The Importance of Friends in Your Encore Life
As we age and enter a new phase of life, it becomes increasingly important to maintain social connections and build new friendships. For those aged 55 and older, retirement or a significant career change marks the beginning of their encore lives, where they seek personal fulfillment, social impact, and continued income.
In order to achieve these goals and enhance the overall experience of Creating Your Encore Career, building and maintaining friendships is crucial. In this article, we will explore the importance of making friends and connections while creating your encore career, highlighting the diverse benefits they bring to your life.
The Need for Social Support
This phase of life comes after retirement or a significant change. Individuals seek personal fulfillment, social impact, and continued income.
It's simply at that point in life where you're leaving the corporate world, and you've decided to do something different.
Lack of social support can lead to loneliness and negatively impact health.
There's no reason that you have to have a huge decrease in your social network, it may change. And you may choose to associate with fewer people, it may be in a deeper way.
Building and maintaining friendships is crucial for overall well-being and contributing to these goals.
Interaction with people is great for your mental health. Learning how to get feedback from friends can be helpful in achieving personal and professional growth.
Your Sense of Purpose
As you enter your encore life, that sense of purpose can slip away or become a struggle to define.
Fortunately, there are ways to explore and determine what your next sense of purpose will be. One of the best ways to do this is by talking with friends or peers who are also seeking their own path.
Engaging with others can provide motivation and a reason to get up and do something every morning, as you work towards finding your own sense of purpose once again.
Remember, you're creating value in the world. And it's beyond just winning that next pickleball game. You can do the work you love. You can do it when you want and where you want, and you can live the dream.