Done Working! Finding Contentment in Retirement
Men's Sheds are about much more than tools and workshops. They are places where members share skills, pursue creative interests, build friendships and continue learning throughout life.
At Oxley Men's Shed, member Dr Darryl Dymock has been doing exactly that for many years, convening the Shed's Writers Group and encouraging others to develop their writing and storytelling skills. His latest book, DONE WORKING: Finding Contentment in Retirement, draws on research, personal experience and the insights of retirees to explore what it takes to build a fulfilling life after work.
In DONE WORKING, Darryl tells the story of a man who happily retired from work before his wife did.
When she arrived home on the Friday of his first week of retirement, she found him sitting on the sofa in tears. He had spent the entire week alone, made no plans, and was beginning to think he had made the wrong decision to leave his job.
"Hopefully he's found his way to a Men's Shed by now," Darryl says, "where he can discover a renewed sense of purpose, connection and meaning."
In the book, Darryl weaves together the frank advice of 101 retirees, worldwide research, and his own insights from conversations and experience to identify seven ways to find contentment in retirement.
Whether you're planning for retirement or already living it, DONE WORKING offers practical insights to help you find your own path to a rewarding and contented life.
QMSA Health and Wellbeing Specialist Dr John Barletta describes the book as a practical guide to creating a fulfilling retirement:
"DONE WORKING speaks a language we can all understand. This book puts you in the driver's seat to develop a good life, simple as that."
According to Darryl, there are seven key steps towards finding contentment in retirement, many of which align closely with what Men's Sheds are all about:
Manage the transition to retirement – think of it as a journey, not a destination.
Don't ignore the past – build on it and learn from it.
Decide who you want to be – stay resilient and maintain a positive self-image.
Decide what you want to do – learn to do and learn to be.
Decide how you will connect with others – and when you won't.
Decide what wellbeing means for you – from healthy ageing to successful living.
Accept the realities of getting older – live in the present while preparing for the future.
In Brisbane, the book is available from Avid Reader Bookshop in West End and Riverbend Books in Bulimba. It can also be ordered through Avid Reader or your local bookstore.
About the Author
Dr Darryl Dymock is a multi-published author and prize-winning short story writer, an active Adjunct Senior Research Fellow in Vocational Education and Lifelong Learning at Griffith University, a mentor with the Queensland Writers Centre, convenor of the Oxley Men's Shed Writers Group, and a former tutor with the University of the Third Age (U3A) Brisbane.
He's not quite "done working" because he keeps finding interesting things to do. Darryl lives in Brisbane with his wife and his laptop and is the father of four adult children, all of whom, along with their families, continue to bring colour and meaning to his life.
