Discover the Joy of Writing in Retirement

5 Ways Writing Helped Me Find Purpose in Retirement

Hello retirement! Goodbye purpose and structure! Apart from having children, or experiencing a major life-changing event, there’s no greater time in life where everything as you know it will flip on its head. If you made the gradual transition into retirement, you may not have felt the vast shift in your daily purpose. However, if you were like me, one minute you had the 9-5 (or more) routine, and the next minute you didn’t. Quicker than you could say ‘Bob’s your uncle’, your everyday as you knew it was no longer. But what is it they say? What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger? Thankfully, an unexpected new passion was going to see that I didn’t just survive this new chapter – but thrive. Here are five ways my new commitment helped me find purpose in retirement.

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Embracing Change

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Redefining Identity

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Establishing a Routine

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Building a Community

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Evolving Sense of Purpose

Embracing change

I knew that with all that spare time I now had, I couldn’t just sit around the house or I would likely end up with a kangaroo loose in the top paddock. So, I thought to myself “Trevor, you’re just going to have to embrace this new way of life and get on with things.” So I set about tackling those long-ignored tasks around the house. I threw in some fishing and traveling for good measure. And for a while, I was content. Thankfully, around that time, I had a chance encounter with two pioneering cattlemen, Jack and Syd Beverage, in Northeast Victoria. This was a true fork-in-the-road moment. Their tales ignited something in me, sparking my passion for storytelling. I soon realized I had my own rich narratives to explore. Coupled with the memory of a near-death experience from my childhood, I had this intense compulsion to write. It was incredible. I’m very grateful I allowed myself to embrace my new way of life, had I not, I would not be sitting here today writing about my new journey.

Redefining identity

Like a lot of people, especially within my generation, my career filled me with purpose and a sense of identity. It was who I was! It defined the life that I lived. So once the hammer fell on that part of my life, there was part of me that was left scratching my head “Well who I am now?” “How do I continue on in a happy and purposeful way when all I have known for decades is no longer?” They were tough questions. Whether it was luck or good fortune or what I’m not sure, that fork-in-the-road moment in the North-East gave me an opportunity to redefine myself. Thankfully, crafting technical documents like I had done for years, hadn’t dampened my creativity; instead, they prepared me for this new literary challenge. Whether or not I was any good at it was another story, but I knew I had to give it a shot.

Establishing a routine

Now that I had my newfound sense of purpose, i was able to once again bring about some routine to my days. Definitely not as stringent as my corporate days, but routine none-the-less. In the early days of my writing journey, I would dedicate several hours per day to crafting characters and creating a story. As time went on and I finished my first Australian Historical Fiction novel ‘Ned Kelly’s Son’, my purpose changed again as I sought publishers and navigated the next stage of my newfound author life.

Building a community

As I wrote, researched and sought advice on my newfound identity, I was unknowingly building a new community around me. From locals who had also dabbled in writing, to bookshop owners, to newspaper editors, to publishers, to renowned authors, I was creating a whole new sphere of people around me, many of whom I can now call lifelong friends. My new writing life was delivering in ways that I could never have imagined. The height of this was when I attended a Writer’s Safari in Zimbabwe run by International author Tony Park. An incredible experience that I would never have even thought of back when I handed over my corporate office keys!

Evolving sense of purpose

After completing my first novel, the feeling of accomplishment was exhilarating. It wasn’t just about publishing a book; it was about reclaiming my identity and embracing a new chapter in my life. I discovered that my experiences, insights, and creativity had value. Writing became a bridge that connected my past with my present, allowing me to contribute to a larger narrative. Each new character, story and book, taught me more about myself and the world around me. I found purpose not just in the stories I created, but in the connections I fostered and the lessons I learned along the way.

Retirement does not have to signal the end of purpose; rather, it can be a powerful opportunity for reinvention. Through novel writing, I discovered that my voice still mattered, that my experiences could inspire others, and that creativity could be a lifelong endeavor. As I reflect on my journey, I encourage others facing similar uncertainties to explore their passions, whether through writing, art, or any other avenue. In those pursuits, we can find not only purpose but also joy in the endless possibilities that life has to offer.