Retirement: “I first had to learn to find tasks for myself”

Some would prefer to work all their lives and never retire. This is different for many baby boomers; they would like to stop a little earlier and enjoy the years in which they are still fit. But as the time approaches, they can’t avoid imagining day X and the time after that. And the feelings often fluctuate between “I’ll soon have it done” and “Oh dear, what am I going to do then?”

The star spoke to Bettina Musall, who has dealt intensively with the topic of retirement. So intense that it resulted in a book. A very special, not-so-advice non-fiction book that screams at you from the shelf with “Attention, the pension is coming” on the cover and scares you. The “Spiegel” editor, who is now retired herself, did some research and spoke to numerous, very different experts about the transition into this new phase of life.

Ms. Musall, the word retirement triggers different feelings for everyone. How did you prepare for this?
I always wanted to work until the last day, but I needed an idea of ​​what would happen next. I couldn’t imagine living without work. Of course, it’s also good luck to have found a job that means more than just making money. It wasn’t a given to me that I would continue writing in retirement, but that I would have a task that went beyond managing my private life. I wanted to do something that I saw meaning in. For me, making money is more than just being able to pay the rent. It is also recognition. That’s why I had to think about it.