If you are thinking of retirement and worried about money or what you will do to fill in the time then perhaps the following may inspire you to press "escape"!
I am retired and I have just completed a temporary assignment working as a "Chef" in a Winery restaurant. To put it mildly it was a roller-coaster of a ride. After the first weekend I would have run a mile to escape the immense pressure of "service" and not having a clue what I was doing!, to the last weekend of a rather melancholy farewell to brand new friends and work mates and a whole new set of skills that had me looking forward to "service"! I have never moved so fast, the hours went by in a wink, and after "kitchen closure" each day there was a tremendous feeling of achievement and camaraderie!
We all worry about the "money", not just in retirement, but most of our lives! This was not only an opportunity for a new set of skills but also to make a little extra cash! I have also been asked to Chef for a Wedding of 120 people - and yes, I'm doing that too!
All this came about from our lovely new neighbour dropping in one day for a coffee and giving me a brochure on a local "Cooking Competition". I pushed that brochure around my desk and finally decided to give it a go!
This little competition resulted in:
I won the competition
We've made so many friends, it is now hard to walk into town without bumping into someone we know
I have had been offered jobs of all types in the hospitality industry
I have now worked as a "relief Chef"
Because of the competition and my new network of "people who know people", I now have my first "art exhibition"
...and the list goes on and on. One of the most revealing aspects of this has been how many people I have come across that in retirement (planned or forced) have taken up brand new careers. It is a time to give "things a go"! Your risk of failure doesn't seem to matter so much, and the need to do something does! Here are some recent examples.
Chef turned Antique dealer
Chef turned fashion designer and importer (garments made in Bali and sold locally by word of mouth)
Restaurant Manager turned full time artist - making a very good living!
Fashion Merchants - lost everything including the house, moved to the Hunter Valley and now making gourmet jams, pickles and sauces and loving every minute of it, and doing very nicely!
Manager of International Cosmetics (wife) and Jewellery designer (husband) - now own and operate an Equestrian Centre
....and these are just the ones that are top of mind!
The moral of the story....don't be afraid to take your opportunities when and where they present themselves!!
you might just have the "time of your life"
...and remember...have a fabulous retirementLIFE....
