Books Archive

From Working To Wisdom

Retirement Wisdom · Nov 21, 2018 ·

The Adventures and Dreams of Older Americans

by Brendan Hare (2015 -Joppa Flats Publishing)

In Short

You will find this retirement book is less about retirement than it is about the experiences of growing older. The author, Brendan Hare, like many of us was anxious about his own retirement and was unable to picture what his life after would be retirement would be like. Brendan’s journey of discovery took him to interview over 40 people from all walks of life as he listened to and learned from their experiences of growing older and it helped him answer many questions for himself as it will for you. It is in these interviews (many of whom you know and all of whom you wish you did) that one is able to walk in the shoes of what is perhaps, yet to come, for many of us.

Takeaways

The short stories are categorized in themes which help show the diversity of aging experiences in an easy to read format. Through these stories you will also see how the themes helped shape each person become who they are. Some themes have remained consistent or shifted based on life experiences and paths chosen. They are:

Work
Adventure
Creativity
Enjoyment
Sports
Family
Community
Service
Change
Attitude
The Long View

The reader gets to experience the story teller’s unique life history and views of aging. I found the history part most interesting as understanding the backgrounds of each individual and what got them to this point in their lives provided their own life lessons.

Because each story will impact us all differently, our takeaways will be unique. While each one of these had a lesson, it was through “story-telling” that the reader is easily engaged and drawn into the personal lives of these people. Everyone loves a good story – there are over 40 of them in this book. I thought of some of my own aging relatives, most no longer with us, and wondered how they would have told their story about living and growing older if they took the opportunity.

Kickstarter

First – I recommend buying this book on retirement for yourself or to give it as a gift.

Secondly, in our podcast with author Brendan Hare we asked him what advice he might give to someone who wants to transition from working to wisdom. Among Brendan’s suggestions, he recommends leveraging the power of storytelling and consider writing your own short story to help you understand who you are and what you have become. Include how you want to be remembered and then take steps to become that person.

This can be an important way to move forward and live life fully and engaged. There is no rush – do it at your own pace. It can help you to reflect, gain clarity and develop awareness as to what aging means to you as you engage on this exciting journey. This retirement book can give you a head start.

Related Retirement Wisdom Podcast Episodes

Are You Ready to Follow Your Own Path in Retirement? – Bob Lowry

What Will You Do When You’re Formerly Corporate? – Lorette Pruden

The Unique Challenges Men and Women Face in Retirement – Thelma Reese

Retirement Wisdom · Nov 11, 2018 ·

By Yvonne Tally (2018 – New World Library)

Book Review by Joe Casey

Why is balance so elusive? Some of the busiest people I know are retired. Working or retired, doesn’t it seem like we’re all really busy all the time? It’s become a status symbol in our society. But why are we so busy today?

In Short

Yvonne Tally explains that it doesn’t happen overnight. It starts with good intentions. We get things done and that’s rewarded. We have professional success – and we’re given more to do. (More is good, right?) We start a family. We get involved in our community. All of these good things start stacking up until we feel like we’re in a real-life version of Jenga. So we carefully figure out how to juggle to make it all work. We learn to multitask to keep the tower stable.

We embrace technology, at a Ninja-level, to make us more productive, more efficient and to be able to get even more done. Technology’s great, but it comes with downsides. For one, it’s addicting. It always whispering to you – a big distraction throughout the day. It can subtly shift from a useful tool to yet another thing to manage. (Have you counted how many apps you have on your phone? How many do you regularly use? I only notice when I run out of storage and then discover how many apps I have – and wonder how did they get there?).

Interestingly, people in retirement often exclaim that they’re “Busier than ever!” when people inquire how retirement is going. That’s why Breaking Up with Busy is relevant to retirement. It’s easy to fall right back into the busy trap in retirement as there’s no shortage of things other people will gladly bring you into if you’re not mindful about it. Suddenly, you realize that your time is not really your own. Other people’s priorities can get a hold on you. The main point is that getting too caught up with Busy can keep us from our own true priorities. We learn that a busy life comes at a cost -and the price can be quite high, often affecting our most valued relationships.

Takeaways

Breaking Up with Busy is a book full of savvy tools, solutions, and practices. A few that stood out to me are:

Mind Your Mindset – Think of when you’re at your busiest. How would you describe your mindset? Yvonne Tally walks through the powerful role that our beliefs and our mindsets steer our thoughts and behaviors. She offers a pathway to stepping back to evaluate it and tools to help reset it. (Have you noticed how many technical support troubleshooting issues get resolved by unplugging and resetting our devices? Same with us.)
Learn What to Say No To – and How to Do It Well – The importance of saying No is easy to understand, yet tough to do in practice. This book offers excellent tips on how to develop your best way to say No. One set of suggestions I found especially useful is learning the Healthy Yes – how to say Yes more slowly and No more quickly.
Create Space for What’s Truly Important – When we’re stuck in busy, it ‘s hard to see daylight. We’re going from one thing to the next, only to restart the same steeplechase the next day. Saying No skillfully opens up space to say Yes to more important, meaningful things.
Open Up Connections – Being busy can keep us from deeper connections. Not only a deeper connection with others but a re-connection with ourselves – and what’s truly most important to us.

