Welcome

Mature Life Planning for The New Retirement We are in the middle of the most exciting social upheaval in recent history and it’s already on your mind. How do I know? Because if you’re reading this, you’re either already retired, looking forward eagerly to retirement, dreading it or somewhere in between. One way or another retirement is on the horizon. And it won’t be your parent's retirement. Not for you ,the house on the golf course and the early bird dinners. You're the Woodstock generation. If you’re typical of today’s retirees you are more technologically savvy, more personal development-oriented and more spiritually curious than your parents. You probably have already hired or used a business coach or personal trainer. You may have sought out nutritionists and alternative healers. You almost certainly have a financial advisor. You’re used to finding experts to guide and support you. Now you’re considering non-financial mature life planning to prepare for, and get the most out of, your retirement. First, some facts about retirement you may not know. More than 10,000 baby boomers retire in the U.S. alone every day. The average age of first retirement is 57. (No, this is not a typo. 57). Many retirees have one, two maybe three post-retirement careers. Because of stunning increases in longevity in Western Culture we now spend more time in retirement than any other stage of life. Sometimes, as long as 30 or 40 years. The most common malady in retirement is depression. This can set in as early as the first year. Substance abuse is also on the rise. Financial security is not considered to be the prime factor for a successful retirement. Retirees who go back to work cite "the need to stay active" as the number one reason they re-enter the work force. "Need for extra income" comes in at number 4. When you retire you’ll retire young. You’ll have energy and possibility. What you won’t have is your old life, the life you're used to now. You’ll need to transition to a new role in the community, in society and possibly in your own family. You may have gotten to this site by Googling the word "retirement". Did you notice that the first few pages of hits that came up were financial planning, insurance and maybe a few assisted living institutions? Implicit in this is the belief, deeply set in the "old Retirement" paradigm that as long as you have enough money set aside you’ll have a great retirement. This is not true. We all know people who seem to want for nothing but are miserable. And we all know someone who doesn’t have a lot in materialistic ways but is quite content with life. So while no-one can deny that being financially comfortable in retirement is important and definitely something to be planned for – there’s more work to be done. In a survey of factors which contribute to a  a happy retirement, retirees placed financial independence far down on the list. Planning for Joy Let’s say you’ve done your due diligence with your financial planner. The kids are gone; maybe you’ve already downsized the house. You’re off to a great start. Let’s call it like it is. Behind most retirement planning is fear. Fear that we won’t have enough. Fear that we’ll get sick and lose our independence and savings. Fear that we’ll be alone.  Fear of regret for things left undone. There’s more than enough fear to go around regarding retirement. And we can only do what we can do regarding the nuts and bolts of financial planning. But where’s the joy? You may plan for every conceivable crisis which may or may not happen. But are you also planning for joy, meaning and creativity? Have you given any thought as to how you can open up this most powerful stage of your life to new experiences? What long-hidden talents would you tap into? Is there a dream hidden away in your back pocket? What have you been waiting to do? Whether you have a lot or a little money you can still turn your Retirement into the richest period of your life. After all, you can't buy imagination or courage or enthusiasm. You can turn it into a period of Renewal where you manifest your creative self, get back in touch with nature or try out urban living,  give back to your community, nurture and deepen your existing relationships and energetically pursue new ones. You’ve worked and waited all your life for the time when you can be who and where you want; do what you’ve always wanted to do. That time has come. To find out more about how Mature Life Planning can enrich your life click here.   back to top