Ten Commandments for a Creatively Fulfilling New Retirement
Baby Boomers Want a Something Different in Retirement
Baby boomers don’t just want to retire. They want a creative retirement. After years of working for someone else, toiling 40 hours a day or more, baby boomers look forward to being able to pursue some of their own passions and create a unique personal retirement to fit their needs.
Planning for your creative retirement is a must or you’ll find yourself sitting around like the kids saying “I’m bored. There’s nothing to do.”
Here are 10 retirement ideas to help get your creative juices flowing. Before you start reading, give a few minutes thought to what your own goals are for retirement then get a notebook and jot down any thoughts that occur to you while going over the list.
10 Tips for a Creative Retirement
1. Get a retirement job or work part time - do something you find meaningful without having to think about your pay check. This retirement job will help you stay active and you can meet new people. Consider what you know and like to do and see if a business idea pops into your mind.
2. Start a home business – Many baby boomers are online. Find a cool product to promote. A network marketing business can be done online or off.
3. Volunteer – When you were working didn’t you used to wish you had time to volunteer at your favorite charity? Nonprofits always need volunteers to give time to the projects and you’ll find that volunteering does more for you than those your are helping.
4. Join an exercise and fitness program – Now you finally have time to exercise and it’s never been more important than your retirement years. You can set up your own program at home or join the local YMCA or rec center program. Most have special programs for seniors which also help you make friends.
5. Take up a hobby – Do you already have a hobby you didn’t have time for when you were working or perhaps something you’ve always wanted to try? There are hobbies out there for every interest imaginable.
6. Teach a class – If you have an area of expertise from your working life or perhaps you’re already an expert at some hobby, try giving a class at the local community college or rec center or maybe mentor at your church or a youth group. Someone out there wants to benefit from your experience and you can make a little money too.
7. Take a class yourself – Learning new things keeps the mind healthy and active and you may discover new passions and interests that you never had time to pursue before retirement.
8. Start your own blog or website and write about your passions. Become an expert in your niche. If you monetize your blog or website, you can even make money or you could write an ebook and sell it on your site.
9. Organize a club or group around an interest you have – get people together for discussions on books, travel, or a hobby. You can gather and share thoughts and ideas, get guest lecturers in to speak and make new friends.
10. Check out your community and see if there is a need for service. Join the local city council or school board. Get active in your community. Chances are there is a big need for your time and interest and those who are retired have much to give. Many small towns have more than one political volunteer position that goes unfilled.
The most important thing about a creative retirement is that it is unique to you – you can at last do whatever you want to do to find fulfillment. But it’s also very important that you keep your mind and body active and engaged in life. Make new friends, try new things, get up every day with a sense of purpose and loving life.
Your retirement can indeed be the best years of your life.
Friday 31 October 2008
Thursday 23 October 2008
Great article from New Yorker about creative b(l)oomers. Check it out -
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/10/20/081020fa_fact_gladwell
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/10/20/081020fa_fact_gladwell
Wednesday 15 October 2008
Boomers and the Crunch
Latest Stock Market Crash Causing Retirement Rethink for Boomers
There are many ways to rationalize away the loss of a few trillion dollars in retirement income the boomers were expecting and it seems from latest news reports that we are now past this stage and into something new--an advanced type of spin control -we are now being told by Dr Ros Altman that "traditional pension products and policies are outdated and a major rethink is needed as baby boomers approach retirement." Who knew?Dr Altman provided her insights at a recent Kings College London forum where she remarked that "concerns of where to turn for financial advice are accelerating because of the current market turmoil." Professor Simon Briggs, director at the Institute of Gerontology at King’s College London, added (conveniently enough) that “Rather than seeing retirement as a social death sentence, boomers are much more likely to see retirement as a time in which to develop those parts of the self that have been neglected while building a career and raising a family.” Professor Briggs believes "retirees are in a state of transition rather than stagnation, according to patterns of leisure time and consumption in retirement."Now there is something for boomers to feel jolly about!
