Self-Help Retirement Planning

Fifteen years ago, I read a book by Marc Freedman entitled Prime Time: How Baby Boomers Will Revolutionize Retirement And Transform America. This book predicted many of the current trends that have come to fruition for our baby boomer generation. It started me on a journey of self-discovery that led to my getting certified as a life coach, a retirement coach, and a re-career coach.

I’ve worked with individuals, couples, and corporate groups of soon-to-be retirees to help them realize…

Successful Retirement = Good Financial Portfolio + Good Lifestyle Planning Portfolio

There is so much to know and learn. My hope is that you will contact me about retirement lifestyle planning before you are ready to retire. At the very least, integrate the follow authors’ ideas (books are listed in alphabetical order) and your perspective into your own retirement plan so “you can become the entrepreneur of your retirement career.”©

Encore: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life by Marc Freedman. In this book, he shares stories about how middle-aged people have retired and successfully re-careered to jobs that hold much more interest and fulfillment for them.

Live Smart After 50! by Life Planning Network. This is another interesting book that provides tips on how to plan for each area of our lives and create a successful retirement, addressing finding work, navigating relationships, taking care of our health, etc.

Ready To Retire?: Successful Retirement Planning To Make The Best Of The Rest Of Your Life by Dee Cascio. In this book, each chapter addresses a number of issues related to retirement such as making a healthy transition, having strong relationships, planning well for your transition, repurposing your skills to seek a new career, etc.

The Big Shift: Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlife by Marc Freedman. Freedman highlights more trends, bringing to our attention to the reality that we are creating a new stage of life between the end of our middle years and the beginning of retirement. In this new stage, we are still productive and engaged with a lot more to give back. He says, “If we act now, this new stage could well become a destination where talents and skills could be the solution to much that ails us in our society.” By this he means we could be volunteering or working in areas that address social problems like education, poverty, healthcare and environmental challenges while still enjoying our retirement years.

The Couple’s Retirement Puzzle: 10 Must-Have Conversations for Creating an Amazing New Life Together by Roberta Taylor and Dorian Mintzer. Dorian and Roberta give us insight on how couples navigate this retirement journey with recommendations for healthier communication and planning. They share experiences of some of the couples they have worked with.

What’s Next?: Follow Your Passion and Find Your Dream Job by Kerry Hannon. This is another interesting book written by an expert in careers. Kerry talks about work trends for older workers and repurposing your skills and experience in the second half of life. She gives great tips on how to find work you have a passion for after retirement. I believe that “there is life after work and work after retirement” and Kerry seems to agree with my premise.

Where Will You Retire?: A Retirement Guide And Exercises For Deciding Where To Retire, Buy A Second Home, Or Relocate by Dee Cascio. This book is an easy read for those of you who would like to have a guide for discovering what’s important to you while you’re thinking about where you want to live in retirement. I share my husband’s and my story as we explored various places, did our research and came up with all the things you need to consider when making this decision.

Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy – Until You’re 80 and Beyond by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, M.D. This is a great book on how to maintain a healthy mind body and spirit as you age. Chris and Henry are very entertaining writers so it’s a fun read but very important information is included in this book.

Your Retirement Quest: 10 Secrets for Creating and Living a Fulfilling Retirement by Alan Spector and Keith Lawrence. Allen and Keith retired as executives from Procter & Gamble several years ago. They joined together to write this book because they noticed, while still working at P&G, that retirees were returning 3 to 6 months after retirement because they missed work and relationships. Allen and Keith give readers concrete advice about how to create a fulfilling experience supported by various retirement stories.

In addition to books, you can also go on line and get interesting talks by authors in the field.  I recently heard Chris Farrell, economist and financial expert speaking in two different interviews. One was on the Diane Rehm Show and the other was on a Web interview with Dorian Mintzer. In both interviews, he talked about the concepts and ideas in his new book Unretirement: How Baby Boomers are Changing the Way We Think About Work, Community, and the Good Life.

He says positive trends in the workplace are finally taking hold. More employers are opening up to exploring and initiating flexible phasing programs, mentoring of younger workers and encouraging bridge career programs to help people in their late-middle years to stay in the workforce longer. Some companies are even providing re-career services to help employees take their skills to different career areas. Listening to Chris Farrell was so positive and validating because he shares the attitudes and ideas that I have been writing about for many years.

Our generation can and will work longer, helping us to stay engaged, be productive and therefore live longer. Many of our generation want to contribute to society by providing our expertise and continuing to pay into social security. This is not, as predicted, a generation that will drain our social security system.

Enjoy reading, educating yourself and planning for this exciting chapter of life while you continue to make the best of the rest of your life.

Dee

Dee Cascio
Author, speaker, Licensed Psychotherapist, Certified Life Coach, Retirement Lifestyle/ReCareer Coach, and Life and Work Transitions Strategies Coach.

The Life and Work Transitions Community

You’ve joined a great group — people who plan to make successful transitions in life and work. May you be inspired to use your strengths and skills to grow in this season and may each transition be your best ever.

Want more help for your life and work transitions?

Check out the Life and Work Transitions Strategies blog

Where Will You Retire?: A Retirement Guide And Exercises For Deciding Where To Retire, Buy A Second Home, Or Relocate

Ready To Retire? Successful Retirement Planning To Make The Best Of The Rest Of Your Life

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