Retirement Answer Man

Over the past month, we have been exploring an important topic in creating your retirement. We have been discussing you. Retirement is another giant life change that can be compared with ending school or beginning a career. This momentous occasion is a great time to give pause and think about who you really are. If you haven’t listened to the previous episodes in this series, you’ll want to go back and listen to episodes 285, 286, and 287. On this episode, you’ll learn 5 steps for creating your retirement identity. 

Steps for creating your identity in retirement

Retirement is a long time. You’re starting an entirely new step in life and walking away from the life you once had. This is a great time to think about who you really are and who you want to become. Here are steps you can take to help you create your new identity

  1. Acknowledge who you currently are. What is your current identity?
  2. Reconnect with who you really are via self-examination. Discover what makes you tick.
  3. Examine the past and all the things you built up. Decide what to keep and what to let go.
  4. Begin to test. Play with new ideas and hobbies to discover which ones are a good fit.
  5. Choose. Lean into a new reality that revolves around your interests. 
  6. Enjoy the process. Don’t put pressure on yourself to choose, this isn't a race. 

What are you going to be when you grow up? 

We are asked from the youngest age, what are you going to be when you grow up? People have been focused on their career for so long that once they come to retirement they don’t really know what to do. If you have focused solely on your career then retirement will really be a challenge. It’s time to start focusing on the right things and becoming more self-aware. Get to know yourself better and find your passions so that you know what you want to do when work isn’t there anymore. 

How can we become intentional about finding our passions?

Most people aren’t proactive about discovering themselves. Life moves quickly and work, family, and other things get in the way of discovering who you really are. Think beyond money. What motivates you, what makes you tick? What are your drivers? Do you want to belong, to be valued, to be recognized? Start thinking about how you can lead the life that you really want.

How do you build your tomorrow today?

Once you discover what motivates you then you can start to fulfill yourself. Take some time to sit down and analyze your life. Use today to build your tomorrow. Think about how you want to fill your time. Doing the prework of understanding yourself will lead to a fulfilling retirement where you retire towards something, rather than away. 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

  • [3:49] A framework for navigating the new you in retirement

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

  • [10:00] People don’t focus on the right things
  • [18:49] What kind of framework can we use to become intentional about passions?
  • [26:20] Where are you going to get your fulfillment in retirement?

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT

  • [36:56] Fall is coming!

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

  • [38:58] Part A: Use the framework to figure out who you will be in retirement   
    • Part B: Sign up for 6 Shot Saturday

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

APP - Carrot Weather

BOOK - Atomic Habits by James Clear

BOOK - Love Does by Bob Goff

BOOK - The Book of Mistakes by Skip Prichard

BOOK - Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud

PODCAST - The Enneagram in Your ReaLife with Teresa McCloy

BOOK - The Longevity Economy by Dr. Joe Coughlin

BOOK - Don’t Retire, Rewire by Jeri Sedler

Rock Retirement Club

Roger’s YouTube Channel - Roger That

BOOK - Rock Retirement  by Roger Whitney

Work with Roger

Roger’s Retirement Learning Center

Direct download: RAM288.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Do you know what’s next for you in retirement? We continue our exploration of self-reinvention and self-discovery today as we have during this whole monthlong series. On this episode, you’ll learn an important step in the process of self-discovery, which is how to close the book on the past. Before you retire you will want to ask yourself who you really are and who you want to be in the coming years. I interview Skip Prichard, author of The Book of Mistakes, to learn tools we can use to help reinvent ourselves. Learn how to close the door on the past and create your new identity for that new season in life on this episode of Retirement Answer Man. 

A booklist to help you determine what’s next for you

  1. The Longevity Economy by Dr. Joseph Coughlin. Dr. Coughlin approaches the subject of longevity with an economic spin. This help will help you deconstruct your internal narrative on growing old. 
  2. How to Live Forever by Martin Freedman. This book helps you to ponder what life is really about. It connects great stories and gives examples of how to create a meaningful life. 
  3. Halftime by Bob Buford. This book is about changing your game plan for success. It will help you reset your new vision and connect with what's driving you. This is an excellent framework to help you reflect on what you can do next. 
  4. Don't Retire, Rewire by Jeri Sedler and Rick Miners. Jeri and Rick provide exercises throughout the book to help you find work and a life that is fulfilling in retirement. 
  5. Love Does by Bob Goff. This treasure of a book is a call to action to lean in to do amazing things.
  6. The Book of Mistakes by Skip Prichard. You’ll hear more about this one in the Practical Planning segment.
  7. Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud. We all know that there are different seasons to life, but finding closure can be a challenge. This book will help you identify and navigate the difficult conversations and actions to help you close out seasons of your life.

