What’s so interesting about the collective anxiety surrounding retirement is how people express it. I see it on a regular basis when I teach my non-financial retirement planning workshop, Naked Retirement. I start by asking people why they signed up for the class and time and time again, people respond with comments infused with anxiety, worry and even frustration.

I recently had a woman share, “I’m afraid of what I will become. My whole life I only wanted to be a teacher and I’ve been one now for over 30 years and I’m afraid to give that up.”

Another gentleman shared, “I may be 60, but I feel like I’m 40 and my doctor says I’m in better shape than guys half my age. I’m not ready to retire from life… I know I can work circles around younger people and am just not sure what’s next but its something.”

I bring up these comments because like so many others, they are so heartfelt.  I can see the pain in their eyes, the tension in their jaws and the despair in their voices as they struggle with the question of “What’s next?” 

As a result, I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that one of the biggest challenges we face as advisors is helping people figure out who they really are so that they can experience retirement in a genuine and authentic way.

On the surface, that may sound like a noble cause but frankly it’s very troubling because many clients are lost and afraid of who they really are. In the land of the free, many people are trapped by their thoughts and feelings… overwhelmed by their options and choices… and more importantly, looking for someone or some way to help them create a balanced retirement plan that helps them resolve these conflicts.

So here are a few ways advisors can help clients avoid a Y2K effect on their retirement.

Help Them See Outside The Box

One of the biggest issues with clients trying to re-imagine or re-invent themselves has to do with semantics. The term retirement contains the prefix “re” which literally means to do something “again” or “again and again.” It indicates repetition, withdrawal or a backward motion. That’s not what people want or need to do! 

They need to be encouraged to think outside the box. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. From an engaging question such as “What’s one thing no one would believe you started doing in retirement?” to sharing an inspirational article or empowering video.  (Here’s a sample of the newsletter I send out.)

Stop Being And Start Doing

One of the most common problems I see with clients moving toward retirement is that they are living below their potential. That’s not to say, people should be doing these mind-blowing overachieving things, but rather doing instead of being.

Time and time again, I hear people say they want to be healthier, become an author and be in business for themselves. Advisors are often well connected to their community so become a resource for clients that gets them doing instead of just being. Have a list of exercise or yoga classes, writing workshops and get to know the local S.C.O.R.E. volunteer to answer their business questions. Don’t let them assume everything will be okay, get them moving and taking action instead of thinking or just being.