retirement blogs

Make the Most of Your Time in Retirement

Retirement Wisdom · Nov 4, 2022 ·

By Bev Bachel

“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.”

I’ve been aware of this quote from best-selling author and successful business owner Harvey Mackey my entire adult life. And while I didn’t give the passage of time much thought in my 20s and 30s, I certainly do now that I’m in my mid-60s.

In fact, I’m keenly aware that if I die at the age 70, the age of both of my parents when they died, I have less than five years left. That thought sometimes depresses me. But more often, it motivates me to get serious about making the most of my life.

That means making better use of my time, so I reached out to Laura Vanderkam, a “time makeover” guru and author of Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters.

Here’s the process she recommends for doing your own time-makeover so that you can focus in on the goals most important to you:

Log your time. “The first step to using your time more wisely is knowing how you’re currently using it,” says Vanderkam. You can start by tracking your time in 15-minute increments using a paper timesheet or this one on Vanderkam’s website. There are also plenty of online time-tracking options.

Do the math. After tracking your time for a week or two, add up how you’re spending it. Are you focused on your priorities or are you spending hours on end mindlessly scrolling through Twitter or playing computer games?

Get real. Think about every hour of your week as a choice and ask yourself whether the choices you’re making are truly in line with your priorities.

Dream big. In addition to thinking about your goals, ask yourself how you’d actually like to be spending your time. What would you like to be doing more of? Less of? Not at all?

Establish timelines. Assign each of your goals a timeline and a deadline by when you’ll be able to say, “I did it” (e.g., I will do it as soon as I wake up… by 4 p.m…. before the grandkids come for the weekend).

Break down the steps.Brainstorm the steps you’ll need to take and put them in a logical order.

Plan to plan. “Look at your calendar and block the specific steps you need to take to achieve your goals,” says Vanderkam. This is also a good time to think about what you’re going to do less of…less time spent on computer games, less time vegging out in front of the TV, less time complaining that you don’t have enough time.

Hold yourself accountable. For instance, if you share my goal of reading at least a book a week, you may want to keep a running list of the books you’ve read, including when you read them.

“Spend more time on the things that matter and less on the things that don’t, and you’ll find yourself ever-closer to enjoying the retirement of your dreams,” says Vanderkam.

Bev Bachel is a freelance writer and the author of What Do You Really Want? How to Set a Goal and Go for It!

Podcast Episodes You May Like

How to Live a Values Based Life – Harry Kraemer

Is It Time to Break Up with Busy? – Yvonne Tally

Getting Things Done In Retirement – David Allen

Five Lessons from an Expat on Retiring Outside the US

Retirement Wisdom · Jul 3, 2022 ·

By Bev Bachel

Thinking about becoming an expat in retirement? Anne Nicolai, a fellow writer and long-time friend, did exactly that. Nicolai gave up her full-time corporate job and her Minnesota home in favor of becoming a part-time freelancer and karaoke host in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

I asked Anne, an expat since 2008 and host of MoveToMexico.org, to share what she’s learned on why many adventurous Americans are becoming expats in retirement. Here’s what she had to say:

Learning #1: You are capable of more than you give yourself credit for.

When I first moved to Mexico, I stumbled over the few Spanish phrases I knew, struggled to convert pesos to dollars in my head and wistfully watched the spinning salsa dancers, wishing I had rhythm. Fourteen years later, I’m a 60-year-old bilingual karaoke host who can hold my own on the dance floor. I no longer do math in my head because I now earn, spend and think in pesos, not dollars.

I have managed complex bureaucratic processes such as applying for my temporary residency visa, renewing it three times (including one renewal which required nine separate visits to the immigration bureau) and finally acquiring my permanent residency “green card.” I have made the four-day trip by car from San Miguel to Minneapolis more than 20 times, mostly on my own, and have survived getting lost and being shaken down for bribes, all of which stretched my comfort zone. And I’m pretty proud of all of it.

Learning #2: There is safety in numbers.

Moving to another country requires taking safety and security precautions beyond what you may be used to. Here in Mexico, everyone has decorative ironwork over their windows and doors to prevent break-ins, and many garden walls are topped with broken glass embedded in the mortar, or even razor wire to discourage thieves. You cannot leave a cell phone or laptop in the car, even for a moment, or it will almost certainly be stolen. And you wouldn’t want to walk home from a concert alone after dark except on well-lit streets.

But if you move to a place with a sizeable expat community, whether in Mexico, China, Nigeria, India or Ecuador, there will be some kind of security infrastructure in place. For example, here in San Miguel, English-speaking officers answer 911 calls, and there’s a 24-hour emergency hotline to the American consular agency. And because the locals are accustomed to socializing and working with expats, many of them speak English, too. Here you can live in a mixed neighborhood, in a gated community occupied primarily by expats or in an entirely Spanish-speaking neighborhood, as I do. For me, safety involves knowing my neighbors well enough to feel comfortable knocking on their doors if I’m in trouble, knowing they’ll take me in.

