What is autonomy and what does it mean in retirement?

I was at lunch recently with friends, where we found ourselves discussing the idea of autonomy. After that discussion I thought to find out what the word “autonomy” actually means. So I went to my dictionary and found that it means setting your own laws. OK, maybe that applies at the level of a state or country.

Fortunately the dictionary goes on to explain that autonomy for the individual is close to the concept of freedom. That’s the definition I want to work with in this article.

All this got me thinking how does freedom change over the life of an individual? At the risk of overgeneralizing it seems clear that:

·      A child has limited autonomy

·      An adolescent often demands autonomy (typically not granted)

·      For adults - and again I speak generally - there can be many limits to autonomy. What I have in mind here is the obvious triumvirate of work, marriage and children.

Where is this all leading? What has it got to do with retirement? Well, it seems to me that a retired person has an opportunity for lots of freedom.

However, this freedom can come at a cost, as too much autonomy may cause issues, for example with family relationships. It may even lead to a retired person spinning around with no real purpose and, as I often say, purpose is the pillar of a fulfilling retirement.

In a subsequent article I will investigate some of the ways to manage, control and, at the same time, benefit from autonomy.