Breaking the Narrative Heading into Retirement

Springstein was profiled last night on 60 Minutes sharing his baby boomer ways as a rock star to whom retirement is not even a prospect. He’s touring again with members of his original East Street Band. He was beaming with energy and in fact appeared to be quite grounded as the reporter mentioned the legend stays very close to his New Jersey roots, keeps an eye on his three teenage children and even performs with his wife of 15 years.

Way back, when I was in high school, Bruce Springstein’s blockbuster, Born to Run, became somewhat of an anthem for those of us who were feeling rebellious. Listening to that song generated a feeling of freedom from the mandates of homework, getting to school on time, and adhering to my weekend curfew. Now that song and Springstein represent a different kind of freedom. Freedom from the mandates of society around the idea of defining retirement.

In this interview Springstein mentioned that at one point in his career, he decided to go solo for a while. He said sometimes you have to "break the narrative." He explained he had "run out of steam and places to go," which is why he dropped the bombshell of change on the band members. The move, while risky, chaotic and perturbing for many, yielded growth for him.

We all have a story to tell and "breaking the narrative" allows for a new creativity to emerge. It reminds us of the rewards of listening to that intuitive intelligence that moves us toward sweeping change, even in the face of chaos.

With so many baby boomers retiring, we’re seeing that many of them will not go quietly, but instead break the narrative of their story toward transforming their worklife scenario. These new trends toward worklife balance are emerging and might just change the way we live, and enjoy, our lives.