How do we define success?

The subtitle of Skip Prichard’s The Book of Mistakes is 9 Steps to Creating a Successful Future. But how do we define success in retirement? Making money is no longer a factor. What are other ways we can define success? Skip believes that success can be defined by the maximization of all of your God-given talents. He thinks the trickiest part of success is finding a balance between peace and aspiration at the same time. We’re not meant to be stagnant. We need to continue to aspire for more but still have peace in our lives. 

What is your why? 

There is so much you can do in retirement. You are no longer bound by the confines of work or family life. Now it’s time to work on your why. One idea is to take a year just to try new things. Learn an instrument, go to shows, look for the things that really drive you. This is your opportunity to design your life to your specifications. But before you do that you need to stop and reflect. Is this really where you want to go? The most important thing you can do in retirement is move toward something, not away from something. 

How do you define yourself in retirement? 

As a society, we have attached ourselves to our labels of what we do for work. But what do you do when you stop working? You don’t want to refer to yourself as a retired lawyer for the rest of yourself. Think about creating your own mission statement. What do you want to be known for? How do you achieve those things? It’s important to plan how you will go about achieving your goals and define the true you. 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

  • [1:58] A book list for the new you in retirement

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

  • [10:55] Why did Skip choose to write The Book of Mistakes in parable form?
  • [14:05] How do we define success in retirement?
  • [23:44] What is Skip working towards?
  • [28:48] How do you define yourself in retirement?
  • [32:54] How do we limit distractions?

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT

  • [39:34] Sometimes we think things are mistakes when they really aren’t

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

  • [42:22] Identify what you need to do to give yourself closure

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

BOOK - The Longevity Economy by Dr. Joseph Coughlin

BOOK - How to Live Forever by Martin Freedman

BOOK - Halftime by Bob Buford

BOOK - Don't Retire, Rewire by Jeri Sedler

BOOK - Love Does by Bob Goff

BOOK - The Book of Mistakes by Skip Prichard

Rock Retirement Club

Roger’s YouTube Channel - Roger That

BOOK - Rock Retirement  by Roger Whitney

Work with Roger

Roger’s Retirement Learning Center

Direct download: RAM287.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

As you approach retirement, take time to reconnect with your authentic self. We continue with the ‘who are you in retirement’ series by learning how to connect with your authentic self using the Enneagram. Today we welcome Teresa McCloy from the Enneagram in Your Real Life podcast. Teresa is here to show you how the Enneagram can help you rediscover your authentic self. Teresa is an Enneagram expert that teaches people how to apply the Enneagram intentionally to create a better life. Listen to this episode to learn how to use the Enneagram to rediscover your authentic self.

Do you have many low stakes casual friendships?

Low stakes casual friendships are those relationships with people that we see in passing. Consider the barista from the coffee shop, your hairdresser or the waitress at your favorite restaurant. They are the people you know a little bit about but you wouldn’t call at 3 a.m. with a problem. A recent study was done on the importance of low stakes relationships in our lives. We need social attachments. We feel comfortable when we go places where we are known and recognized. As you create your deeper social network don’t forget the community around you. You never know where these casual friendships may lead

How can the Enneagram help you discover your authentic self?

The first step in rediscovering your authentic self is to do some self-examination. This will help you to create your identity in retirement You need to identify what drives you and gives you pleasure. There are plenty of personality assessments you can take like the DISC assessment or Meyers Briggs, but the Enneagram can be an even more powerful tool for self-discovery. The enneagram is different from the rest because it speaks more to the heart. It gives us insight into becoming our best selves by connecting the head, heart, and gut. 

How can the Enneagram help you in retirement?

When you retire you may be at the top of your game in whatever it is you do to earn money. But that area may not be where your authentic self lies. Retirement gives you another opportunity to reconnect with your true self. The Enneagram gives us insight into becoming our best self through these three centers: the head, the heart, and the gut. With this tool, you can reconnect with all three. The Enneagram gives you the language you can use to connect with others as well. It can also help give you grace and empathy to understand how to communicate with those around you. 

