America is on the brink of the largest retirement wave in history - nearly 30 million people will hang up their careers over the next decade. That's according to University of New Mexico School of Law Professor Nathalie Martin, who just released a new book, The Inspired Retirement: Purpose and Passion in Your Next Adventure.

The publication is a step-by-step guide to empowering and improving one's post-career life both physically and mentally, based upon each person's unique values, skills, and passions.

First, Martin emphasizes the importance of planning. By considering the type of daily life you want to have in retirement well before you retire, the transition can be much more comfortable.

"Some of us will feel a huge void in our lives when we finally leave that workplace for the last time. We may need to establish new social connections to become part of new communities after leaving our full-time jobs," Martin said. "My book includes stories from interviews I did for this project, and one features how my colleague, author, and law professor Sherri Burr did this by becoming part of various literary communities before she left full-time teaching."

It all started in 2018 when Martin had the opportunity to combine her two favorite things to teach, law and yoga/meditation, into a book called Lawyering from the Inside Out, published by Cambridge Press. It focused on using mindfulness in legal education to train lawyers, organized around a series of contemplative practices to slow down and become aware of what is happening in one's life. Knowing yourself and your needs, values, strengths, and weaknesses can help you find purpose and meaning in your life.

"That book was about purpose at the beginning of a career, but I realized that this sort of personal inquiry can also help near the end of a career," Martin said. "Many people define themselves by their work, and most of us derive a lot of meaning and purpose from what we do. Our social circles also often revolve around work, though we may not realize this until we leave our workplaces for good."

The Inspired Retirement focuses on specific practices, how to set your objectives and prioritize them, while also highlighting the work of Dr. Atul Gawande, who identifies three plagues of aging: dependence, boredom, and loneliness. Many individuals concentrate on financial aspects when planning for retirement, and there are numerous books dedicated to this topic. However, she emphasizes that there is more to retirement than just financial readiness. Many people overlook the non-financial aspects of this significant life transition. For some, their identity is closely tied to roles such as "doctor" or "professor," making it difficult for them to envision life after those careers. They may struggle with how to redefine themselves and who they will become in this new phase of life.

"For many in the UNM community who are faculty members, you can, of course, just keep doing exactly what you are doing now, forever. I know many people who have done this, worked until their last breath. This certainly solves the problem of 'who will I be when I no longer define myself by my work,' but is it possible that there might be other things you want to do before you die? Other interests? Other pursuits, other dreams? These are some of the questions we pursue in my book," she said.

The book has received endorsements from two #1 New York Times bestselling authors and has reached #1 bestseller status on Amazon in several categories. Since its release in July, Martin has gained media attention through news articles, blogs, and podcasts. If you'd like to purchase The Inspired Retirement, you can find it at local Albuquerque bookstores, such as Page One, Books on the Bosque, Bookworks, and online via Amazon.

"I am really excited, I always had a desire to write something for the general audience, rather than another academic book," Martin said. "To me, independent bookstores are the lifeblood of our community, so having my book sold in brick and mortar bookstores was one of my dreams, and thankfully, it is starting to happen."

Besides the book, there are additional resources available for individuals who are planning for retirement. Professor Martin recommends The Modern Elder Academy, which has a wonderful retreat center outside Santa Fe.