Learning #3: Technology will keep you connected.

No matter how far you roam in retirement, you’ll have the technology to stay in touch with loved ones back home. The majority of the world’s population has access to high-speed internet and affordable cell-phone service. Apps such as WhatsApp, Duo, Viber, Facetime and more offer free worldwide voice and video calling, so you can still celebrate birthdays and holidays with the grandchildren. You can visit with your doctor or therapist via virtual healthcare options. Paying bills back home online is easy. You can even have your Social Security checks deposited directly to many foreign banks in either dollars or the local currency.

Technology can help you to connect with friends and resources in your new community, too. Here in San Miguel, expat forums on Facebook and other platforms serve up all sorts of information, from garage sale listings to crime alerts, social events, and the best places to buy hard-to-find items. And if you know how to use Google Maps or Waze and live in an area such as San Miguel that has access to good internet, you can get walking directions to shops, restaurants, bus stops and more.

Learning #4: Immersion in another culture will change you for the better.

While I love my home state of Minnesota and the USA in general, I moved to Mexico because I craved more sunshine, more color, more ethnic diversity and the intellectual challenge of learning a new language. As a working American who fully participated in consumerism (I enjoyed a four-bedroom home with a pool, two cars, nice clothes and $20 martinis), I was “Type A” in every way.

After living in Mexico for 14 years and counting, I’ve discovered the benefits of patience, humility and simplicity. I rarely feel the need to buy anything other than food and karaoke music. Most of the clothes I wear came with me when I moved here and still fit me, in large part because living in Mexico means I walk more, dance more and eat healthier. This is true for expats almost everywhere, according to my friends around the world.

Learning #5: You can always go home.

I know several expat retirees, now in their 80s and 90s, who have lived in Mexico for 30 years or more. I know just as many Americans, Canadians and Europeans who’ve sold everything and retired here, then decided to move back to their home countries for health reasons or to be closer to family. Some have gone to Thailand or New Zealand or Portugal from here. There is no right way or wrong way to retire; there is no perfect timing; there is no right or wrong place. It’s about trial and error, not success or failure.

To me, Mexico is home now; but that doesn’t mean I will never want to live in the United States again. It does mean I will probably die here. That’s my plan, anyway. Some people come to San Miguel to reinvent themselves, to heal from the trauma of illness or divorce, to finally become an artist, a musician, a winemaker. I came here because Minnesota winters are cold and because I was ready for a new adventure. My friends and family have visited me here, and I’ve never felt lonely. Nevertheless, if I decide tomorrow to go back to where I came from, or to try living in some other part of the world, that’s what I’ll do. You can, too.

Note: An expat (short for expatriate) is a person living outside their native country. The term does not imply a change in citizenship or a negative attitude toward the expat’s home country (an expatriate can still be a patriot!), but it does imply intellectual curiosity and an adventurous spirit.

Bev Bachel is a freelance writer with a goal of one day becoming an expat.

Check out The Retirement Wisdom Podcast

Boost Your Post-retirement Confidence

Retirement Wisdom · Oct 1, 2021 ·

By Bev Bachel

I am.

I’m not.

I can.

I can’t.

Confidence—the feeling of self-assurance that comes from appreciating our abilities and accomplishments—often takes a hit in retirement, in large part because we’ve come to rely on our careers to define who we are and bolster our self-worth. Leave the career behind, and many of us quickly feel less confident … and even less capable.

That’s what happened to Sheila Peyraud. After retiring from a challenging yet rewarding career as chief technology officer of a large manufacturing company in which she routinely tackled challenging problems, she found herself at a complete loss.

“I would never have guessed that I had most of my ego wrapped up in my job, but when I retired, my identity disappeared overnight,” says Peyraud. “That made it clear just how much of my self-esteem was tied to my job. I had no idea. It was really a shock, and my confidence took a hit.”

Peyraud’s loss of confidence in retirement is common. According to an American Psychology Association study, self-esteem rises steadily until retirement, then declines just as steadily thereafter.[1]

But it’s doesn’t have to be this way. Instead, with these strategies, those of us who are retired or nearing retirement can turn “I’m not” back to “I am” and “I can’t” back to “I can.”

Here are eight strategies to help reinvigorate your retirement confidence:

Strategy #1: Set new goals. Run a marathon. Build a cabin. Visit all 50 states. Read a book a week. These are just some of the goals people I know have set … and achieved. In the process, they’ve not only grown their confidence, they’ve proven to themselves (and others) that they have what it takes to succeed.

