Authors: Ted Kaufman, and Bruce Hiland
Publisher: Houndstooth Press, 2021
We recommend buying this book through your local book shop, or Amazon.
The following thoughts and comments are intended as a short guide for someone about to explore this book. They are just my own views, which I hope you find useful, and if you have additional perspectives, please do contribute.
What do I love about this book:
It is simple: The book is easy to absorb and the points are presented well.
It is short: It is short: Who doesn’t like a short book! This is not a topic we want to study in excessive depth—it should be fun, after all!
It is practical: There are some really useful exercises presented throughout the book.
“The quotes”: Every chapter starts with a good thought provoking quote, which I have replayed below.
The profits go to charity: The profits go to charity: The authors’ purpose is simple—to share their insights and help others around them. This is a very well-intentioned publication.
The Chapter Quotes with some reflective questions of our own:
1 . “It is better to live rich than die rich” Samual Johnson
How would you describe living rich?
2 . “Change is great, you go first” Anon
How do you feel about change?
Can you think about and describe your best experience of change in your
life?
What has helped you move through change most in your past?
3 . “Those who plan do better than those who don’t plan, even though
they rarely stick to their plan.” Winston Churchill
How planful are you?
In what situations has ‘making a plan’ helped you most in life?
4 . “You have got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going,
because you might not get there” Yogi Berra
How strong is your ‘direction of travel’?
If you draw a timeline on a piece of paper can you fill in future events and
dates that are important to you?
What is most important to you in life?
5 . “Live where you fit” Anon
How well do you fit in your current community?
What is your network of friends and acquaintances in your community
like?
6 . “If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anything or
anyone else” Dr Ron Grant
How would you rate your own personal health, fitness, and wellbeing?
In what way would you like to improve this?
If you were to take one or two small steps in the next few days, what
would they be?
7 . “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps
learning stays young. The greatest thing you can do is keep your mind
young” Mark Twain
What would you like to learn?
When was the last time you learned something new, or expanded your
existing knowledge?
8 . “No road is long with good company.” Turkish proverb
Who is most important to you in life?
How could you strengthen your relationship with those most important to
you?
9 . “To live happily is an inward power of the soul.” Marcus Aurelius
Spirituality is a broad church, and means different things for different
people. What does it it mean for you?
How might you consider, explore, develop, or strengthen your spirituality?
10 . “You only live once, but if you do it right, once it’s enough” Mae West
Imagine you are writing the story of the rest of your life… What would you
like it to say?
11 . “Old age: the crown of life, our play’s last act.” Marcus Tullius Cicero
Whilst you might see your ‘later life’ too far away to plan for, are there any
considerations or concerns that you would like to keep in mind?
What is the basic structure?
The authors say: “We have structured this book as a guidebook to help you plan the next chapter of your life, to think through this extraordinarily important journey: finding and enjoying a satisfying, meaningful life when you retire.” We really like the way that this book is written and laid out. Each chapter raises a new and relevant topic that you, the reader, can decide to explore and reflect on at whatever depth you choose.
The two assumptions are that:
You are positive about making the best of this next chapter of life, and,
You have your financial plans either in place, or you are building them today.
This sits well with our own work at The Retirement Practice.
Each chapter introduces a key topic for you to consider in a conversational style, often with a simple exercise to think about. The authors clearly state: “This work is not something you can do quickly” (p.16), and they recognise how fluid this work will be.
They present FOUR KEY QUESTIONS:
When to Retire?
What will you do?
Where will you live?
How will you maintain your wellbeing? This is covered in several chapters which consider the body, brain, heart, and soul.
There are many useful exercises along the way which relate well to our own models and processes in our ‘Lifestyle Coaching Programme’.
Chapter Breakdown
1 . What’s the problem?
A useful introduction to the authors; their purpose; and the structure of the
book.