Kickstarter

Let’s face it – busy has a hold on us. As the old Neil Sedaka song noted, breaking up is hard to do. It helps to have a good plan. Tally’s book doesn’t offer quick-fix solutions. She recommends starting slowly with small actionable steps. An especially valuable part of this book is its’s final section – a list of 52 practical actions you can take at your own pace – one week at a time if you choose.

While this book is written for Overscheduled Women, I believe it’s relevant for men and women in various stages of life – from working parents to someone planning for retirement or someone looking to shift their retirement to a more meaningful one. If you feel that you’re busier than you’d like to be, this book offering inspiring and useful strategies and tips to regain the balance you need and the more human pace of life you crave, this book is for you.

Yvonne Tally joined our podcast recently to share her story and how to restore balance in your life.

Isn’t it time to Break Up with Busy?

Breaking Up with Busy by Yvonne Tally

– Joe Casey

Joe Casey is an executive coach, who also helps people think through and create their Second Acts, at retirementwisdom.com

Retirement Wisdom · May 17, 2018 ·

By Hyrum W. Smith (2017-Mango Publishing Group)

Book Review by Joe Casey

In Short

This retirement book is not a book on theory. Hyrum Smith, the former Chairman CEO of FranklinCovey and a renowned expert on time management, shares his experience and wisdom on what really matters most in retirement. It is a book filled with insights and humor. He challenges the conventional views of retirement and offers useful ideas on how to shift your mindset towards it, embrace the transition and live life fully in retirement. People often advise others to “Stay busy” in retirement. This book shows you how to that, but in a way that provides deeper meaning and significance.

In particular, his thoughts and recommendations on creating a new identity in retirement are especially beneficial. As you may expect, his book focuses on principles and illuminating the key ones that underlie a great retirement. What I enjoyed most about this book about retirement were the stories that Hyrum shared that brought each principle to life. His observations on meaning, purpose and making a difference in this phase of life are both inspiring and practical.

Takeaways

Hyrum explains how we all have Belief Window (please see my humble story on his valuable idea) and how important it is to reflect on them and update them as you are transitioning for retirement. Letting go can be hard, but it gives you to freedom to live fully in the present.
Proactivity is vital in transitioning to retirement well. Many people end up drifting into retirement and can become lost without the purpose and structure that their working years provided. Hyrum describes how you can take charge and redefine your mission, rediscover your core values and direct your time toward them in your retirement.
Purpose and meaning can be lofty concepts. As you would expect from someone who’s known as “The Father of Time Management”, he delivers options on how to take your purpose and translate it into action on a weekly and daily basis.
For many of us, retiring is not a solo endeavor. Smith offers lessons learned on how to retire well together and be attuned to the adjustments to retirement that may need to be discussed and made.

Kickstarter

If you’re thinking about retirement, start by checking in on your attitude about it. Hyrum Smith believes there are two camps (Those who can’t wait – and those who will need to be dragged into it kicking and screaming).
He asks, Which Camp Are You In?

No matter which camp you’re in today, this retirement book can help to broaden your thinking about your retirement and ensure that how you choose to invest your time is aligned with a renewed clarity of purpose and values.

– Joe Casey

Joe Casey is an executive coach, who also helps people think through and create their Second Acts, at retirementwisdom.com

Related Retirement Wisdom Podcast episodes

Why People Make a Career Change with Purpose Top of Mind – Chris Farrell

Why Settle for Happiness in Your Retirement? – Emily Esfahani Smith

Retirement Wisdom · Feb 26, 2018 ·

By Héctor García and Francesc Miralles (2016-Penguin Books)

Book Review by Joe Casey

I first learned the word Ikigai from Susan Williams of @Booming Encore. It means a “reason for being” and it is associated with a feeling of well-being. The authors refer to it as “the art of staying young while growing old.”

In Short

When I saw this book in the bookstore (I still try and do that when and where I can), I was eager to learn more. This book was born in curiosity. The co-authors are two writers, one lives in Japan and the other in Spain, who wondered what is behind the superior longevity of the Japanese, notably residents of Okinawa. They embarked on a research inquiry focused on the village of Ogimi, which has the highest longevity on the planet, to uncover the drivers and unlock practices and behaviors that could be useful for all of us.

What they found is a compilation of practices that nurture the art of living. It’s less about specific tips. None of them by themselves will be earth-shattering to you. It’s more about an overall approach that’s quite different from some of ours in the West, especially around how we view and use time.

