For the personal
aspects of retirement
Your retirement, your way
"Most people spend more time preparing for a two-week holiday than they do for their retirement."
"Most people spend more time preparing for a two-week holiday than they do for their retirement."
"Most people spend more time preparing for a two-week holiday than they do for their retirement."
- Many people look forward to the day they can retire with the intention of fulfilling their dreams, but after 2–12 months, the “honeymoon period” can be over.
- They could afford to retire but didn’t plan for how they would find structure, purpose and meaning for the next 20 to 30+ years.
- What will you do for the rest of your life? How will yo
- Many people look forward to the day they can retire with the intention of fulfilling their dreams, but after 2–12 months, the “honeymoon period” can be over.
- They could afford to retire but didn’t plan for how they would find structure, purpose and meaning for the next 20 to 30+ years.
- What will you do for the rest of your life? How will you live a balanced and rewarding lifestyle? What will happen to your relationships with family and friends?
Next steps to a successful transition from work to the rest of your life
"Most people spend more time preparing for a two-week holiday than they do for their retirement."
"Most people spend more time preparing for a two-week holiday than they do for their retirement."
- Whether you’re years or days away from retirement, or already retired, I can help you to help yourself.
- Retirement coaching focuses on parts of your post-work life that you may need to spend more time considering and preparing for, ideally before you retire.
- Aspects covered include retirement readiness; transition to retirement; purpose and
- Whether you’re years or days away from retirement, or already retired, I can help you to help yourself.
- Retirement coaching focuses on parts of your post-work life that you may need to spend more time considering and preparing for, ideally before you retire.
- Aspects covered include retirement readiness; transition to retirement; purpose and meaning; work and leisure activities; health and wellness; family and relationships; and personal fulfilment.
What I do
"Most people spend more time preparing for a two-week holiday than they do for their retirement."
What I do
- I identify your retirement expectations, and preparation (if any), and compare these to what it takes to retire successfully.
- I confirm your strengths and focus areas, and help you realise your own retirement goals and steps to reach them.
- My first consultation with you is obligation free, and cost free if you decide not to proceed.
About me
René Vernon
- I'm a life coach (as well) and a former Director of Human Resources.
- I've recovered and benefited from post-retirement clinical depression.
- I enjoy volunteering (Lifeline; Red Cross), writing, and travelling
- Here's my story.
I'm a qualified retirement coach
- My services are available Australia-wide.
- Based in Canberra, I can provide face-to-face coaching at a location that suits you, including Batemans Bay, Goulburn, Moss Vale, Queanbeyan, and Yass.
- I can also provide coaching via Zoom (including to overseas clients), phone, or email; or to small groups.
What's in it for you?
The new retirement
- People are living longer and staying younger. Expected years in retirement for Australian men and women is currently 21.5 and 30.6 years, respectively (Source: ABS). In 1970 the figures were 12.1 and 17.2 (Source: OECD). Retirement may turn out to be the longest period of your life. What will you do with your longevity bonus?
Retirees sometimes lose their way and experience a loss of purpose and meaning; they feel rudderless. A 2013 study by the London Institute of Economic Affairs reported a 40% increase in the incidence of clinical depression among medium to longer-term retirees. Coaching can help you to stay on track for a fulfilling retirement, or it can help you find your way back to purpose and meaning in retirement.
Here are some recent items about this, and related matters:
- ‘Nothing but a retiree’: why Boomers are turning to lifestyle coaches
- ‘Something that actually matters’: Four retirees on why they’re becoming teachers
- A new start after 60: I’m a short, greying woman – and the world’s oldest battle rapper
- Depression after retirement: Symptoms, treatments, and how to cope
- SBS TV Insight episode on "Growing Older, Loving Life" — watch on demand
- An annual money day could save you thousands each year
- Why the great unretirement movement has been on the rise in Australia in the past three years
- People who have these ‘Big Five’ personality traits are happier throughout their llves
- The 'Great Unretirement'
- Retirees denied credit cards: Responsible lending or discrimination?
- A 67-year-old who ‘un-retired’ shares the biggest retirement challenge
- No. 1 retirement challenge ‘no one talks about’
- Relevance deprivation syndrome
- SBS TV Insight episode on "Retirement: Ready or Not" — watch on demand
- Five stages of retirement everyone will go through
- People who retire and then regret it
- Rethinking retirement
- Best places to retire in 2024
- Former soldier once deployed to Timor-Leste to keep the peace returns to find personal healing
- Are there positive life experiences besides work? Achieve financial independence and retire early!
- Choose your own adventure: navigating retirement after an academic career
- Australians still intending to retire between 65 and 66
- 20 tips for a happy retirement
- How to retire successfully: 'You need to ask what you want out of life'
- Preparing emotionally for retirement
- Seven habits for a happy retirement
- Meet the retired scientists who collaborate with younger colleagues
- “Who am I if not a scientist?” How to find identity and purpose in retirement
- Ten simple rules when considering retirement
- You’re probably not ready to retire — psychologically
- Adjusting to retirement: Handling depression, stress, and anxiety
- 80yo woman takes on 17-day, 130km hike to Mount Everest base camp
- Australia’s oldest PhD graduate becomes a doctor at 94
Your retirement, your way
Retirement is a time of enormous, often unanticipated, change. The purpose, status, structure and socialisation opportunities you derived from work disappear. Who will you be in retirement? Live long and lose your way, or live long and curiously?
Reading, seeing and hearing about other people’s experiences of retirement is only a small part of a much more important story.
As a retirement coach I ask tailored questions to help you self-discover, and own, your retirement success story.
Here's an item on one way to success:
The Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation offers a free on-line training course on how to create your best retirement:
How does retirement coaching work?
- Introduction. I first meet with you to review your work and life background; current situation and intentions; and interest in retirement coaching. I outline the assessment process, discuss my rates, and answer your questions. This part of my service is obligation-free, and cost-free if you decide not to proceed.
- Questionnaire. If you go ahead, I will email you an online questionnaire for your completion. The are no right or wrong answers. The questionnaire was developed by Dr Richard P Johnson, an adult development psychologist, as a result of his clinical practice experience with retirees.
- Results. After you submit your answers the results are emailed back to you, and copied to myself for analysis, associated research, and briefing preparation.
- Discussion. I meet with you to confirm the results of your questionnaire, and my analysis and findings; and ask you further guiding questions.
- Follow-up. I will email you a summary of the discussion.
- Guidebook. I will provide you an accompanying book, either The New Retirement or What Colour is my Retirement?
- Review. Retirement coaching will usually prompt you to reflect on your situation, so I can meet with you some weeks later to review your results and agree a way ahead.
When should I consider retirement coaching?
I recommend such coaching at any time from 45 onwards. This is a rule of thumb based on an average retirement age in Australia of 61.4 for recent retirees, during 2022-23.
An early start will give you plenty of time to prepare for the changes that retirement will bring.
After you retire you may like to review your situation at 1- to 5-year intervals.
Retirement is so far off for me that I don't see the point
Getting people to think about their future selves can be like getting them to think about a stranger.
Yet many people get the need to prepare financially for retirement. And the need for retirement coaching and a complementary way ahead for the non-financial aspects of retirement is just as important, if not more so.
45+ can be a good time to start thinking about, preparing for, and imagining what could be the longest part of your life. Just like financial planning, the farther out you start the greater will be your dividend and the fewer the surprises.
One to three hours of retirement coaching every 5 years will work for most people.
How ever far or near you are to retirement, whether years, months, weeks or days, or if you’re already retired, retirement coaching can help you to help yourself to better harvest or manage the rewards and quality of your retirement.