2 . Retirement has changed…What to expect
Okay, firstly let’s recognise this is written from the American point of view,
so the reader should adapt some commentary to your own national
landscape and culture. The chapter acknowledges key changes that are
consistent across many western nations: the demise of guaranteed
retirement incomes; the extended life expectancy for most people; the
developing ageism in society, often created by advancement in
technology. The key change is perhaps that ‘life is now yours’, and you are
in control. What you do each day is down to your decisions, and the
commitments that you wish to take on. At The Retirement Practice, we like
to call this your ‘second life’
3 . Getting Started
This is a great chapter that introduces some really useful exercises that
aim to help you to explore ‘what you value most’; What you want to avoid
in the future; and ‘is now the right time to retire?’
Indeed we really like the series of short questions presented in the style of
‘agree/disagree’ statements that will help you reflect on making the key
decision to step away from your current work.
4 . What do you want to do?
This book is certainly not telling you what to do, just asking some great
questions to think about ‘what you might want to do’ for your own journey.
Simple exercises around knowledge, skills and experiences are presented
and well worth exploring alongside some short anecdotes. An more
extended list of activities, (yet still not too long), is presented for you to
consider. We simply suggest that this is the start of your journey and
thinking, so think laterally and apply this to your very own situation.
5 . Where do you want to live?
A lighter chapter considers this key question. In our own thinking we say
remember that doing nothing, is a decision in itself’. So staying where you
are, and not moving house, or not planning ahead for a move, is a decision
in itself.
The authors provide an understanding that our homes provide us with
more than just a place to live. They support our lifestyle; allow us to be
part of a community; and will support our own health and wellbeing as
well.
6 . Maintaining Your Body
The first of four chapters on wellbeing. This one focusing on our physical
wellbeing. The simple message of ‘use it or lose it’ comes across well in
the chapter, yet the authors do not preach to the reader. There is a simple
concluding ‘bottom line’: Exercise; Eat and Drink in moderation; Develop a
sensible plan, and then stick to it, p.66
7 . Maintaining your brain
There once was a bumper sticker that said ‘the quickest way to becoming
an old dog is to stop learning new tricks’, and this chapter simply
reinforces this message. Interestingly the authors recognise that
brainwork can be achieved in many different ways and our ‘intelligence’
comes in many guises. It is worth exploring this chapter to open your
thinking about where your strengths lie.
The second key message is to recognise that one important route to a
healthy mind is to maintain a healthy physical condition.
8 . Maintaining your heart
This is an interesting short chapter on your emotional wellbeing – not your
cardio rhythms, emphasising the importance and relevance of
relationships in your life. These will change as you move through this key
change in life. The relevance of work relationships will be diluted and new
opportunities will probably arise. There are two useful exercises, one
mapping your relationships, and a second exploring emotional
intelligence. It may seem strange to plan these activities, yet we suggest
that for many these exercises may be useful.
9 . Maintaining your soul
We suspect that whilst some readers might roll their eyes at this chapter
others will find it very beneficial. The authors approach the subject of
spirituality in a broad way and are not trying to funnel you into a position. `
We can look at this through a religious lens or perhaps as commonly now
through examining what you might see as ‘your purpose’ for being.
10 . Pulling it together
This short penultimate chapter shares the story of Ted and Bruce both
now octogenarians. They have perhaps lived lives far beyond that of many
of our clients, yet their stories simply invite you to think about yours, and
what you want it to be.
11 . Looking further ahead
Thinking about your next phase is probably enough, and this short chapter
does invite you to just look a little further ahead into your later life… What
is called ‘seniority’ in the USA. Being mindful of our longer term is
important and recognise that we all have a final stage. It is certainly worth
a few moments of thought.
Additional Resources:
A great advantage to buying this book is to have access to the three appendices which contain all the additional resources that the authors have pulled together.
Appendix A delivers specifically referenced materials from the main text.
Appendix B provides a wider bibliography.
Appendix C provides an interesting list of potential retirement activities, or at least a very good starter for ten.
In conclusion:
We really like this book. We would recommend that every financial adviser buys this for their clients – and opens their own minds to this thinking.
This is a great book to help you start the process of thinking about the key aspects of this next phase of life, what we call your ‘second life’.
Written and prepared by: Steve Lewis, Lead Coach at The Retirement Practice
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