Strategy #2: Learn something new. Podcasts, including the Retirement Wisdom podcast, are a great way to learn. So is going back to school. That’s what Peyraud did; she enrolled in the University of Minnesota Advanced Careers Fellows Program (UMAC), a nine-month, immersive experience [program?] designed for “encore adults” as they navigate transitions in their work and life. Even though the program has ended, Peyraud continues to take one or two classes per semester, on everything from sociology to electrical engineering.

Strategy #3: Connect with others. It’s so much easier to “get up and go” when you have someone to get up and go with. That’s one of the things Peyraud valued most about her UMAC program; it gave her a cohort of professionals who wanted, needed and valued her support while offering their support in return. “I made some good friends along the way, and we continue to stay in touch and cheer one another on,” says Peyraud.

Strategy #4: Home in on your purpose. While Peyraud started out at a loss, she’s since gotten crystal clear on her purpose, which she defines as “being useful to others and continuous self-development.” The first of these she pursues through tutoring, mentoring, and an open attitude toward others; the second through additional University of Minnesota classes, podcasts (Tim Ferris’ and Brené Brown’s are two of her favorites) and random goals such as learning to play the piano.

Strategy #5: Stretch your comfort zone. Initiate a conversation with someone you don’t know. Attend an event by yourself. Travel to a developing country. Go rock climbing or scuba diving. While these things may at first feel uncomfortable—even frightening—they and other stretches eventually become part of your comfort zone, giving you the confidence to stretch ever further.

Strategy #6: Challenge yourself physically. Come up with a physical challenge that’s realistic for you. For one of my friend’s, it’s running her first-ever 10k. For another, it’s playing pickleball. For Peyraud it’s walking four to five miles a day plus strenuous gardening. “Along the way, I’m building my confidence and proving to myself that I have what it takes to succeed,” says Peyraud. She’s also keeping her body as strong as her mind.

Strategy #7: Engage your imagination. Research shows that our brains don’t differentiate between imagining doing something—delivering a TED Talk, for instance—and actually doing it, so amp up your confidence and your skills by engaging your imagination. Close your eyes and picture yourself with as much detail as possible. Where are you? Who is with you? What are you succeeding at? In what ways are people cheering you on?

“I was self-conscious when I first started taking classes,” says Peyraud. “I was often paired with students 45 years my junior and had to find ways to be useful to them—my organizational skills came in particularly handy—without being a know-it-all. I’ve also found that being vulnerable and admitting what I don’t know has enabled me to learn from my fellow students, everything from software skills to intergenerational thinking.

As a result, Peyraud is confident that she is and that she can.

Bev Bachel is a Twin Cities freelancer who is developing her own retirement confidence by writing blog posts for AARP and Retirement Wisdom.

[1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/changepower/202007/why-are-older-people-happier-less-confident

Aging with Gusto

Retirement Wisdom · Aug 21, 2021 ·

By Bev Bachel

Our society shuns aging and favors youth.

That’s no secret, but what should you and I do with this real yet unfortunate truth?

Develop an “aging with gusto” mindset.

“How we think about aging has a big impact on how we age,” says Donna Comer, coordinator/facilitator for Aging with Gusto, a Vital Aging Network program focused on how we can maintain positive views of ourselves and others as we grow older.

Such views can be extremely powerful. In fact, research shows that people with more positive views of aging live an average of 7.5 years longer than those with more negative views.[1]

What’s more, people who perceive their elder selves as a burden to others tend to view their lives as less valuable, which in turn increases their risk of depression and social isolation, both of which have proven to be “silent killers” for older adults.[2]

Positive views matter

“Growing older does offer challenges,” acknowledges Comer. “But raising awareness of aging and increasing appreciation for how people of all ages contribute to our families and our communities is an essential first step in adopting a more positive view of both retirement and aging.”

Comer isn’t the only one who thinks so. So does Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of AARP and author of Disrupt Aging: A Bold New Path to Living Your Best Life at Every Age. In the book and on the Disrupt Aging website, Jenkins stresses that we’re not only living longer, but better. And we’re defying stereotypes along the way.

That was exactly the point made at an arts and aging conference I attended several years back. The keynote speaker invited volunteers from the audience to join him on stage and to act out what 70, 80 and 90 looked like. The volunteer pretending to be 70 took baby steps as she walked onto the stage. The one pretending to be 80 hobbled with a cane, stopping every few feet to catch his breath, while the one pretending to be 90 relied on a make-believe wheelchair.

Then, an actual 90-year-old (a marathoner, it turned out) came running from the back of the auditorium and hopped onto the stage, instantly shattering the audience’s misperceptions of what “old” looks and acts like.

AARP made a similar point in a video it developed in which millennials were asked to demonstrate what old looks like: struggling to send a text message, inching their way down an imaginary flight of stairs and unable to do even a single pushup. Then, the millennials met with real older adults who were able to perform these and other more ambitious tasks effortlessly.

