Most of us over 50 have been “culturally indoctrinated” under what I call the “20–40–20” plan – 20 years of learn; 40 years of earn; 20 years of leisure. It’s a linear life model that still pervades our thinking, co-authored by our educational system and boosted along by a very powerful financial services industry.… Continue reading The average life expectancy is 78 years, while the retirement age is 67. We work for 50 years to be free for 11. Does that sound like a fair deal?
Category: Retirement
The Best Advice For Someone Who Recently Turned 60. (P.S. The Best Is Yet To Come!)
It feels weird. I’m only nine months from the twentieth anniversary of my 60th birthday. OMG, how did that happen? I was recently asked on a forum what advice I would have for someone turning 60. Granted, they say advice is worth what you pay for it and it was a free forum, but since… Continue reading The Best Advice For Someone Who Recently Turned 60. (P.S. The Best Is Yet To Come!)
Beware the Mid-life Default Mode (or How to Avoid Becoming a Pinprick)
Autopilot is death. Flipping the switch is hard. I’m stealing these words from Barbara Bradley Hagerty, NPR correspondent and author of one of my favorite books and one I’ve referenced before: “Life Reimagined: The Science, Art, and Opportunity of Midlife.” I decided I would just let BBH do most of the talking this week because… Continue reading Beware the Mid-life Default Mode (or How to Avoid Becoming a Pinprick)
Are You Fearful of Old Age? What Age is “Old” to You?
I guess I’m supposed to be concerned about my advancing age. I get a daily reminder as I roll out of the sack every morning. But, so far, I’ve been able to keep it off my mental calendar. Maybe someday, when all seventy-eleven balls I have in the air come down. I don’t believe in… Continue reading Are You Fearful of Old Age? What Age is “Old” to You?
Retirement: Is Yours Running to Something? Or From Something? Or Just Plain Stuck?
Are you being pulled by aspiration, pushed by desperation, or just drifting in cultural sludge in your third age? Given that 2 of 3 retirees enter retirement without a non-financial plan, drifting seems to be the default. “Hey, no problem – what’s the big deal? Retirement will take care of itself”, they say. Sorry. Guess… Continue reading Retirement: Is Yours Running to Something? Or From Something? Or Just Plain Stuck?
How Is It OK That We’re Meant to Work a 9-5 for 40-plus Years Then Retire? Maybe We’ve Been Bamboozled!
Did you ever wonder how we, as participants in the so-called “western culture”, ended up in a 20-40-20 linear life model while other societies, with longer life spans and generally healthier citizenry, don’t? Somewhere along the way over the last century, somebody crafted a manual that made the default life plan to “work-from-9–5-for-40-years” and then… Continue reading How Is It OK That We’re Meant to Work a 9-5 for 40-plus Years Then Retire? Maybe We’ve Been Bamboozled!
It’s Not Easy Being a Hypocrite!
I have a confession to make. This is embarrassing! Really embarrassing. Look up “hypocrite” in Merriam Webster – you’ll find my name. I signed up for Netflix this week! I get it if you hit the unsubscribe button. You are legitimately accurate to claim “said blogger speaketh from both sides of mouth.” You see,… Continue reading It’s Not Easy Being a Hypocrite!
What Are We Blind To As We Age?
This recently hit my daily feed of questions that I get from Quora.com: “What are most people blind to in later life?” I submitted a quick response that kicked up considerable interest so I decided to share it out this week. Hope you’ll find some value. Let me know either way with a comment or… Continue reading What Are We Blind To As We Age?
Retirement, Entropy, and the Fast Track to Frailty
“The greatest part of human life potential has been wasted by people dying before their allotted time was up.” Peter Laslett I know I must sound like a broken record. But, I’ll say it again: we western-culture humanoids are notoriously naive about our biologies and live too short and die too long. We, with very… Continue reading Retirement, Entropy, and the Fast Track to Frailty
How Not To Waste a Retirement.
“The retirement age is coming down from 70, to 65, to 60 and may, in the course of the next 25 years, go below that. But the dream come true is a nightmare. For retirement, conceived as a protracted vacation, is a form of prolonged suicide. It marks the first formal stage on the road… Continue reading How Not To Waste a Retirement.