Hi Folks,

I can tell you from experience that retirement isn’t always what it’s cut out  to be.

Some days it’s great being retired. Other days we wonder what the heck we’re doing and what we’re supposed to be doing. The dynamics of aging and retirement have changed so much over the past few years that it’s difficult getting our arms around being a senior. Shoot, we can’t even agree on when “senior” begins! 65? I don’t think so.  

I do know this, we have a wonderful opportunity to do the things we’ve always wanted to do and become what we’ve always wanted to become. Just think of all the good we can do and all the people we can help with the extra time  we have in our “second Age”. We should move into this new age with purpose and the determination to make a difference.

Come on, let’s go.

Woody 

Retirement – The Downside and the Upside of Life After Work

By Ruthan Brodsky

Hi Folks,

I have a question for those who are retired: have you noticed how quickly you lose contact with your old workmates and friends that are still in the work force? All of a sudden you don’t have the same thing in common – work.

If you played golf with the folks you worked with the chances are good that you didn’t discuss work that much when you played with them, so what makes the difference that you are now retired?  Same with family and friends – all of a sudden you are a “different person”. It doesn’t make sense, but it’s a fact of retirement life.

It is so important to stay connected with your family and friends after you retire but it is going to take a little more effort on your part.

Let’s see what Dee Cascio has to say about staying connected.

Woody

Retirement Living: 5 Steps To Staying Connected With Family And Friends

By Dee Cascio

Just as you consider recareer options and finances when making retirement decisions, consider these steps as your begin your planning conversations with your spouse or partner and family. Having these conversations may prevent some costly mistakes along your retirement journey.

1. The first relationship to be considered is the one with your partner. Have honest conversations about what you both want and need, individually as well as together, before you make any major decisions.

2. If you are considering relocating, talk to your adult children early in the process and let them know about your plans. Early discussions will allow both of you to know where you stand regarding each of your expectations. You can also brainstorm ways to stay in touch and connected.

3. Determine how much time you want to spend with your grandchildren and other loved ones. This can have a profound impact on defining the parameters for relocating. If you can’t bear the thought of not being close enough to be involved grandparents, choose the location of your retirement or second home accordingly.

4. If you fall into the category of a “sandwich generation” couple, timing and relocation must be considered for all concerned. Long-distance care-giving and monitoring of health issues can become quite a challenge. Talk to siblings who may or may not live close to aging parents so that all of you can clarify expectations for the level of care-giving you anticipate and how much time you can spend as the primary or secondary caregiver.

5. If you have an adult child who has life-limiting disabilities or problems, be thoughtful about how the decisions you make will impact their lives, the lives of your other children, and your lifestyle. Long-distance worrying can put a damper on what can be a successful retirement transition. Consider all of the options available to ensure the best care and safety of your loved one.

As your conversations unfold, you will most assuredly think of other issues that might influence your retirement plans as you work to stay connected to those you love. Remember that our relationships reflect who we are, and the deeper those relationships are, the better we can come to know ourselves. Please take this part of your planning to heart and be sure to make the best of your life for the best of your life.

Dee Cascio specializes in Retirement Lifestyle Strategies for those planning to retire in 3-5 years. She is a Certified Life & Retirement/Recareer Coach, an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and a member of the International Coach Federation. Dee is also a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), a National Certified Counselor, a Certified Couples Imago Relationship Therapist, and a member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). For the tools you need to build the retirement of your dreams, sign up for The New Lifestyle Retirement newsletter at http://www.retirementlifestylestrategies.com.

Hi Folks,

Today’s article by Dr. Cynthia Barnett is an absolute must-read for every retiree. Actually it’s a good read for almost everyone. Life is all about meaning and purpose, don’t let being retired take away the joy and wonder of living everyday to the fullest.

Discovering joy in retirement living,
Woody

Another great article about finding purpose and meaning in retirement: http://www.retirement-on-a-budget.com/what-to-do-in-retirement-2/.htm

Ten Ways to Find Your Purpose and Meaning in Retirement

By Cynthia Barnett

Are you an empty nester? Or do you have a flock of full grown family birds living with you?

I have several friends that are of the “not-so-empty-nest parents group” and I’m not sure what their thoughts or opinions are about having their children (and grandchildren) moving back in with them. They don’t talk about it much. But I do wonder.

Well, Gerry Charbonneau has some thoughts on the subject so let’s read what they are.

Woody

Empty Nest Parents Should Eject Their Adult Children From the Homestead

By Gerry Charbonneau

If you have been reading my retiree blogs (www.retirement-on-a-budget.com & www.woodysretirementblog.com) for very long you know that one of my favorite writers is Susan Kersley. Susan is a retired British doctor who ”re-invented” herself. She is now a life coach.

Susan always has the most encouraging and inspiring articles for seniors/retirees and the following article is one we all should read. In fact this article has such an important message for retirees that I am posting it to this blog and to www.retirement-on-a-budget.com.