How can the Enneagram help you connect with your spouse?

The divorce rate for couples over 50 is at an all-time high. Once you and your spouse are home all day, every day you may have trouble connecting. Many people find that when they retire they no longer feel a connection to their significant other. The Enneagram can help you discover your authentic self but it can also give you an understanding of how you relate to others and understand that others communicate differently. It can give you the language to use with your spouse and help you have grace and empathy. After you listen to this episode check out Teresa’s podcast and give the Enneagram a try. 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

  • [2:49] The importance of the low stakes relationship

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

  • [7:46] Teresa McCloy discusses how to use the enneagram intentionally to create a better life in retirement
  • [20:14] How can the Enneagram help you find your authentic self?
  • [28:16] How does the Enneagram help couples?

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT

  • [31:49] Who are your low stakes friends?

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

PODCAST - Enneagram in Your Real Life with Teresa McCloy

Rock Retirement Club

Roger’s YouTube Channel - Roger That

BOOK - Rock Retirement  by Roger Whitney

Work with Roger

Roger’s Retirement Learning Center

Direct download: RAM286.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

How are you going to redefine yourself in retirement? Retirement means making the life transition from a full-time career to full-time living on your own terms. Although this is exciting, it can also be scary. During this series, you’ll learn how to create a framework to do this successfully. Learn how to figure out your identity and who you want to become. Are you ready to redefine yourself in retirement? Listen to this episode of Retirement Answer Man to begin to make this huge transition in your life. 

Who are you? 

We get so wrapped up in our professional titles that now in retirement you have a void to fill. Not only do you have to figure out the logistics of money, healthcare, where you’re going to live, now you’ll have to figure out your identity. Some people can lose direction when they retire. They think about who they were rather than who they want to become. Creating an identity from a completely blank slate can be a challenge. People don’t do well with blank slates. We prefer multiple-choice questions and don’t have the skills required to choose from such a broad palette. Do you know who you are? Do you know who you want to become?

Why did I shift the focus of this series from finding your purpose?

I had originally planned for this month to be all about finding your purpose in retirement, but then Mike the listener had an objection. Mike feels that there is too much pressure in finding your purpose of retirement. You probably won’t solve the problem of world hunger. Retirement is like the start of college, it’s the beginning of another round of self-exploration. Unfortunately, the analogy ends there since college has a structure and pressure. A well-funded retirement is free of pressure and structure. How will you grow and change in the absence of pressure?

How can you hack longevity?

It used to be that you might get 10 years of retirement in to simply sit on the park bench. Nowadays ⅓ of your adult life consists of retirement. The pattern written by previous generations doesn’t hold up for this new generation of retirees. This new stage of life has to be reinvented. Just because you stopped working doesn’t mean that you stop everything. People are beginning to hack their longevity by identifying their interests early on in retirement. These interests will carry them for the years of their retirement. 

Are you ready to redefine yourself in retirement?

When you retire, you can’t just run away from work, you need something to run to. It's not the absence of work that people desire in retirement, it’s the flexibility. Before beginning your retirement it’s time to start thinking about who you really are. What’s your reason to get up in the morning? What will be your storyline? How can you use the skills you have accumulated over a lifetime and translate them into the new game of retirement?

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

HOT TOPIC SEGMENT

  • [3:45] We get so wrapped up in our professional titles
  • [8:14] Blank slates can be a challenge
  • [9:00] Why we aren’t searching for a purpose this month
  • [17:55] What is going on in the Rock Retirement Club this month?

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

  • [19:08] Dr. Joseph Coughlin is the director of the MIT Age Lab
  • [25:22] People are hacking their retirement
  • [31:55] How can we build support networks in retirement?

THE HAPPY LAB SEGMENT

  • [34:44] Axe throwing is really hard to do

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

  • [36:56] Identify your identity right now

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

BOOK - The Longevity Economy by Dr. Joseph Coughlin

Rock Retirement Club

Roger’s YouTube Channel - Roger That

BOOK - Rock Retirement  by Roger Whitney

Work with Roger

Roger’s Retirement Learning Center

Direct download: RAM285.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

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