“Retirement is an artificial construct, stop thinking about it. Think about reinvention instead. I know too many people in their sixties who have “retired” from their occupations and are, basically, sitting around waiting to die. There is no moral or religious code calling for the excitement of life to end before life ends.”
-Alan Weiss (a consultant I highly respect. )
Reinventing Yourself
Recently at a farm family meeting of siblings we were trying to analyze why the parents were so reluctant to let go of farm asset ownership. I suspect that one of the key factors keeping transition planning stuck is the fact that many farm men do not have an identity, role, or purpose beyond their decades old role of “farmer.”
Is your dad looking for permission to continue owning a pick-up that he can fuel with farm gas or diesel, and does he still want a few cows to keep “busy?”
My farmer and I bought an Ocean Kayak that we have to fuel ourselves with our arm power. We have explored many of the local lakes and plan to have more adventures next spring and summer. We also made sure that the craft can support young children who would delight in using it as a floating dock.
In coaching terms, people let go of old habits and ways when they have something new to look forward to and do. What is it that you need to unlearn? What new things can you learn this year that would excite you enough to spend less time managing the farm as you transfer decision making to your successors?
[Tweet “Hey #farmers, don’t just #retire, #reinvent yourself and keep having fun!”]
Hobbies for Farmers
Here’s a possible list of hobbies for farmers:
- Kayaking
- Golf
- Hunting
- Tinkering
- Volunteering to drive cancer care folks
- Leadership institute work
- Camping in Russia and training new leaders (Kingdom Ventures International)
- Building new homes for MDS (Mennonite Disaster Service)
- Politics – local or provincial
- Ag policy leadership
- Entrepreneur mentoring or new deal making
- Starting a completely new business
- Selling farm machinery
- Helping at auction sales
- Reviving a trade such as electrician or welding
- Art…creating art from “junk”
- Oxbow historian clipping from the Producer
- Flying remote planes or real life size planes.
- Working with the poor in Haiti
- House parent in a teenage group home
- Fishing in winter and summer
- Teaching kids 4-H projects
- Emcee for community events
- Writing your life story
- Photo journaling, making memory books of photos of the farm
- Playing in a band that entertains many groups
- Driving seeders and combines
- Literacy classes at local school
- Recycling volunteer
- Flower planter and landscaper to keep town beautiful
- Teaching English in a foreign country or in Brandon
- Cutting rags at the local thrift store
- Refinishing furniture or repairing things for sale at the thrift store
- Baking to do random acts of kindness, and helping single moms
- Cross country skiing
- Working in the food bank
- Feeding the birds, and building amazing feeders
One of the great things about the internet is that you can Google “how to do…” anything, and come up with amazing ideas. You might also want to check out vocation vacations, elder volunteering, and chat with your local librarian. There are many workable ideas for all types of farmers.
Remember that you will have more excitement about getting out of bed in the morning when you feel that your life has purpose. Find out what “flow” is for you, the thing that you do when you lose all track of time because you are enjoying the activity to the max. I am in flow when I write, and paint watercolors. I also enjoy visiting.
January is a great time to de-clutter your house and shop, to donate the things that you don’t use or need anymore. That will create a new space and energy for a new hobby or latent hobby to be re-born.
I sure would like to visit the farmer who told me he is restoring 3 older cars as a gift for each of his adult children. Let me know what hobby is keeping you alive with delight for a full and purposeful life.
Remember you have a choice. Act now.
Hi Elaine:
Here are a couple of more items for your retirement hobbies list:
– physical workouts at home or at a rec center – Sandi & I do this regularly
– pickelball – Sandi and I have started this and are enjoying it
– walking, jogging, running – Sandi and I have been doing about 6 road races (5-10k) during the summer each year for the past 7 years. This summer I hope to try a half marathon (22k)
– biking (on a bicycle) last summer our youngest son, some of his friends and I biked the Kettle Valley Rail Trail from Kelowna to Penticton (80km) in 6.5 hours
In my travels around Alberta I find that people are not paying enough attention to their physical fitness and the number of overweight and un-fit people is significant
Art
Hi Art,
Thanks for your ideas and inspiration. Ralph Waldo Emerson says “your health is your wealth”, so you gave us many good tips.
Blessings on your journey with Sandi. Elaine
Hi Elaine, my name is les. from Australia, and I am 78yo, and I have done a lot of the things that were on your list. We are now locked down with this Virus, and I had to turn to more mentle things. One of the thoughts that came to me was, where did dogs come into my life, and how human were they? As mans best friend and someone that gave their all just to be my companion and helper they didn’t get much thought after they finished their 14 or 16 years on earth. Who else thinks of just how faithful, and what they did to help us.