So, go re-invent yourself.
Woody

Re-Invent Yourself When You Retire

By Susan Kersley

Retirement is a chance to re-invent yourself. It’s a time to catch up on all those things you wish you’d done when you were younger but too busy with going forward with your career, your family commitments or socialising.

Perhaps there were things you would have liked to have done which your peers, your colleagues or your family and friends were rather disapproving of and discouraging. You may have wanted to travel the world or joined a choir or written a novel and yet there were too many other pressures of life bearing down on you so you never found the motivation to get started.

Yet now, older and wiser you have retired from your long term work and now you have the chance to find out who you are without the work label which has been yours for so long. It may be a challenging transition to cast that label aside and realise there is a person beneath it.

However when you do you may be surprised at who you find beneath that label.

You like many people may have had a desire to pursue a particular path in the past and now you have the chance to open those doors to a new you and a new life.

The first thing to do is to define what it is you want to achieve so that you don’t aimlessly wander about not knowing where you are going.

You may have a grand vision about what you want your legacy to be and what you need to do with that is to define the smaller goals you will achieve on the way to the big picture.

Be prepared to try new things and learn new skills. When you do that you keep your brain active and will feel positive about life and your retirement.

If illness or disability have already happened don’t let these stop you. Find out what you can achieve and push yourself to the limit. By keeping not only your mind active with new learning and new experiences but also challenging your body to keep moving and stretching you can look forward to a long and happy and fulfilling retirement.

The new person you become in your life after work will use all those years of work and life experiences to enhance their retirement, to meet other like-minded people who don’t let increasing age daunt their enthusiasm for life and change.

How is retirment life going? Are you leading a happy, interesting, and meaningful life? You should, you know.

That’s what today’s author is writing about, making the most of  your retirement. It’s not a long article but it’s full of ideas for a great retirement, no matter what your circumstances are. I hope you enjoy it.

Happy Retirement,
Woody

Life After Retirement – Ideas for Retirees

By Jeremy Kong

Can life after retirement be exciting and interesting? It is an irony that many retirees after working hard so many years and striving to gain financial independence are complaining about boredom and a loss in direction in  their lives. Retirement really should be the time to be enjoying the fruits of one’s years of labor and hard work, to relax, to catch up with friends and fellow retirees and pursue a lifelong interest that one has wanted to do but could not find the time during to their hectic working life.

There really are many options and ideas for retirees to consider to turn this phase of their lives into an exciting and meaningful one. Some suggestions include:

Be a guardian and a companion to your grandchildren. Many people, especially men did not have the opportunity to bond with their children during their growing years due to their own hectic working life. Children are always a joy to be with. They are often innocent, inquisitive and active. I for one believe that spending time with children will add years to your life. They are God’s great creation.

1. Be a tutor to your grandchildren. Yes, keep your mind active, look back to your grandchildren textbooks and be a tutor to them. It’s a great way to keep away the Alzheimer’s disease and to spend quality time with them.
2. Be a tutor to other children. If you do not have any grandchildren, consider tutoring as a home based business for some pocket money for your expenditure. Or consider it as a charity work with a nearby Orphanage’s Home. As mentioned above, it is a great way to keep your mind active.
3. Be a Consultant with your old firm. If the above ideas are not for you, consider the option of being re-employed with your old firm as a Consultant. Your experience may still be an asset and invaluable to your former boss. Your salary may be less but it is certainly will be less stressful than previously when you were a full time employee.
4. Going back to school to strive for a diploma or degree in the field of your interest is also another great way of keeping your mind active.
5. Becoming a volunteer at places such as schools, libraries, religious and other charitable organizations and meeting up with other charitable souls can do wonders and meaning to your life.
6. Going back to full time employment.  Of course the one ultimate option to some who are workaholic in nature is to go back into full time employment. For these people, work is matter of choice rather than desperation, other they will find a huge void in their lives.

As highlighted above, there are certainly many meaningful ideas for retirees for them to indulge in during their life after retirement. The retirement years should be the time of your life and there is certainly little time to be bored. As the saying goes, “don’t simply retire from something, have something to retire to”, and you will find your life after retirement to be joyful and meaningful.

If you are retired or are considering retirement, this article is for you. Actually, this article could serve you well even if you are not considering retirement. 

Everyone should have a purpose in life, a reason for getting up and out every morning or as Dee Cascio says, “Living on purpose”.

Here’s to your purpose driven retirement,
Woody

Discover Your Unique Purpose in Retirement

By Dee Cascio

Many in my hard-working generation are looking forward to the day they retire. The expectation is that many of us will just go with the flow, relax and do the things that we always wanted to do. However, it doesn’t take long before one day resembles the next and you are developing habits that don’t serve you well. Sometimes these bad habits are so subtle that the damage they cause happens before you even know it. Eventually you realize that because you have always been part of a high achieving generation, you will need much more purpose in life than you will get in a traditional retirement. When we were working and raising families, our life purpose was built-in. We knew what was expected of us and what we expected of ourselves. However, because we have 20 to 30 more years in retirement than our parents and grandparents did and we now have fewer obligations to others, we have to create a life based on our own personal interests, values, skills and passions.

