What Finally Made Me Retire

Retirement crept up on me unexpectedly, bringing with it an overwhelming sense of relief.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve always loved working. Even when I knew I was working too much, I found it almost impossible to slow down.

I simply loved what I was doing.

At 76, I was building a new business, coaching coaches to create thriving practices through simple, affordable, and effective marketing. It meant learning an entirely new set of skills—something I’ve always enjoyed.

I felt an urgent need to stop, take stock of my life, and decide what came next.

What came next, I realized, was retirement.

I’d assumed I would retire someday, but that day had come and gone. If anything, I had become even more excited about my work.

So what changed?

It began with a vague feeling that something wasn’t right. I wasn’t ill. There were no obvious symptoms. I simply didn’t feel like myself. I woke after eight hours of sleep, feeling exhausted and with no energy to face the day.

In the middle of that unexplained fatigue, I recognized something I had been ignoring.

I was deeply stressed.

But more importantly, and likely the cause of my stress, I truly recognized how quickly my husband’s cognitive abilities were declining.

We’ve been married for 40 years, and I realized I was slowly losing the man I knew.

Physically, he’s still strong—stronger than I am. But our easy conversations have become harder. I find myself explaining people, places, and events because he no longer remembers them.

We used to love watching movies together. Now he struggles to follow the characters and the storyline.

He becomes confused about dates, appointments, and even what he’s doing. I worry constantly that he’ll lose something—or lose his way.

Gradually, I realized I would need to accompany him almost everywhere and take over many of the everyday tasks he’d always managed himself. We live in a small town in Costa Rica, where cash is still the norm, so errands and paying bills require time and attention.

Even preparing simple meals and handling household responsibilities had become difficult for him.

Without really noticing, those responsibilities had become mine.

Trying to build a business while carrying that growing weight became increasingly unsustainable.

It was time to stop focusing on my business and start focusing on the time we still have together.

There was another unexpected gift waiting for me.

I could finally slow down enough to fully appreciate the extraordinary beauty of our adopted home, Costa Rica.

I’ll continue to write because writing is simply part of who I am.

I’ll continue to create.

But now it will be an avocation rather than a vocation.

Perhaps I’ll mentor others. Perhaps I’ll simply make the resources I’ve created freely available to anyone who can benefit from them.

I still want to contribute. I still want to share what I’ve learned over a lifetime.

The difference is that I no longer need to monetize my time.

Instead, my energy can go into creating a peaceful, beautiful life for the two of us in our little corner of paradise.

I’ve only been retired for a few weeks, but I already feel happier.

I’m certainly less stressed.

Physically, I feel stronger.

It still feels a little like being on vacation, but as I settle into this new season of life, I’m already discovering its rewards.

I’m less anxious.

I’m more patient with my husband.

I’m more accepting of both his increasing limitations and my increasing responsibilities.

Perhaps this is simply the next calling of my life.

If it is, I’m ready to discover where it leads.

I never imagined I would say the words, “I’m retired.”

Yet now that I’ve accepted them—and even embraced them—they don’t feel like an ending.

They feel like freedom.

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Are you at a time in your life where retirement is a possibility? Have you considered what you will do, where you will live, and what it means to you?

I’m excited to share this journey with you, if it is of interest.

And please let me know if I can help you in building your coaching business. As mentioned, I have resources, courses, and skill sets I’ve been building and would be happy to share.

I’ll also be writing and sharing about my life in Costa Rica. We’ve been here for almost ten years and love it.