

financial plans but fear out-of-the-blue bills. Dacey et al. (2008) highlights, Retirement security

decreases stress (Dacey et al., 2008).

Although both the interviewee and me were apprehensive about the changes induced by

retirement, we viewed it as a time of growth and discovery. But we want to stay active doing

things, going places, and helping out. Retirement depends on individual situations, financial

preparations, and the ability to manage new public and private duties.
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References

Dacey, J. S., Travers, J. F. & Fiore, L. (2008). Human development across the lifespan. McGraw

Hill Publishing.

Erikson, E. (1978). Adulthood. New York: Norton.

Neugarten, B. (Ed.). (1968). Middle age and aging. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.