How to Find Meaning in Retirement After the Hustle Ends
- Jordan Defazio
- Jun 11
- 3 min read
You crossed the retirement finish line… but now what?
Your financial advisor reviewed your savings, but how will you find your purpose if you’re not working anymore?
Only you can find that answer.
Some find it difficult to move into the next stage of life, feeling a loss of direction and purpose.
And for many new retirees, finding it can be harder than expected.
What Are You Really Retiring From?
For many, work gives us identity, structure, and community.
Without it, we can feel unsure of who we are or where to focus our energy.
You’re not alone if you feel that way.
Psychologists call this “retirement drift” - the lack of direction or meaning that can set in when the structure of work disappears.¹
A growing body of research suggests that retirement, especially when unstructured or socially isolating, is linked to higher risks of depression, anxiety, and even cognitive decline.
One of the biggest challenges is losing the built-in social life work provides.
When the coffee breaks and meetings disappear, new retirees can be emotionally blindsided.
Without a built-in community, many feel isolated and unsure of where to turn.
That’s why preparing for the emotional and social side of retirement is just as important as the financial side.
What Are the Silent Struggles of Retirement?
Behind the smiles and freedom, many retirees quietly struggle with:
Loss of usefulness: “If I’m not contributing to work, what am I contributing to?”
Social isolation: “I’m not seeing my colleagues anymore - so who do I talk with?”
Guilt around leisure: “Should I be doing something more constructive?”
Disorientation from too much freedom: “I finally have time… but I don’t know what to do with it.”
These feelings are normal.
The key is to build routines that help you build a life that’s meaningful, intentional, and uniquely yours.
Some Ideas to Build a Purpose-Driven Retirement
Build structure into your day
Find something you enjoy and do it regularly. Volunteer. Pick up new hobbies. Reclaim your mornings with intention.
Fill your blank calendar with what you’ve always wanted to do.
Reconnect with your community
Join a club you’ve always been curious about. Take group classes. Volunteer locally. Social connection is one of the strongest predictors of emotional well-being in retirement.
Pursue goals that aren’t financially related
Do that hobby you always wanted to try. Write a book. Take up painting. Focus on your health by taking up running or another activity.
The things money can’t buy often bring the most fulfillment.
This is your chance to write a new chapter that’s real, not a resume.
Think of this stage, not as winding down, but as opening up.
Many of the most fulfilled retirees we work with approach retirement as an opportunity to reinvent.
Having “enough” saved is only part of the equation.
But knowing how to live with direction and meaning is the rest.
Curious how other like-minded retirees are navigating the same path as you?
Join us for our next in-person seminar by registering here.
David Popowich and Faisal Karmali are Investment Advisors with CIBC Wood Gundy in Calgary. The views of David Popowich, Faisal Karmali, and guest author do not necessarily reflect those of CIBC World Markets Inc. This information, including any opinion, is based on various sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed and is subject to change. Clients are advised to seek advice regarding their particular circumstances from their personal tax and legal advisors. CIBC Private Wealth consists of services provided by CIBC and certain of its subsidiaries, including CIBC Wood Gundy, a division of CIBC World Markets Inc
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