Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Getting Prepared for the New Old Age

Last week we attended the New Old Age Conference here in New York City sponsored by the Atlantic.  It was a great program that covered many topics on aging. The day long event included presentations and panels on senior employment, care giving, Alzheimer's and dementia, ageism, leveraging technology, and much more. It was really excellent information.

One of the sessions we thought very valuable highlighted the need to start preparing for retirement at an early age. How early? Very early! 

A panel discussion stressed the need to teach children and/or grandchildren money management. After all the sooner you start saving for the big event...retirement.... the more you'll have to sustain your lifestyle.  Simple things like how to manage a budget, balance a check book, starting a savings plan, and the power of compounded interest are important tools. Sadly, schools rarely teach this critical life skill.  So if you don't do it, there is a good chance that younger members of your family will miss out.

The panel also recommended instilling in family members the need to play and exercise.  Get out from in front of the screen and go for a walk, a run, or go to the gym, or take a swim was the message.  The obesity epidemic can only be overcome if everyone is aware of good diet habits and the need for daily exercise regiments.  

These two ideas are important at any age, but if you help children get on a path towards a healthier and more financially sound future that will make their life and REWIRING even easier!  Start the conversation sooner than later.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

We do not RETIRE---We REWIRE


Recently a friend sent us this photo of an appliance repair truck that highlights that message of the need to REWIRE.  As you can expect we love to see that word used in practical and creative ways. Lamps and other electrical devices periodically need to be rewired.  Our brain, like a lamp, needs to be rewired from time to time to keep it fresh and functioning.  This is particularly true for many people facing retirement, especially those who have focused solely on work and neglected the other aspects of their life.  

Part of the REWIRE journey is to identify activities, hobbies, sports, interests, going back to school, or new work that represent opportunities for personal enjoyment, fulfillment and generating new purpose for the future.  Some of our readers have sent us some great rewirement examples of what they chose to pursue.  They frequently mention that they wish they had started exploring earlier than they did. Rather than wait to until you are already in retirement, they recommend that you start putting together an idea list of possibilities a few years before you retire.  Go back in time and consider what interested you when you were a kid, a young adult or starting out in life.  Did you collect stamps or coins, play tennis or golf, liked to fish, enjoyed traveling with your family?  Did you volunteer to help others?  

A great place to start your exploration is in your local library.  Go the sections on hobbies, sports, volunteer opportunities, etc.  Most libraries have a magazine section. Thumbing through a magazine is often a good way to generate thought starters and ideas. And if you liked fixing small appliances as a kid, maybe rewiring appliances is in your future. You could get a REWIRE truck, too! 

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Dr. Ruth Loves Don’t Retire, REWIRE!


Since the launch of the Third Edition of Don’t Retire, REWIRE! in August, friends have told us someone quite famous has been using our concept of rewiring! We discovered that that famous person is Dr. Ruth Westheimer! 

In a 2013 Washington Post article Dr. Ruth said “I love being Dr. Ruth, so I have never thought of retiring. I also took to heart (this saying): “Not to retire, but to rewire.” That means “don’t retire and sit in a rocking chair but do something else that is of interest to you.” 

We love the fact that Dr. Ruth is a rewiring role model and continues to rewire in her 90thyear. 

To us, Dr. Ruth’s comment that “she loves being Dr. Ruth” translates to the reality that she loves the identity and the recognition that her work allows her. Our feeling is, if you love what you do, why stop? Many of our clients, readers and audience members often tell us that their job is their identity and that they don’t want to stop working either, but not everyone has the ability to keep on working like Dr. Ruth does!

More and more people, of all stages and ages of life, are embracing the REWIRE message as Dr. Ruth has. Whether you want to continue to work, play, learn, volunteer, or all of the above… it’s important to “know yourself” and what drives you.  Just like Dr. Ruth does. 

We highly recommend that you find out what your drivers are before you embark on the next act.  Drivers are our personal motivators that when identified can be used to evaluate and select activities that provide personal fulfillment and satisfaction.  Once your drivers are engaged, you will be amazed at how exciting and gratifying life can be.  You can find out more about drivers by going to our website and clicking on the box labeled Your Self: What Drives You?  

So if you want to continue enjoying the future like Dr. Ruth, become a student of rewiring. And follow the 5 step process in Don’t Retire, REWIRE!