My name is Dr. Sue Hutchinson. I recently started my own journey into retirement, leaving my position as a researcher and educator at a Canadian university at the beginning of 2023. To me: 

• Retirement is a process, not an end-point.

• As a process, retirement isn’t about ending or reducing. Instead it is an opportunity for new beginnings… growth, renewal and reinvention.

• I believe people can recreate themselves and their lives, even when faced with challenging life circumstances (like health limitations), when they leave work. But I also believe this growth and renewal are only possible through ‘honest’ reflection, self-assessment and planning.

I am trying to ‘practice what I preach’… When working, I prioritized work above all else. In retirement, I have taken up driftwood art, painting and golf, in addition to wanting to share my passion for retirement lifestyle planning!

 

I created The Retired You to bring the science of retirement lifestyle planning to people who may be searching for ways to create their best life in retirement. Before retiring I had conducted a web-based study with Canadians who were partly or fully retired, asking them to share how they had planned for their own life in retirement. Results from this and other studies are shared in the Blog section of the website. In the Tools section are practical resources and tools to support you in assessing your current life situation and planning for your life in retirement. 

 

Why the Fern logo?

To Dr. Sue, ferns are a symbol for what The Retired You is all about. Here’s a description that captures the idea of growth and renewal in retirement:

As the fern gets closer to its light source, it grows bigger, which then allows it to enter into a cycle of expanding while generating the ability to flourish.

Doesn’t that capture what we all hope retirement is about? Growing, expanding, flourishing!