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The Economics of True Love
In the real world, can there be romance without finance? A common saying: No romance, without finance. But what does it mean really? After a little thought about it and a hard look at the big picture, we see that it actually derives from the...
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Bay Leaf Ritual for the New Year
HI would like to share with you a ritual I do every New Year's that is quite involved and requires a lot of thought and meditation time. It is derived from an ancient Greek ritual for prosperity and fertility. As you may recall, ancient...
Beyond the pain and stigma to healing
Like many other divorced women I was depressed; had questions about why I could not keep a man; and angry. For almost twenty years I successfully raised my children. This article discusses how to raise responsible children even with this...
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Life Lessons for Women
Life Lessons for Women
7 Essential Ingredients for a Balanced Life
By
Stephanie Marston, M.F.T.
Essential Ingredient#1:
Evaluate Your Priorities
The French philosopher Rene Descartes said, “I think therefore I am.” Our...
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Blooming Boomers - Women and Retirement
Blooming Boomers – Women and Retirement
Is your retirement looming off in the not too distant future? Do you have dreams of a life filled with rest and relaxation? Perhaps you envision vacationing year round. Those images sound pretty idyllic, especially if you are currently working long hours and feeling the stress and strain of your job. Working women are continually being stretched in a myriad of directions. That often translates into putting retirement planning and plans for retirement on the back burner of life.
Do you know that Baby Boomers are retiring at the rate of 10,000 every day in the United States! The oldest boomer is now 58 years old; the youngest is 40. They number 76 million in our country. Are you in that number?
The boomers have had a huge impact in our country. The first wave of baby boomers filled up our schools in the 50’s. They changed campus politics in the 60’s with their protests, marches and sit-ins. They were entering the work force in the 70’s and 80’s. The 90’s brought changes to the workplace such as flextime and family leave time. Now boomers are entering the retirement phase of life. They are living longer, retiring earlier and their focus is on lifestyle, not age. Imagine the impact they will have on retirement!
Boomers are redefining retirement as a new career life transition. However, most aren’t prepared for managing that transition. More time is spent on planning a vacation than on the next thirty years beyond retirement! Yes, many have been preparing financially with contributions to their 401K’s, Roth IRA’s, etc. However, retirement is more than finances.
There is the human side of retirement. For retirement to be truly successful people need to embrace the idea of life planning. How can we workers replace the function that work has played in our lives? One of the benefits of work is remuneration. We get paid for what we do. It gives us a sense of financial security.
But work provides us with more benefits than just remuneration. It helps us with the following: time management, socialization, a sense of purpose and status. Let’s take a closer look at those benefits.
Work gives structure to our life by managing our time. At times, it over manages our time and leaves little time for fun. Through our work we have agendas and schedules to follow. We know where we are supposed to be and what we are supposed to do. It keeps us organized.
At work we socialize with our co-workers and
clients. We form and develop relationships that give us a sense of connection and belonging. We spend our time interacting and communicating with others to get the work done. We have a sense of camaraderie.
Many of us receive the benefit of status from our work. Our sense of personal worth and identity are derived from work. We experience a clear picture of who we are and what we do. We get recognition for what we do.
Work provides us with a sense of purpose. That purpose gives meaning to our lives because we are helping others in some way. We receive some qualitative measure of satisfaction in our life.
How will the functions of work be replaced when you retire? How will you get fulfilled? Those above mentioned benefits of work are just one aspect of what life planning is all about. There are fourteen other factors to consider when preparing for retirement. For example, how will you define who you are when you aren’t working? How adaptable are you to making changes in your life? How well do you rely your own internal sense for guidance and direction? These are important questions to consider when thinking about what retirement means to you.
Retirement is a complicated process that requires planning and introspection. It’s not just about the money. There are important social, mental and physical implications as well.
Many of you won’t follow the traditional model of retirement. Some will continue working full time at something you truly enjoy while others will work part time because you need the money. Perhaps you will start your own business or volunteer your time to worthy causes. As a Blooming Baby Boomer you probably won’t spend the next thirty years sitting and watching life pass you by. This is the age of a new retirement.
Is it time for you to give some attention to your future retirement? Vacationing year round may not be the solution that puts genuine meaning in the next phase your life. Don’t short change the next thirty years of your life. You’ll want to continue blooming!
Carol Gegner ©2004
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carol Gegner is President of Executive Coaching and Consulting Systems and publishes Keys to Success, a FREE monthly ezine. She is a certified retirement coach working with Baby Boomers who want to do some life planning for a successful retirement. For more information go to www.coachexecs.com/programs.html or email her at carol@coachexecs.com.
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