How will you spend your time? What will give you the sense of purpose that has been built into every other stage of your life? Along with fewer obligations there is also less information readily available about what we call the internal shift, better known as an “inside job” that will occur in your life at this critical stage. There are no two people alike, so this transition requires a different kind of preparation that is not very concrete or well understood.

Discover your unique purpose and keep it clearly in mind when planning for your retirement. Consider all the possibilities that can enhance a dream retirement of work, leisure, volunteerism, travel, education, hobbies, and individual pursuits and imagine how each will contribute to fulfilling your purpose.

What gives your life meaning?

There are numerous ways that you can create a foundation of self-trust and open communication with yourself and your partner that will help you to move forward with more self-assurance. You should recognize that this might be the only time in your adult life that you have the freedom to focus on what you really want to do with the rest of your life. For the first time since you were young, obligations to others are a backdrop and you come first. This realization begins with how you want to “be” in your life. While we might sometimes want more and mourn the loss, it is a blessing that more and more of your work obligations and family responsibilities have come to a resting place. This change will allow you time to focus on your own personal development. This change takes on more importance and urgency as you no longer have a multitude of external factors driving your every decision on a daily basis.

The longings, ideas, questions and concerns regarding this movement towards retirement occur at several levels: internally which includes the feelings and thoughts about this stage and externally through planning and taking action.

In all of my training, I have learned that doing what you love is the cornerstone of a successful life. It is clear to me that teaching, counseling and life coaching are what I love to do. It really reflects my values, gives me purpose and brings me joy. It requires that I continue to learn, grow and challenge myself. These are important objectives that I know must be a part of my personal retirement plan.

So ask yourself: what is it that you love to do? What will get you up in the morning when you no longer have to be at the office by 8:00? If you are already retired, what gets you up and going now?

Living on purpose When you are living “on purpose,” you are consciously in touch with your talents, skills, gifts, strengths and values. Living with intention requires time for introspection, thoughtful reflection about your life and the ability to move forward using this knowledge. Once you are knowledgeable about these aspects of yourself, you are then ready to move into the decision-making process about where these parts of yourself can best be expressed. Is there a cultural problem, cause, new career, etc. that is calling you to exercise all of those countless gifts you possess? In Repacking Your Bags, R. Leider and D. Shapiro said it well. “Purpose is not a goal. A goal is something that can be reached. A purpose is never achieved. It exits before you and lives on after you are gone.”

Finding your purpose Having a purpose in life will give your life meaning no matter what life stage you are in. While doing this exploration, I have found life purpose in using my gifts of listening, empathy, compassion, resourcefulness and creativity. These gifts have allowed me to help people grow through self understanding and move forward to live healthier and more satisfying lives that are filled with purpose and meaning. What is your purpose?

Take the time to reflect on the following questions:

1. Sit quietly and reflect on your talents, strengths and skills. Write them down. Ask those you love and trust to reflect on what they experience with you and give you feedback about your gifts.

2. What issues, social challenges or causes in your environment, your life or the world stir passion and interest where you can use your gifts and talents discovered in #1?

3. Can you develop a plan that will be focused on implementing action towards this purpose?

4. What kind of support do you need to move forward?

5. How will you know that you are on the right journey for you?

In creating a purpose-filled retirement, remember that your retirement will be unique just as your goals, passion, and reason for being is unique. You may choose to incorporate some aspects of retirement living that your friends and family enjoy, but it is your purpose that should be the deciding factor.

Once you have discovered your passion, you can use this knowledge in a variety of ways. Use your time and structure your days so you are accomplishing your purpose instead of killing time, waiting for the next social activity or trip. Work part-time to advance a cause or be able to contribute to the charity of your choice. Express your sense of purpose and meaning in your life in useful ways instead of letting time slip by. Put your years of experience and knowledge to work pursuing your passion. You may no longer have a title and an office, but you have something more valuable: a clear purpose and the life skills to accomplish that purpose. Join with others who share your ideals. Volunteer, mentor, or teach.

Finding purpose gives life meaning and is the foundation of all successful retirements. Get help or take the time necessary to discover your unique purpose now. This will prepare you for a retirement where you are excited about each new day.

Well, here is a relative new concept in retirement living.  A condo on a cruse ship.

I saw a report on this a year or two ago on (I believe) 60 Minutes.

Quite a concept as long as you don’t get sea sick. Today’s article by Marisa Bermudez seems like the ideal place to start  learning  about this retirement lifestyle. 

Woody

Retire on a Cruise Ship – How to Travel the World Without Ever Leaving Your Home

By Marisa Bermudez