Posted by LifestoryDVD at 10:17 AM 0 comments Links to this post
There are many ways to rationalize away the loss of a few trillion dollars in retirement income the boomers were expecting and it seems from latest news reports that we are now past this stage and into something new--an advanced type of spin control -we are now being told by Dr Ros Altman that "traditional pension products and policies are outdated and a major rethink is needed as baby boomers approach retirement." Who knew?Dr Altman provided her insights at a recent Kings College London forum where she remarked that "concerns of where to turn for financial advice are accelerating because of the current market turmoil." Professor Simon Briggs, director at the Institute of Gerontology at King’s College London, added (conveniently enough) that “Rather than seeing retirement as a social death sentence, boomers are much more likely to see retirement as a time in which to develop those parts of the self that have been neglected while building a career and raising a family.” Professor Briggs believes "retirees are in a state of transition rather than stagnation, according to patterns of leisure time and consumption in retirement."Now there is something for boomers to feel jolly about!
Posted by LifestoryDVD at 10:17 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Monday 13 October 2008
Babyboomers Keen On Learning
CarolAnn Bailey-Lloyd asked:
Get Motivated for a Positive Career Transformation
In this day and age, it’s not uncommon to see more and more seasoned adults returning to college to acquire essential skills and training to gain an edge in the competitive job market. Despite the fact that baby boomers are at retirement age, the age group (55-64) is the fastest growing segment of the adult population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of individuals 65 and older in the year 2050 is projected to be nearly 87 million. That means one in five people will be a minimum age of 65 or older by the year 2030.
Today, retirement-age baby boomers aren’t necessarily in the market for a retirement home in Florida. The older generation of thinkers and doers is breaking ground with continuing education and post-secondary education to stay active and knowledgeable, thus remaining a critical element in shaping the ever-evolving future of this nation.
Baby boomers aren’t yesterday’s generation, and they’re demonstrating that older persons can be a vital part of society. Instead of high school-age students awaiting happy returns from prospective colleges, it’s the baby boomer generation anticipating acceptance letters into the school or university of choice.
Today’s boomers are settling for nothing less than a meaningful and enriching lifestyle, which often includes going back to school to re-train for new and exciting careers that benefit society.
Some rewarding career-training programs are attracting baby boomers to post-secondary education in the field in which they’ve worked most of their lives. For example, if you’ve worked in computer technology your entire life, you could pursue education from a local tech school or college to become a computer educator in elementary schools or in senior citizen centers. Other popular academic options include natural healthcare courses for those who’ve served as medical health practitioners.
Of course, there are multitudes of career-training opportunities for those undecided about how they wish to spend their golden years. Whether you choose to pursue a new career in beauty, health, education, or alternative medicine, rest assured that baby boomers aren’t throwing in the towel for retirement. Now, more than ever is the right time to rethink your future plans. Transform your tomorrows into personally and professionally-rewarding fields today.
Baby Boomers back to School
Get Motivated for a Positive Career Transformation
Get Motivated for a Positive Career Transformation
In this day and age, it’s not uncommon to see more and more seasoned adults returning to college to acquire essential skills and training to gain an edge in the competitive job market. Despite the fact that baby boomers are at retirement age, the age group (55-64) is the fastest growing segment of the adult population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of individuals 65 and older in the year 2050 is projected to be nearly 87 million. That means one in five people will be a minimum age of 65 or older by the year 2030.
Today, retirement-age baby boomers aren’t necessarily in the market for a retirement home in Florida. The older generation of thinkers and doers is breaking ground with continuing education and post-secondary education to stay active and knowledgeable, thus remaining a critical element in shaping the ever-evolving future of this nation.
Baby boomers aren’t yesterday’s generation, and they’re demonstrating that older persons can be a vital part of society. Instead of high school-age students awaiting happy returns from prospective colleges, it’s the baby boomer generation anticipating acceptance letters into the school or university of choice.
Today’s boomers are settling for nothing less than a meaningful and enriching lifestyle, which often includes going back to school to re-train for new and exciting careers that benefit society.
Some rewarding career-training programs are attracting baby boomers to post-secondary education in the field in which they’ve worked most of their lives. For example, if you’ve worked in computer technology your entire life, you could pursue education from a local tech school or college to become a computer educator in elementary schools or in senior citizen centers. Other popular academic options include natural healthcare courses for those who’ve served as medical health practitioners.
Of course, there are multitudes of career-training opportunities for those undecided about how they wish to spend their golden years. Whether you choose to pursue a new career in beauty, health, education, or alternative medicine, rest assured that baby boomers aren’t throwing in the towel for retirement. Now, more than ever is the right time to rethink your future plans. Transform your tomorrows into personally and professionally-rewarding fields today.
