What’s your retirement style? I've identified four different types of retiree - Activists , Individualists , Specialists and Traditionalists .

Activists are the movers and shakers in retirement , the trailblazers - the ones who start new charities and foundations. They are the ones who fight for their rights and the right of others. Activists have a determination to make life better for somebody, somewhere, and their cause can be the environment, health, education or community.

Examples of Activists include Jan Hively, the 75 year old Civic Ventures Purpose Prize Fellow, founder of Minnesota’s Vital Aging Network and co-founder of SHIFT, a non-profit networking organization for those on the path of mid-life transition, and Howard and Marika Stone - also Purpose Prize Fellows and the founders of 2young2retire.

I'm from the UK and it’s more difficult to find good examples of British Activists but think of someone like actress Joanna Lumley and her campaign to give Gurkhas the right to reside in the UK. (I know she’s not retired but she’s the right age for it.) Another example would be the older Council Tax rebels who go to prison rather than pay a tax they feel is unfair and unjust.

So, does the Activist sound like your retirement type? If not, take a look at Part 2 in this series - all about the Individualist and see if that's a better fit...

Author's Bio: 

Ann Harrison is a certified retirement coach, 2young2retire facilitator, pre-retirement trainer and author of 'The Retirement Detox Programme: 40 Days to Get Your Retirement Back on Track' and 'Thought Provokers: Questions You Need to Ask Yourself BEFORE You Retire'. For regular retirement-related news updates, visit her blog at http://www.contemporaryretirement.typepad.com/ or catch up with her via her website: http://www.ContemporaryRetirementCoaching.com .