Come Explore the Second Half of Life November 7th

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Next week on Monday, November 7 from 7-9 PM at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, I am leading a class called:   Download Second Half of Life Class.  Please think about coming or recommending this to your family and friends.  

This is uncharted territory for most people. Since we are healthier than people in the past and we are living longer, the model of "retirement" for most of us is changing.  Marc Friedman is calling this our "encore years" and many people are starting encore careers for money or not for money, but it is all about purpose and meaning.  

Knowing what to do between the ages of 60-90 is not based on having money or being smart.  Sure, we need to have "enough" money--whatever that means to you.  But it helps to have a life plan that guides our way and this does not magically happen.  It takes some work by making some intentional decisions about what you want to do with your time.

Jane Fonda has a new book out on this topic called Prime Time.  Jane Pauley has a show on the Today Show titled:  Your Life Calling.  Rita Wilson, married to Tom Hanks, has a program on the Huffington Post on aging for boomers.  And I am teaching a class next week in Des Moines on the second half of life. While I am not Jane, Jane, or Rita, I want to share what I have learned about growing in life experience.

Richard Leider, one of my role models in this work, likes to ask:  

"Are you living the good life?  Are you living with the people you love, in the place that's right, doing good work, with a sense of purpose?"

Come explore the second half of life next Monday.  I look forward to seeing you there.  Registration is preferred although you can walk in and register that night.

 

 

Comments

[Jane]

After working on my personal mission and vision, I came to the conclusion that I have always wanted to live in another time other than the one I'm currently in. When I was in jr. high, all I wanted to be was 16, then I wanted to be 21, then it was 30. I have thought about the age of retirement and all the things we're going to do...then.

After much thinking about it. I decided that I should enjoy life as it is occuring.

[Kate K.]

I just happen to read Jane's comment after watching Michael Carroll's Leading@Google lecture. He talked a lot about wanting to be somewhere else, be something else, doing something else, etc. When really we should just appreciate being. The more we can become mindful leaders, we can be more comfortable with who we are and where we are, he said. I found this interesting, but hadn't thought about it in context of age, until I read Jane's comment. I also just recently commented on a blog post about wishing you were a different age. I said that I'm happy with where I'm at and don't wish to be younger or older. The memories I have of being younger are great--some of the best!--but I don't wish to be young again! I'm with Jane, I'm going to keep enjoying life as it comes!

[Brian A]

I find Des Moines to be a great place to live. I have enough friends to keep me occupied, and I feel like my work is challenging and allows me to grow. I feel like I'm on the verge of something big in my career, but I just have to be patient. I think your leadership course came along at the right time in my career (2nd year in management) and I'm going to be able to get the most out of it. I'm eager to find new opportunities and situations in which to apply what I've learned, and I hope to be much more active with causes I support here in town.

[Brenna]

Thinking ahead to the second half of life couldn't scare me more. I haven't figured out the first half of life. I'm still unsatisfied with the circumstances of my job, but since taking this class, I've become much more satisfied with my coworkers and work experiences. Maybe I need to think a little more about Jane and Kate's outlooks and just enjoy the moment. Get through today and begin tomorrow's work tomorrow.

[Nicole Riehl]

I attended a leadership conference about a year ago, and one of the speakers focused on this topic. She talked about how we should all think about the phases of our lives, and how it's important to cultivate hobbies, relationships, and interests that will keep us happy and fulfilled after retirement. She said it's important to work on this throughout our lives, rather than just trying to start after retirement.

[Pat B.]

My husband took an early retirement a few years ago and then, after a couple of years, accepted a new position with another company. He has a markedly different approach to this new position. Although he is completely invested in the company and I believe is a star employee (OK, I'm biased), he does not have the stress that he had in his previous position. He goes to the office, works very hard, and then leaves the stress at the office. He has a peace about his work, I think, because he is in this second career and has the benefit of perspective from the first.

[Bill H.]

It's always good to have a plan. I think that the concept of retirement is changing from what people envisioned 10+ years ago. A couple I know is just a few years into their retirement, and the poor economy has cost them nearly half of their savings. So, more people are either staying in their careers longer or taking on additional work after retirement. But, whether it is needed or not, I think working after retirement is not a bad thing. Keeping active keeps the mind and body going longer.