The foundational elements of this approach are meaning and purpose, which often need to be redefined at different stages of life. Having a clear sense of meaning and purpose in life, especially post-career, can then be the catalyst for an active life at this stage. With purpose, activity contributes and adds value to others. Without purpose, activity is hollow and just busyness. A clear sense of renewed purpose is often the missing link that’s ignored in the transition to retirement. Ikigai is a way to discover what your unique purpose is and what offers meaning to you at this point in life.

In addition to purpose, the authors explain the other key practices and habits that emerged their interviews with centenarians, including a number who were over 110. They include eating less (living by an 80% rule, stopping ahead of feeling full); movement throughout the day; friendship; being present in the moment, adopting and displaying a positive attitude and reconnecting with nature. Finally, they describe the Japanese practice on Naikan, a form of gratitude that encourages taking a moment to appreciate the contributions unknown others have made to things that we generally take for granted, such as what goes into the meals we eat and the clothing we wear.

Takeaways

None of the recommended practices are financial in nature. All relate to the art of living and how you choose to invest your time. All are doable.
The power does not lie in any one of the specific practices individually, it’s in adopting a holistic approach. The recommendations in this book cover the mental, physical, social and spiritual aspects of life.
Discovering, rediscovering or clarifying your purpose is a very valuable endeavor.

Kickstarter

If you’re transitioning away from your corporate career, or you’ve already retired and you want more, this book can give you a straightforward, yet highly beneficial roadmap of healthy practices.
At this time of year, New Year’s resolutions can already be a distant memory. Spring offers opportunities for new beginnings. Why not consider Ikigai as a way to cultivate a healthier lifestyle?

Joe Casey is an executive coach, who also helps people think through and create their Second Act careers, at retirementwisdom.com

Related Retirement Podcast episodes

What Can We Learn from Blue Zones? – Richard Eisenberg

Why People Make a Career Change with Purpose Top of Mind – Chris Farrell

Why Settle for Happiness in Retirement? – Emily Esfahani Smith

Related Book Reviews

The Second Mountain

A New Purpose: Redefining Money, Family, Work, Retirement, and Success

Purposeful Retirement

Retirement Wisdom · Feb 22, 2018 ·

By Thelma Reese and Barbara M. Fleisher (2017 – Roman & Littlefield Publishers).

In Short

Following their 2013 book, The New Senior Woman, Reese and Fleisher, two retired college professors, tackled the sometimes thorny issue of how men successfully transition to life in retirement.

There are many things to love about this book.

First, there are thoughtful conversations with many men, from all walks of life, at various stages of their retirement journey woven into the book. These provide snippets of real-life case studies that paint a rich portrait of lived experience and wisdom. The reader comes away with a sense that each retirement is truly unique. However, there are some universal challenges that each man faces, primarily around identity and purpose. There’s a clear sense that despite the realities and challenges, many men are seizing the opportunities that this phase of life offers. These stories give concrete examples of men who are finding creative solutions and designs that work for them and align with their values and priorities. But there’s no sugar-coating in this book. The authors take on a myriad of tough issues head-on and extract the lessons learned from the stories of various men’s experiences.

Second, this book has a wonderful sense of humor. The authors provide a look at the lighter side, while still addressing serious issues such as ageism. The humor provides a great balance and you come away with a sense that you are getting to know not only the characters who were interviewed, but the co-authors as well. There is sound information and useful tends highlighted in the book, but their personalities come through as well.

Third, it’s one of those books you read where you find yourself slapping your forehead saying “That is brilliant. Why haven’t I ever thought of that?” My favorite example is the title of Chapter One: Manning Up to Retirement.

Takeaways

Financial planning in retirement is critical. But it’s not enough. Winning at retirement involves planning for other important ingredients such as purpose, identity and social connections
What you focus on matters – and it’s a choice. What’s your attitude toward retirement? The authors emphasize that this phase of life is an opportunity for renewal and reinvention, in contrast to some of the messages that our culture and society at large emphasize. But there are innovative ways many men are discovering to continue to contribute and add value.
Think differently. The authors note that “Life isn’t a matter of either -or.” Retirement today is vastly different today. There are new options to continue to work in different ways and build a portfolio of interests and activities.

Kickstarter

If you haven’t already, give some thought to what your identity was during your career and what you want it to be in retirement. It’s a harder question, and a more important one, than it first appears. How will you need to “Man Up’ to have a great retirement?

I found this book to be very insightful and inspiring, while being firmly grounded and rooted in the stories and experiences of the men they profiled.

If you are a senior man, or hope to be one someday, this book is well worth your time. If you know a senior man, who is approaching retirement or is in retirement, this book would make a meaningful gift.

– Joe Casey

Joe Casey is an executive coach, who also helps people think through and create their Second Act careers, at retirementwisdom.com

Buy The New Senior Man on Amazon