Are you a ‘D’ person? (See below!) If so you may suffer something similar to when you went to college being top of the school class and being amongst intellectuals many of which were of much higher standing than you! Being smart in one area (or even many) doesn’t make you smart in all. 

Einstein did fine in math, but he did flunk the entrance exam to the Zurich Polytechnic when he first took it — when he was about 1 1/2 years away from graduating high school, at age 16. He did fine on the math section but failed the language, botany and zoology sections!

 

Academics will often find ‘work-arounds’ so as to deal with the domestic side of life and the saying that behind every successful man is strong woman who held it all together! (Please don’t shoot me down, I’m sure many a woman succeeded with a strong man behind her too – Most successful marriages work as a team and not always in the ‘traditional’ family model!)

Whomever it was that ran the house and family will likely have not been lauded so much as the ‘brilliant doctor’ but will usually continue once he/she has retired. The shift in the balance of ‘power’ may be VERY uncomfortable as Robert Laura outlines below – All those certificates, papers and awards count for very little in retirement and one can only live on past reputation for so long and only in the academic circle!

So over to Robert Laura and his interesting insights, second warning…It’s not pretty!

Once you walk out that door, your brain will begin to slowly suffocate as the value of your opinion fades and you’re left with crossword puzzles and word searches as your only intelligent companions.

It’s a slow and painful loss of knowledge, credibility, and acknowledgement because your role as the go-to person with all the answers completely vanishes. And frankly, nobody cares anymore that you gave lectures at prestigious clubs and universities, met with members of Congress, shook hands with world leaders, consulted with fortune 500 CEOs, or wrote an industry-changing book or course.

None of that matters and neither does all that information you’ve worked so hard to acquire. The gigs up and now you’re just a normal, everyday retiree. How’s that make you feel?

It’s interesting because over the years, I have worked with a number of smart people and most of what I wrote so far never really happens. However, it’s what many intellectual people fear will happen.

People entering retirement tend to fear losing the things that are most valuable, or that they worked the hardest for. So, when it comes to people who have used their brain power to get to where they are today, they worry about losing their ability to understand, explain, problem-solve, and have an impact on others.

Over time, I have learned how to respond and interact with this group that I categorize as “D” people. The D is a reference to the fact that many of the folks have a D for doctor in their credentials. For example, MD, PhD, PsyD, JD EdD, etc.

As a group, they tend to be voracious readers, equipped with references and resources for whatever they are interested in…and they won’t quit until they have all the answers. They thrive on learning, knowing, and understanding. And it’s no different when it comes to retirement. They are committed to figuring it out, or “learning” it.

Which is exactly where the problem is because unfortunately, you can’t do retirement by the book. It’s like trying to learn how to be a parent. You can read stuff all day long and gather all the advice you can find, but it won’t matter once someone hands that baby to you. Similarly, it’s why so many highly educated people fail miserably during their transition and can’t figure it out.

I don’t mean to appear harsh when I use a term like fail miserably or that they can’t figure it out, but this group of people didn’t get through school or their careers getting a 50-60% grade on everything. However, that is exactly where many people are functioning at, maybe for the first time, and it’s driving them absolutely nuts.

Which is why I want to point out that you’re not alone. It’s very common for people of all types and categories to struggle with the transition. So, you’re not going through it by yourself or the first person to have these challenges. In fact, there are a couple simple steps both smart and super smart people can do to design a better transition.

Create A Knowledge Budget
Just as some retirees have a travel budget or set money aside to spoil the grandkids, highly educated folks need a knowledge budget. Smart people are consummate life-long learners, but with a twist. They are not surface learners. They aren’t satisfied reading free articles or catching a 15-minute podcast. They crave deep and relevant knowledge, and like being around other smart, life long-learners which all comes at a price. Therefore, instead of setting aside $10,000 or $20,000 on annual travel experiences, spend it on books, certifications, learning experiences, and more. 

Workshop / Conference / Retreat Schedule
One of the things I truly appreciate about smart people is their desire to share their knowledge and information. Which is why I suggest you consider attending several conferences a year and even try to present at them whenever possible. There are a growing number of retirement-based conferences along with positive aging symposiums that can serve as a great place to meet people, stay on top of trends, and gather new resources.


Overall, for many smart people, retirement can end up being framed as this slow and painful loss of knowledge, credibility, and acknowledgement. But it doesn’t have to be that way. By acknowledging your love for learning, stimulating conversation, and desire to have all the answers, highly educated people can position themselves to stay relevant and connected while continuing to have an impact on others.

Robert Laura is a pioneer in the psychology and social science of retirement planning. He is an Amazon best-selling author, nationally syndicated columnist, and founder of both the Retirement Coaches Association and Retirement Intelligence Assessment.