During life-span, retirement is a crucial moment often associated with negative aspects such as social role crisis, economic power decrease, psycho-physical decay. This research has the aim to point out, by analyzing 3 different groups of participants (N = 450) during their retirement (150 participants in expectation of retirement, 150 of them six months retired and 150 who had retired since one year and a half), not only the limitations, but, above all, potentialities and competences that they might develop during this new lifespan stage. Results show that retirement may cause in many cases, a crisis: as a matter of fact a constant differentiation, between those who recently withdraw from work and the others, stands out. Profession, educational qualification and gender seem to affect, positively or negatively, adaptation and coping with this life-time stage.