STOP MAKING RESOLUTIONS YOU WON'T KEEP

It's a new year and if you made it through last year, which if you're reading this blog you did, then pat yourself on the back and let's together move on to 2010. In prior years this would be the time to talk about making some resolutions but NOT this year.

As I eavesdrop and hear peope talk about making New Year's resolutions I believe it's done tongue -in -cheek. Both they and I realize that they feel they "should" make resolutions but in actuality they know that they are going to break them, so I ask---why make them in the first place? You are only kidding, and possibly even hurting yourself if you fall into the fake resolutions trap. Think about it...how many diets have you started and stopped, or job or career changes you said you were going to make and didn't and now feel stuck?

I read a great article where the author challenged her readers by saying---If you think you are the perfect weight, or that you have great abs and arms already, or eat a good diet or love your job and and that your friends are all perfect, then you are already living the optimum life for you and no resolutions are necessary! The readers were told to keep it up and get down on their hands and knees and give thanks and show gratitude.

I thought to myself these people are lucky and that prior resolutions have paid off! However as I looked at my sagging upper arms and at the chocolate chip cookie I was eating, I realized not everyone is there yet.

Not everyone is living the life they want, so I offer a simple thought for the new year and that would be to just "take stock" of your life as it is today. Don't sugar coat or gloss over your findings. Be honest. Like me I am sure that there will be flaws and failings, a few ouches and some ahas! and that within all of your findings there will be hidden opportunities and chances for change. The new year is a beginning for introspection not self-flagellation.

I am NOT making any of the traditional resolutions. However after a few heart -to -heart talks with myself I have decided that there are two words that I will focus on for myself this year that are rather like resolutions; one is to better understand or analyze my own motivation, or lack thereof, and the other is to understand how determined I am to pursue new ideas and interests. These are some of the missing links of the rewiring puzzle.

LISTENING TO OUR ELDERS

We all get a lot of e-mail messages, many that we trash without reading. I don't remember who sent me the e-mail about the newspaper column written by 90 year old journalist, Regina Brett of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, but whoever it was, THANK YOU!

Regina Brett wrote a column listing 45 lessons life had taught her. I love how she thinks, and what she wrote, and I thought you would too. Don't worry I won't list all of her comments here, just a few that I found very poignant particularly as we face the end of another year.
So for those of you thinking about rewiring your life in some way next year, here are some thoughts to ponder.

• Life isn't fair, but it is good.


• When in doubt, just take the next small step.


• Don't compare yourself to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.


• When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.


• Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.


• Don't take yourself too seriously, no one else does!


• Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

My comment to all of you is that there's nothing earth shattering in her thoughts...what can be powerful is if you think about them and then apply them to your life.

INSIGHTS FROM MILES DAVIS

A few months ago I wrote that I was getting into jazz. I was spending time listening to it, and going to jazz clubs with "smart" jazz friends who would graciously answer my naive questions. Then over the Thanksgiving weekend I took a deep diveon the topic and read the book, MILES, The Autobiography, written by Miles Davis with Quincy Troupe in 1989.

To put it mildly, Miles Davis lived a fast life. He had to overcome many demons and he holds nothing back in this book. I guess that is why I was so entranced by it. But I will admit that his language is extrememely colorful, so if you read it don't say that I didn't warn you!

The book cover states that "for more than 40 years Miles Davis was in the forefront of American music." I know that people have a wide range of reactions to Miles Davis, both the man and the musician but as I read the book what struck me was that Miles Davis was constantly rewiring himself when it came to his music.

I began to see a correlation with some of the people I had met this past year who have asked me...how do I stay in the game? How do I compete? It is highly competitive today regardless of one's field or one's age. Miles Davis made me realize each of us HAS to be our own critic. At age 49 when Miles Davis saw younger musicians coming on the scene he made the statement," I'm not prepared to be a memory yet," and he went out there and learned what it takes to stay in the game!

He hired younger band members. He dressed differently. He added percussion instruments to the mix and he gained an understanding of why Jimi Hendrix, SLY, James Brown and PRINCE were having success. He could have hung it up and complained, but he didn't.

Yes, I know that I'm overlaying my interpretation on what Miles Davis did, on what each of us can do, but it works. If we're still playing the same old song, with the same old beat, with the same old band then we need to change.

Tony Bennett was an original inspiration for us when we wrote DON'T RETIRE, REWIRE! When he did the MTV show Tony Bennett UNPLUGGED, and then went on to make duets with KD Lang we caught the fever and thought of him as a role model for rewiring!

Maybe neither Tony nor Miles works for you, but find someone who does and go make some changes in your life that keep you in the game!

Discover Why Traditional Retirement Is Obsolete

Long before the economic chaos of this past year, Americans were already beginning to redefine what retirement meant to them. In fact it was as early as the year 2000, that AARP discovered that 80% of their members said they wanted to "work in retirement," but with flexible hours and with less stress and responsibility. But there is more to the story....


