Well, it is amazing what people are doing with their new found freedom. Some have found a new passion with charity. There are so many charities out there…just go to the phone book. Visit local television websites.

Some find new skills. What would you like to do with your time? Do you want to teach, train, become a paid speaker? Find your expertise and develop it further.

Do you like writing. One way to get your name, “out there” is to write and publish at …get your name out there…

Join professional organizations that can provide mentors and tons of information on how to follow your new passion.

Let me know how YOU have spent newly found time via retirement. I would like to share it with other retirees! Write methadee@gmail.com

As one person told me, “…there was no way I could plan for this yet to come,” unknown economy. People are telling me that at the point of retirement, they were feeling quite secure and sure of there new adventure by way of retirement. They had money in the bank and felt confident that they would just find a part time job somewhere.

The THUD hit! The economy crashed! The job market became flooded with people willing to work “part time”…this slowly diminished savings and the ability of working part time, if you are a senior.

You know the saying, “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.” For those of us old enough to remember our parents spending habits, we are all adjusting to the negative economy, but for those who were raised by parents who weren’t born during the depression of the 1930s…well they might be having a harder time in adjusting.

The key is to create a budget. Live in the now. Pay as you go! Put off large ticket priced items. Review spending habits. Ask yourself what can you cut out or down on?

The bottom line is having LESS is actually having MORE. The secret is to streamline slowly and cut costs by becoming a good shopper and staying alert.

This is why I have decided to keep this blog open for discussion and reporting on how people spend their time after retirement.

Let’s face it, from your very first day of retirement, there are no meetings to run, no emails, deadlines or demanding bosses. No one cares about your opinion anymore. As I once wrote, it’s like going “kurplunk” when you crash to the ground. The silence can be deafening!

How I spend my day: I am sorting boxes that have been stashed away. The boxes primarily hold files from past jobs and projects. It is a walk through memory lane. But it is also more than that…

As I have reviewed each file and I have asked myself, “How could I use this material?” I have found a number of subjects from my former training sessions that I can use for future webinars. I am in the process of creating new training programs and materials from these past subjects. I will be offering them soon. You can always check in at SizemoreSeminars.com for updates in late November.

I am also writing a variety of booklets and books. All in various stages of production, but sure to be published late November, December and January of 2012.

SO THAT’S HOW’S BY ME…What are YOU doing with your new retired time. I would like to know about your dreams, projects, goals or how you have redefined yourself as a retired person. If you are willing to share, I would like to post it in the this blog. I will be posting every Thursday.

Our message could strike a chord with someone who, after retirement, might feel like a ship without a rudder!

You can send your input to me via email: methadee at hotmail.com and tell your story to me. I look forward to hearing from you.

…to be continued

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One of the retirement pit falls that no one seems to mention is loneliness. A person can be so highly socialized with work, social events, professional organizations, etc and then there is the “kirplunk” factor that happens. People enter into retirement with out a thought of what their future socialization might be. Now if you are living with a spouse/companion or still have growing family at home, it’s not a problem, but if you live alone the “kirplunk” is the thud you hear when people become reclusive.

The reclusive behavior offers a deafening silence. The lack of daily interaction becomes lacking and just continues to build a distance between the retiree and society.

This is why a strategy is so important, not only for how and when you are leaving the workplace, but also for the moments after, when your lifestyle takes on a complete change. Think about what you are going to do, once retired. The first few weeks after retirement one usually cleans out the garage, cupboards, might even relocate. But then what?!

It’s the “then what” concept that has to be mapped out in order to avoid the “kirplunk” factor. Think about a new occupation. Consider part-time employment. Think about your favorite organizations in the community and consider volunteering your time.

Weeks, later when I spoke to my friend, I heard a spark in her voice. She signed up to volunteer at the local hospital a few days a week. It has made all the difference in the world towards how she looks at her retirement and her new role in society.

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While the sofa was on lay-a-way, space in the home was probably swept and made clean. The space had been measured to assure that the sofa would fit. Maybe drapes changed their color or rugs took on a new look.

Where am I going with this you ask?!

Well, think of retirement as being on the lay-a-way plan. We had it within sights from the very beginning, but had to make payments and pay our dues in life before we could collect.

BUT the final ticket can not be had until all the dues are paid. We pay our dues by building our professional and personal character throughout our lives. We learn the value of a dollar, about people and their differences and most of all, with time, we grow to understand our own self-worth and what we do and could contribute to society.

That is where the retirement strategy comes in…as dues and as final down payment. By taking all the values we have gained, at some point we can start designing our exit strategy for making the change from employment to retirement. Of course, with the proviso…we don’t just retire and die. We reinvent, rejuvenate and rejoice that we will exit the trappings of ‘work’ and embrace the freedom of a new path!

Next time strategy tips…

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I have written thousands of key strokes since 2008, with the sole purpose of trying to help people to understand that they should retire sooner, than later. The world is waiting for your talents, so why would stay where you are no longer taken seriously, or have become invisable?

