Commentary: Who am I when the phone stops ringing? Lessons from my first month of retirement

In many cases, the real challenge might not be having enough to live on but having enough meaning to live with. That is why preparation should include habits, relationships and routines that can survive the loss of title and timetable. These include a greater need to learn new skills from setting up the home laptop and monitors to connecting to the printer – all of which were previously delegated to the corporate IT department. Now, as a retiree, one takes on this new role single-handedly.

Families and close friends can help ease the transition. Over the past month, some of the most meaningful moments have been video calls with my granddaughters. The phone still rings, just for different reasons. Instead of discussing board papers or complex legal issues, I find myself admiring a drawing they have proudly completed or listening to an excited story about their day.