Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Thank You, Sherry Lansing


Several years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Sherry Lansing, former CEO of Paramount Pictures at an ENCORE.org event at her home in California. I admired her Hollywood success and she loved our book, Don’t Retire, REWIRE! I always hoped the book would be made into a movie, only kidding, but we have always been gratified by Sherry’s support of our work and she gave us a wonderful quote for the new Third Edition of our book.  In many ways, she is a great example of a rewired retiree. Once Sherry left Paramount, she started the Sherry Lansing Foundation, which funds cancer research and she also works to promote stem cell research.

We felt that it would be appropriate to include a New York Times retirement article written in 2015 entitled, Even at the Top, Making Plans for Life’s ‘Third Chapter’. The stories, including one about Sherry, highlight the choices successful people have made to REWIRE their lives into meaningful and fulfilling activities in their third chapters.  Rick and I were interviewed for the article. We said it then and we continue to say it: “Do your planning in advance so you won’t get blocked out of something.” “Ask yourself, if you had infinite time and money, what would you want to do? Write these things down. Start to look now. What does it take to get there?”  

One of the major themes successful people embrace in their third chapter is helping others.  They execute their ideas in a variety of ways. The article concludes with a very heartfelt quote from Sherry: “You need to be interested and curious until the day that you die.” Now that’s a formula for success!! Thank you, Sherry.

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Another Labor Day Has Come and Gone


Labor Day became an official holiday in 1894. It was created to pay tribute to the achievements and contributions of the American worker. We think of Labor Day as the end of Summer and the start of school, not to mention football season. However maybe it’s also time for each of us to think about what work means to us… whether it’s paid, volunteer, full time, part time or gig work. 

Work conjures up a range of emotions. From love to hate to somewhere in between, and those emotions can all be in the same week!  We often complain about a 24/7 work life, being beholden to technology, demanding clients, bad bosses, difficult co-workers, endless reorganizations, and tedious commutes. But too often we fail to recognize the positive aspects of work. As one of our clients put it, “Work is where I get my atta boys (or atta girls).”

As co-authors of Don’t Retire, REWIRE! we are always asking people, whether they are considering retirement, already retired and looking for something new, or are seeking to make a career transition “What would you miss, or did you miss about work beyond the money?”  

Here are a few questions to get you thinking:

  • ·     Do you like having accomplishments?
  • ·     Do you enjoy having structure?
  • ·     Do you like to belong?
  • ·     Do you like mentoring others?

The above italicized words are just four of the 85 Drivers or personal motivators that we discovered give satisfaction and fulfillment to activities in our life, including work. To learn more, check out the What Drives You box on our website.