If my keystrokes don’t convince anyone, then reflecting on the tragic day of 9/11 should give everyone a clear insight that their lives might need a serious change. I can guarantee that anyone who survived working and escaping from the World trade Center definately re=evaluated their lives.

Crunch the numbers, talk to your retirement services department, and most importantly dream! Ask yourself, what would you be doing, if you weren’t working at your tired wornout job?

Setting a date and filing the papers with your retirement services department helps define your commitment. Once you commit, you can look forward and never look back.

Most people start with a list of things they will do around the house. Some decide to sleep in every day, once retired and sign up for a pottery class. Others find organizations who need their skills, while some fine new and exciting jobs that are not even close to what they had been doing.

The look of retirement is different for everyone, but as we reflect and spare a moment of silence for those involved in the 9/11 event, we say thanks for our blessings and become more aware of the beautiful life that is available to us. You will bless the day when you turn to one of your co-workers and say, ” i”m otta here!

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What a perk! You can’t even put a dollar value on it. Now with each day, you connect with people who not only value you, but you them! This common union of thinking, values and life enjoyment chips away all the stress that you might have experienced in the workplace.

This concept came to mind today, when I had lunch with a very dear friend who I had not seen in about 15 years. We had alot of catching up to do. Since retirement, I have spent countless hours with family, friends and professional mentors who color my life and enrich it everyday. This results in alot of laughter, smiles and great personal humor.

Of course, two of my favorite humorist are my grandchildren. My grand-daughter informed me that when she grows up, she is going to marry Justin Bieber. It brought smiles between the two of us and I didn’t have the heart to tell her, that he is too old for her, she is only 5! Then there was my grandson, who I asked to “go under the sofa and grab the lost popcorn kernal” …well I meant for him to stick his arm under to pick it up, but he took me literally…and said, “Nana, I can’t fit under the sofa!”

The real perk is unspoken, people never mention it, when they talk about benefits of retirement, but I am sure many retired have followed the path of least resistance and now spend their precious time with those who are most valued.

Introducing NEW valued friends can develop and enrich retirement life. If you are newly retired, you might need redirection. I would like to introduce you to a “dream coach” a lovely young lady who gives hope and joy while helping people to redirect their spirits and find new positive paths. Her name is: Marcia Wieder and you can find her at . [www.amazingdreamers.com]

So if you are planning to retire soon, make a list of people you would like to reconnect with and design a plan of how to incorporate exciting new friends and mentors into your life.

to be continued

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Now is the time that we must look back for the promise of a good future. The tutor in this exercise is, most likely already passed on to the happy hunting ground. I am talking about your great-grandparents!

Today’s retirement strategy needs to copy the shades of the past. Do you know that the concept of “retiring early” was not ever on your grandparent’s and great-grandparent’s mind? They expected to work well into their 70s. They may have been thinking about how to slow down, but “retirement” was a foreign word.

The job market was very different in those days. Professions were very different, as people were mostly doers. Many did not have what we were to know as desk jobs. In some cases they just worked until they met their maker.

They also approached investments differently. Some bought property, many bought gold and silver, while some put their money in bonds and utilities. A few had investments in the market, but far fewer than before the crash of 1929. Spending ideas were different. If they could not afford a home of their own, they lived in three room flats or in a rooming house and paid by the week or month. If they could afford a car, they kept their cars for as long as 10 years, rarely took vacations, and eating out was not the custom, as it was always more sociable to have people come over to one’s house.

It is my observation that America is digressing in a variety of ways. It is time that we look to the past for guidance concerning our future. Ask a few basic questions:Do you really have to retire this year? If you are retired, how can you rearrange your investments to give a better yield? Are there elders in your family, still living who can tell you how to revise your retirement vision? It is clearly time to look to the past for a prosperous future.
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Well, it is amazing. They go back to school,learn a new skill, write a book, take on a new avocation, most make exceptional choices. The interesting thing that I noticed is that most take a complete turn from what they were doing.

For example, one lady who had been in marketing and behind a desk for 20 years, became a landscape designer. A businessman, who lived and often worked in China, now lives in California and helps newly arrived Chinese professionals become comfortable in their new living environments in America.

I got certified to teach English as a Second Language for those who work in America and need to perfect their English speaking skills. I will be launching a program soon, called ESL in America, where people who speak English as a second language are coached and mentored to improve their English us and understanding.

A couple I know got their Acting union card. And they are having a great time being “extras” in photo shoots for advertising, commercials or videos.

Some people often sell everything and relocate. There is actually a free land program in America that few people know about. Its purpose is to lure people to the rural parts of America where they need residents and/or light industry. For example, in Maine, there is a community that will give 3.5 acres to anyone who brings a light industry business to town. Check out the CFRA organization site for further information:
www.cfra.org/renewrual/freeland#more

What is import to remember that once retired, its your choice, your world as you define it. It is up to each of us to make every day count.

If you are newly retired, write to me and share what YOU are doing to define your new life.

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