Baby Boomers back to School
Get Motivated for a Positive Career Transformation
Thursday 9 October 2008
Babyboomers are creative - aren`t they?
Britain’s post-war baby boomers, associated throughout their lives with social change, are failing to break new ground in their approach to growing old.
Academic research supported by the Economic and Social Research Council and Arts and Humanities Research Council shows that most members of the baby boom generation – often regarded as the first teenagers of a more affluent consumer society - have modest ideas for their retirement. While some plan substantial projects, particularly in relation to travel or using second homes, most people’s ideas for spending time after retirement retain a traditional pattern – watching television and films, playing records or going for long walks.
Findings from the study, says Dr Rebecca Leach, “provide only limited evidence that first wave boomers are developing new third age lifestyles.” Most have fairly modest aspirations, hoping at best to maintain current lifestyles and activities provided health and finances permit them to do so. The range of lifestyles is greater than would have been the case with previous generations but there is little evidence of ‘alternative’ models of consumption. Alternative health provision, for example, was widely practiced by between only three-seven per cent of people interviewed for the research. Many of those questioned “professed a critique of materialism, yet demonstrated ambivalence about this in practice.”
The first wave baby boom generation, born between 1945 and 1954, represents 17 per cent of the UK population. Born at a time of austerity, this group later experienced relative prosperity and the emergence of a mass consumer society. The research project by Dr Leach at Keele University and King’s College, London, looked in particular at the role of consumption in approaches to adult ageing. It examined the extent to which baby boomers see themselves as part of a distinctive generational group, and how this might affect consumption patterns.
Baby boomers are shown to be a diverse group, varying considerably depending on wealth, class and education. Only a minority – 41 per cent – of those interviewed by the researchers identified with the term boomer and the study showed that members of the group view themselves in different ways. These are:
• The baby bulge group, who were aware of themselves competing with many others for school places and jobs.
• The burden group who worried about the consequences of being followed by a smaller generation.
• The lucky generation who felt they had benefited most from economic growth and the welfare state.
• The political generation who believed they had been trailblazers through their lives, taking initiatives that had produced social and cultural change.
Academic research supported by the Economic and Social Research Council and Arts and Humanities Research Council shows that most members of the baby boom generation – often regarded as the first teenagers of a more affluent consumer society - have modest ideas for their retirement. While some plan substantial projects, particularly in relation to travel or using second homes, most people’s ideas for spending time after retirement retain a traditional pattern – watching television and films, playing records or going for long walks.
Findings from the study, says Dr Rebecca Leach, “provide only limited evidence that first wave boomers are developing new third age lifestyles.” Most have fairly modest aspirations, hoping at best to maintain current lifestyles and activities provided health and finances permit them to do so. The range of lifestyles is greater than would have been the case with previous generations but there is little evidence of ‘alternative’ models of consumption. Alternative health provision, for example, was widely practiced by between only three-seven per cent of people interviewed for the research. Many of those questioned “professed a critique of materialism, yet demonstrated ambivalence about this in practice.”
The first wave baby boom generation, born between 1945 and 1954, represents 17 per cent of the UK population. Born at a time of austerity, this group later experienced relative prosperity and the emergence of a mass consumer society. The research project by Dr Leach at Keele University and King’s College, London, looked in particular at the role of consumption in approaches to adult ageing. It examined the extent to which baby boomers see themselves as part of a distinctive generational group, and how this might affect consumption patterns.
Baby boomers are shown to be a diverse group, varying considerably depending on wealth, class and education. Only a minority – 41 per cent – of those interviewed by the researchers identified with the term boomer and the study showed that members of the group view themselves in different ways. These are:
• The baby bulge group, who were aware of themselves competing with many others for school places and jobs.
• The burden group who worried about the consequences of being followed by a smaller generation.
• The lucky generation who felt they had benefited most from economic growth and the welfare state.
• The political generation who believed they had been trailblazers through their lives, taking initiatives that had produced social and cultural change.
Tuesday 7 October 2008
Creative Babyboomers
Creative Babyboomers is a blog to record, reflect and promote all the various activities of babyboomers in their fifties and sixties.
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