RTP Step 3: Road Test
- Nigel Blair-Park
- Jul 1
- 4 min read
Acting on Your Plan. Evaluating Progress. Shaping True Purpose.
Retirement Transition Plan Blog Series: Laying the Groundwork for a Meaningful Transition
Retirement Transition Plan (RTP) Mission Statement
To deliver a meaningful and personalised plan that enables individuals to transition to a life eventually outside of work in a dignified, valued, and supportive manner.
Welcome to the third instalment in our five-part Retirement Transition Plan (RTP) blog series. Designed for individuals navigating the Q3 Life Stage (typically 50+), RTP is a human-centred framework for career evolution, life transitions, and purpose-driven planning.
The series explores five core phases, Consideration, Scope, Road Testing, Discussion, and Implementation, to help you confidently and intentionally navigate the journey toward retirement or new beginnings.
What is RTP?
The Retirement Transition Plan is far more than a checklist, it’s a holistic, research-backed approach to navigating one of life’s most significant shifts. Built from four years of qualitative research and hundreds of personal stories, RTP addresses both the practical and emotional dimensions of change.
Key focus areas include:
• Purpose and personal growth
• Health and well-being
• Family and community dynamics
• Flexible working and second careers
• Succession planning and knowledge exchange
• Identity, legacy, and fulfilment
RTP is a journey to be shared—with trusted advisors, family, and mentors—because the best life decisions are rarely made in isolation.
Phase 3: Road Test
Act on Your Plan. Evaluate. Refine. Repeat.
With the Scope phase behind you, it’s time to bring your Retirement Transition Plan to life. The Road Test phase is where theory meets reality. This is your opportunity to act on your ideas, test your assumptions, and gain insight from lived experience.
This isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. Through careful trial, reflection, and adaptation, your purpose begins to take shape—not as something found, but something formed.
Goals of the Road Test Phase
Emotional Readiness: Address and manage the complex emotions tied to transition.
Practical Testing: Trial aspects of your plan in real-world settings.
Iterative Evaluation: Refine your plan based on what works and what doesn’t.
Clarity & Focus: Move closer to your preferred direction, while staying flexible.
Key Steps in the Road Test Phase
1. Acknowledge and Manage Emotions
Transition is emotional, there’s excitement, but also uncertainty, fear, or even a sense of loss. Allow space to explore these feelings. Tools like journaling, mindfulness, and coaching can support emotional resilience.
This isn’t just a logistical change, it’s an identity shift. Give yourself permission to feel, process, and grow.
2. Take Small, Purposeful Steps
Start trialling aspects of your plan:
Reduce workdays or shift responsibilities
Take on a volunteer role or test a new hobby
Explore part-time study or a potential second career
Consider a sabbatical to simulate life beyond work
These small experiments offer invaluable feedback—both practical and emotional—on what works for you.
3. Evaluate and Adjust
After each test, reflect:
What felt right?
What was challenging?
What surprised you?
Adjust your plan accordingly. Road testing helps move your transition from abstract to achievable, while ensuring your plan remains aligned with your evolving goals and values.
4. Commit with Discipline
The shift from intention to action requires consistency. When motivation wavers, discipline steps in.
Keep journaling. Set short-term milestones. Celebrate small wins. Stay accountable to yourself and your journey.
The Outcome: The Formation of True Purpose
This phase isn’t just about evaluating logistics, it’s about discovering purpose.
True purpose is not found, it’s formed.
It emerges from exploration, reflection, and meaningful action.
Through the Road Test, you start to feel:
Empowered: Confident in shaping your future
Grounded: Clear on your values and goals
Fulfilled: Aligned with what truly matters
With clarity comes coachability. With coachability, decision-making becomes easier. Priorities crystallise. And the journey becomes not just manageable—but meaningful.
You stop measuring success solely by achievements and begin to measure it by alignment with who you truly are.
Key Takeaways from the Road Test Phase
• Resilience: Strengthen emotional readiness for change
• Discipline: Keep moving forward even when it’s hard
• Adaptability: Embrace iteration—adjusting is part of progress
• Clarity: Begin to define your direction with confidence
• Actionable Insights: Learn from lived experience to refine your RTP
A Living, Breathing Plan
RTP isn’t something you create once and forget—it’s a living document. Road Testing gives it life. Regular evaluation and refinement ensure your plan stays relevant, grounded, and effective.
Your journey will not always be linear. But with the right mindset and tools, each step will bring you closer to a life of balance, purpose, and fulfilment.
What’s Next?
In the next phase, Discuss, you’ll explore how to engage your support network. Transition is deeply personal, but it’s also deeply relational. Who needs to be involved? How do you bring others into your journey with understanding and purpose?
Coming up: RTP Blog Series – Part 4: Discuss
Turning inward reflection into outward connection.
Ready to Start Your Own RTP Journey?
Option 1 – For Individuals:
The RTP Mentoring Programme offers tailored, 1-to-1 support delivered by ProAge via in-person sessions or Teams.
Contact: nigel@proage.org
Option 2 – For Organisations:
A secure SharePoint-based RTP hub provides downloadable, self-serve resources for colleagues and People Leaders alike.
Contact: nigel@proage.org
Let your next chapter be one of confidence, clarity, and connection, with RTP by your side.
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