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John Manzongo @the Workplace
I have been concentrating on working and discovered that we all shall retire from work at some point in life and enjoy the fruits of our so many years’ hard work. Even those who worked hard for poor salaries deserve their rest when the time comes. I recall a senior citizen who was in the uniformed forces.

He could no longer do much work and was advised to retire.
Instead of taking the advice he went down on his knees pleading with authorities to give him more time, more years at work just because he was not prepared.

His exact plea was: “Sir, can you please bear with me, give me more years at work I have nowhere to go because I am an orphan.”
This may sound funny especially it having been said by someone in his mid-sixties.
The reason he spoke of his being an orphan was because he had not planned for retirement.

He never imagined himself out of employment at any stage of life.
He got into the force as a young man when he joined the liberation struggle.
After independence he joined the army. He never worked anywhere else except with the uniformed forces but then age was catching up with him.
The issue we want to talk about today is retirement preparation.

How does a worker prepare for retirement?
Whether a worker likes it or not, at some point in life he or she will have to retire and go home while the young generation takes over the same job and life goes on.

In preparation for retirement, a worker should be emotionally prepared.
He or she must define who they want to be upon retirement.
It is mostly in retirement years that the wise ones or the prepared workers start excelling.

Many start wondering what was stopping them from prospering all these years.
It is because they would have planned, visualised what they want to be and prepared for it.
In retirement there is a lot of time to do what you want depending on your physical capability.

Most men do not want to think of this point because of various reasons chief among them fear of the unknown.
A worker needs to face the retirement fears.

The reason why many refuse or hesitate to retire is because they are afraid.
I found one fascinating definition of FEAR in the army and it says False Evidence Appears Real.
We are afraid of the unknown, what lies ahead.

How will we manage financially, social activities, interactions; how we will lose the work benefits such as regular trips around the country, around the world, etc. While many workers always complain about work, it is in retirement that they wish they were at work. So                                          funny.

It is in retirement that a worker must start enjoying and living a dream life such as a holiday to some of the world’s most renowned tourism destinations, locally, regionally or internationally.

I have relatives who are enjoying their retirement because they had planned for their future.
One good way of planning for retirement is thoroughly educating your children, siblings or any young relative of your choice.

Impart the knowledge and guidance in them.
Take them to good schools if you can and frankly speaking they are part of a good retirement plan.
They will not let you live a pauper’s life; they will lift you up even to higher standards when you retire.

For example, they might end up in well paying jobs abroad where they have the opportunity to invite you over for holidays abroad.
There is nothing as refreshing as visiting in some faraway land in your old age. You get to know new things.

Again the youngsters can even plan your retired life.
Some can even start paying for all your needs, everything such that you will not even bother following up your pension money.
Once retired there is need to play it safe.

It is usually in old age that we start behaving like youngsters again or even worse.
We start dosing off at the slightest possible chance, we start hating to bath, we start to nag so much that even youngsters find it hard to live with us.
It is important to instil certain values and principles in yourself as this will not go away when you are old.

In Africa, retired people usually end up in the rural areas.
As such, there is need for a worker to fully prepare for such a life by investing in things that make up that community.
These investments include a rural home, cattle, goats, borehole and many other things that will make life easy.

A good worker always plans with the idea of leaving a legacy that the young can start building on in case there is recession or poor econ-                  omy.

It is hard to invest money but the few dollars saved monthly in personal savings accounts and life plans might come handy upon retirement.