The millennials were amazed. But they shouldn’t have been. While aging often comes with ageism—the tendency to regard older persons as debilitated, unworthy of attention or unsuitable for employment—the two don’t have to go hand in hand. Nor should they.

That’s the point longevity expert Dan Buettner makes in The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest. According to his research, if you want to add years and perhaps decades to your life, embrace these nine habits:

Move naturally.People in Blue Zones live in environments that nudge them to move without thinking much about it, rather than separating fitness into a specific hour of their day.

Power up your purpose.Called “Ikigai” by the Okinawans, your purpose gives you a reason to get up in the morning. Find it, and you’ll live about seven years longer.

Downshift. People in Blue Zones slow down to pray, take naps, manage their stress, cherish their ancestors and come together for happy hours.

Stop eating before you’re full.Eat your smallest meal in the late afternoon or early evening and stop eating when you are 80 percent full.

Eat plants. While some people in the Blue Zones eat meat, most don’t. And those who do eat it do so only a few times each month.

Drink wine.Blue Zonians drink one or two glasses of wine a day with friends and family.

Belong to a faith community. Blue Zones research shows that attending faith-based services four times a month can add up to 14 years to your life.

Put loved ones first. Aging parents and grandparents often live near or even in the same home as their children and grandchildren. This lowers disease and mortality rates.

Find the right crowd. Those who live the longest are part of active social circles that support healthy behaviors.

To learn more about how you can age with gusto, visit AgingWithGusto.com and BlueZones.com.

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Related Podcast Episodes You May Like

Retirement Planning Includes Getting Good at Getting Older – Rabbi Laura Geller

What Can You Do to Age Better? – Anna Dixon

What Can We Learn from Blue Zones? – Richard Eisenberg

We’re All Ageing. Are You Up for a Bolder Approach? – Carl Honoré

[1] https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/psp-832261.pdf

[2] https://www.mylifesite.net/blog/post/positive-aging-changing-mindset-growing-older/

Semi-retirement: One Way to Engage in More Meaningful Work

Retirement Wisdom · May 14, 2021 ·

By Bev Bachel

Years ago, a writer friend told me that when you’re self-employed you never really retire, you just wake up one day and realize all your clients are gone. Thankfully, that hasn’t happened to me, at least not yet, but it has got me thinking about my own path to retirement.

While it’s a few years off, I have made the transition from full-time work focused on what clients ask of me (e.g., write a brochure about trucking software) to part-time work focused on what I enjoy (e.g., write a blog post about intergenerational living).

So, does doing work I enjoy, often without worrying about how much I get paid, mean I’m semi-retired?

Yes.

According to Kate Schaefers, executive director of the University of Minnesota Advanced Careers Initiative—a gap-year program for experienced professionals as they transition from career jobs into more meaningful, post-career lives, semi-retirement—is defined as intentionally working less than full-time, typically doing less stressful and/or more fulfilling work, even if such work pays less.

Take Louis Capecci for example. He retired from his retail career but now manages home improvement projects and vacation properties for others. And while Rob Kirby still works full-time for a Big Ten university, he’s already laid the groundwork for semi-retirement by developing his skills as a freelance writer.

Capecci and Kirby aren’t alone. According to U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, 13 million Americans age 65 and older will be in the labor force by 2024.[1]

There are many reasons for this: healthier, longer lives, as well as the need to save more for retirement top the list. “Plus, people are eager to stay engaged, especially when they’re able to do work that’s meaningful to them,” says Schaefers.

Tips to keep in mind

If you’re considering semi-retirement, here are five tips to make the most of it:

Take inventory. Schaefers advises asking yourself several key questions: What am I good at? What do I enjoy doing? How can I bring these things together in a way that leads to rewarding work?

Network with others. Who do you know who is doing something you find interesting? Connect with them to learn more. “Whether they’re former colleagues, long-time friends or someone you met last week while standing in line at the grocery store, a network of diverse people can help you connect with meaningful work,” says Schaefers.

Try things on for size. For instance, if you’re interested in podcasting, can you volunteer to help your neighborhood association or favorite nonprofit launch a podcast?

Embrace differences. “We have five generations in the workplace today, yet many of us live and work in age-segregated environments,” says Schaefers. “By reaching out to those who are younger and older, we can fuel both our creativity and productivity.” Plus, when we feel more connected, we tend to perform better.

Trust that you’ll figure it out. “You have to be okay with not having all the answers, even with not knowing what you’re doing,” says Schaefers. “At some point, things will fall into place and your future will once again feel bright.”

Bev Bachel is a Twin Cities freelance writer who is making the transition from full-time work to semiretirement.

[1] https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2017/article/older-workers.htm

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

How to Build a Portfolio Career – Kate Schaefers

Are You Ready for The New Long Life? – Andrew Scott

How Life Hacks Can Help Make Your Retirement the Best Time of Your Life – Sam Horn

Why Are People Unretiring? – Nicole Maestas