I had the chance to explore the concept with my friend, Andres Tapia, of HEWITT ASSOCIATES in an article entitled: Take Five - Retirement Is So Yesterday- Think Rewirement! It was an opportunity to propose a few ideas that all of us can start to do regardless of age or stage of life.


Andres is the author of the new book "The Inclusion Paradox: The Obama Era and the Transformation of Global Diversity," and is putting forward new ideas to consider that will impact all of our futures. It's a great read and very thought-provoking!

WHAT MAKES UP THE GOOD LIFE?

The Pew Research Center recently published the results of their "GROWING OLD IN AMERICA" survey. I found the results very interesting and beneficial to all of us, regardless of our age or stage of life.


One of the key questions was: What do Americans 65 and older like most about growing older?
They say:

• more time with family 70%



• more time for hobbies/interests 65%



• less stress 59%



• volunteer work 52%



• more travel 52%



• religion is very important 62%

45% of Americans 75+ say their life turned out even better than they expected. So what if someone asked you...what constitutes the good life for you? What would you say?

I believe that it's during challenging times that we need to reflect on our lives; to take stock of who and what in our lives are really important to us. When times are good we take a lot for granted. It's during the tough times, when the rubber meets the road, that we need to look around and identify what gives us joy and fulfillment.

If you're like most Americans today, you have or are facing some type of change--and you probably don't like it. We can't control life nor other people and it's scarey when we don't know what the future holds, nor what the "new normal" will look like. The one thing that I hope that all of us know, is what we do like.

So while we're in this time of change, take stock of your life and begin to build in, or build back the things that make your life---the good life.

GETTING INTO REWIRING MODE

When I was younger, and I do believe that that is a relative term, we used to say "get into gear!" I'm sure that there were many different interpretations, but to me it meant get ready to take action...whether it was going to a Big 10 football game, to a party, to take an exam...it didn't matter, it was about getting your head into a new place. So I was surprised when I unexpectedly used that expression last week in a speech to a roomful of men, aged 65 to 98.

These men were realizing that their longevity was giving them the time to pursue more dreams. As one man said, "I'm still waking up every day, so why should I stop trying new things?" Obviously I love that attitude and view it as one of the ingredients for successful aging.

My comment about "getting into gear" brought forth many questions from them about how to get into gear to rewire.

Now let me say that yes, there is a complete rewiring process and exercises in our book, DON'T RETIRE, REWIRE! but I came up with more ideas that I have listed below:

1.) Write down up to five words that someone who loves you or who you value would use to describe you. Don't edit the list, either mentally or physically, absorb it. Are you outgoing, spunky, brilliant, clever, kind? whatever...if someone put it down, they perceive you that way.

2.)Think about how you do or don't demonstrate those characteristics in your life today. You could be demonstrating those characteristics through your paid work, volunteer work, or in your leisure time. It could be through cooking, organizing events, singing in a choir?

3.) Write down your dream vision of how you wish the world was.

4.) Write down the dream vision for your life.

5.) Try to craft a sentence of how you could incorporate who you are with what you wish the world was like.

6.) Now imagine that this is a beginning for your rewiring plan.

There is nothing easy about change, but there are tools that can help you on your rewiring journey, regardless of your age! We all need to take our dreams and put action behind them. Once you do that, you have a greater shot of making your dream, a reality!

DON'T GET STUCK IN THE CAREER PIPELINE!

It's Fall and I'm back on the road talking to individuals across the United States about how and why they should constantly be rewiring their lives at work and at play. In addition to my normal Boomers and beyond group, I now meet 30 and 40 year olds who are curious about why and how they could rewire and set themselves up for a better future.

With four generations in the workplace, and the pipelines of promotion getting clogged with boomer bodies, it isn't surprising that everyone is looking for new ideas and ways to manuveur in the workplace. We have discovered that the rewiring process we created for DON'T RETIRE, REWIRE! is in reality a non-age specific life enhancement tool. I know that this is a mouthful, but that is exactly what rewiring is all about! Life enhancement regardless of age !

If you are feeling stuck in your work role for whatever reason don't abandon hope.

After you have done an attitude check on yourself, consider the following:

1.) to look for new things to do at work that would further advance your career

2.) to identify those drivers, personal motivators, that make you tick at work

3.) to find new avenues to fulfill those drivers on the job

4.) to not feel that adding new tasks would zap energy, but rather increase your energy

5.) to decide that this is the time to learn a new skill or two that you have been postponing

5.) to accept that a lateral move can positively impact your career

6.) to remember that up is NOT the only way

7.) to believe that the grass is NOT always greener on the other side

8.) to believe that Boomers will retire from their jobs one day and rewire into their next acts

9.) to position your self well for when Boomers leave and the pipeline reopens

10.) to always demonstrate a positive attitude so you stand out as a real team player

The above won't guarantee success, but using these ideas definitely set you apart from the pack!