How to Adjust to Retirement after Selling Your Dental Practice
Selling your dental practice in Houston, TX or anywhere else is a big step forward in your life. For many dentists, such a sale marks the start of retirement. But retiring is far easier said than done. As a dental professional who owned a thriving practice, you grew used to burning the candle at both ends. It can feel complex, to transition into a quieter and less hectic existence.
For many dentists, retirement is a scary prospect. What if you miss treating patients? What will you do with your time? Do you have enough retirement savings? Do you have enough to do, to keep yourself busy without working? All of these questions swim in your head.
Far too many dentists wait too long before retirement. You have likely known some of these. They worked until their last days and never enjoyed real time away from the office. You deserve more from your post-career days. After all, you worked so hard to build up your dental practice, for this very reason.
You can relax into a quieter, healthier and happier routine after selling your dental practice. You simply need to adjust. This adjustment begins as you go through your dental practice transition after sale. Below are some tips for helping yourself take the final steps out of your hectic workweeks and into an enriching life of retirement.
When You Are Retiring Be Prepared For An Adjustment Period
As the phrase suggests, dental practice transitions are a time of transition. You need to take time to adjust to your changing circumstances, whether you choose to fully retire, pull back to part-time practice or move to a new location.
Expect to feel some rushes of panic now and then, particularly over whether retiring is the right decision. You will also experience bouts of boredom, possibly with some guilt over not appreciating your new-found freedom. Give all of these emotions time. They will pass, as you adjust to your new lifestyle and all of its opportunities. Even better than letting the feelings fade on their own is finding new ways to enjoy yourself.
Maintain Structure
Without structure, we all feel a little lost. You grew accustomed to working a fast-paced schedule of weekdays and possibly even weekends. So you should maintain a new type of schedule by establishing a retirement routine. Too much free time can lead to depression and structure in your days helps you maintain healthy self-esteem.
Your daily routine should include some activities like exercise, socialization and time with family. Also consider volunteering. Sit down for home-cooked meals, instead of eating and running out the door as you did in the past. Enjoy the little things in life, but fill your days doing things you always put off until retirement.
Continue Setting Goals On Into Your Retirement
In your work life, you generally felt a daily sense of accomplishment. Continue focusing on goals after selling your dental practice for retirement in Houston. Of course, these new goals will look different from your old ones. But they can continue giving you a sense of achievement and direction.
Learn a New Craft or Trade
If you have ever had those moments when you thought you should have or could have pursued a different career, now is your chance. Take up a new hobby, pursue the Arts or learn a new trade. You are never too old to learn something new and doing so can keep you feeling young, while engaging you in a whole new way. Another option is to take on a big DIY project you put off because of work.
Work Part-Time Even Though You Are Retired
Of course, there is nothing wrong with missing work or wanting to maintain some activity in your career. You can volunteer to provide your services to underserved communities. Or you can work part-time and enjoy the benefits of being in a dental practice, without the burden of carrying the full load of one. At the same time, continued income certainly does not hurt.
Forge Your Own Path During Your Own Retirement
In retirement, like any change of lifestyle, you can expect a lot of advice from others about what to do with your “spare time.” But the best advice is to take things slowly and go with the flow. Forge your own path in your own time. Your gut will tell you how to occupy your newly acquired freedom, while you maintain the right to change your mind and personal direction as many times as you wish.
After selling your dental practice, transition can come as a shock. Or you can work with a dental practice transitions team well-versed in guiding dentists just like you through these changes. Through a well-planned transition, you have time to consider your choices and how to kick off your retirement. After all, you worked hard and deserve to find your own bliss, even if that necessitates a little experienced help along the way.
Are you thinking about selling your dental practice in Houston or elsewhere in the United States? Call the experienced dental practice transitions team of Encompass IHC at 919-395-0444. We help you position your practice for sale, find a qualified buyer and make the transition into your retirement or other life changes.
