If you’re over 50, you may count years, months, maybe even
weeks until you don’t have to hit the alarm anymore. But
get this, says Schofield: thanks to technology and modern
medicine, today’s 50-year-old may have 50 more years to
live.
What will you do with all that time?
Most people, Schofield says, will find that idleness is
boring after awhile: a survey done in 2014 showed that the
average retiree takes just over two years to “relax and
recharge” before returning to the work world. The “New
Normal” is that we don’t want to slide “slowly downhill
through golden years of leisure until death…” Instead,
there’s chance for challenge ahead, opportunities to learn
new things and to jettison that which doesn’t work for us
anymore.
To get there – and do it well – takes a good balance between
planning and action. Be willing to listen to the experiences
of others before leaping, and keep in mind that an “Old
Normal” doesn’t necessarily apply here. Also, be sure you
know the difference between “Continuous Change” (expected
natural progression) and “Discontinuous Change” (the
throw-you-for-a-loop things that happen). You’ll encounter
them in abundance after you retire; be sure you’re able to
deftly handle both.
Become financially literate, and update that knowledge
often. Gather a handful of pros you can rely on for various
issues of your life. Ask your doctor what she’d like to see
you do to become healthier. Cultivate curiosity, learn new
things, and let go of old notions. Remember that retirement
is not a “life stage” so much as it is a continuation of
life. And finally, know when you’re “done” planning.
“If you are dead,” says Schofield, “you’re done.”
Naturally, you want your Golden Years to shimmer like real
gold. After all, you may have more Golden Years than you
first thought, and How Do I Get There from Here? will
enhance them.
Right from the outset, it’s the whole-life advice that sets
this retirement book apart from the others. Author George H.
Schofield doesn’t just focus on the financial; he
encourages readers to look within and ask hard questions
before making any kind of move. This, of course, assumes
that you’ll stay healthy, which Schofield tackles; it also
assumes that you have no emotional baggage, a subject he
also dives into. Quizzes help here, as do DIY worksheets.
True, readers may scratch their heads over the weird
faux-interviews that Schofield seems to have with himself,
but there are takeaways inside those, too.
This book means work, but it’s eye-opening work so
grab a pen and How Do I Get There from Here? Read it
carefully. Missing it’s a beach. |