Retirement tips and links
Retire On The Cheap
The statistics are bleak. IRAs and 401ks have collapsed. Home equity has shrunk. Jobs have evaporated. For many, the American Dream seems to have vanished. Boomers need to take heart. This is the generation that came of age during sweeping social revolution.
The tumult and exhilaration of the 60s and 70s may seem like long ago, but that spirit of adventure is still there. Every day is filled with opportunities to save money. Begin anywhere—food, clothing, housing, transportation, medical expenses, entertainment, and the list goes on. Retire on the cheap with Linda's articles on our Cheap Places to Retire Blog.
More Retirement Tips
10 Habits of Highly Effective Baby Boomers - How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life
By Cynthia Barnett
As a Baby Boomer, you are probably thinking about your retirement. Whether you plan to take early retirement (or you have already done so), or you are planning for retirement from your current career at age 65 or 70, you are probably actively planning for your financial future. You should also be cultivating the 10 habits of highly effective Baby Boomers to make the rest of your life the best of your life. Mastering these ten habits will help you prepare for retirement and enjoy it more when you decide to take that step.
1. Take 100% responsibility for your life. We all need to recognize that we, alone, are responsible for our past, our present, and our future. We need to take responsibility for the past and make peace with it; live responsibly in the present; and recognize that no one will plan our retirement for us. It is up to us to plan and prepare for the kind of life we want to have after we "retire."
2. Take your dreams off the back burner - put them on the front burner. Most of us have found it necessary to put a dream or two on the back burner because other things were more important or even urgent at the time. Preparation for retirement offers the prime opportunity to move those dreams to the front burner and start planning and working to make them your retirement reality.
3. Nurture your relationships - remain connected. The day after retirement, many people think their workplace relationships are over; but this doesn't need to be the case. If you have workplace relationships you value, you should continue to nurture and enjoy them. Ending a career doesn't mean you have to become a hermit. Remaining connected to the people who are important in your life will bring great joy into your life after the big day.
4. Develop happiness habits. Make a conscious inventory of the things that bring you happiness in life and make plans to continue to do those things. Think about other things that would bring happiness to your life after retirement and start developing habits that will sustain those connections and activities. Make being happy an intentional part of your retirement lifestyle.
5. Simplify and de-clutter. Retirement is the perfect time to shift gears into a simpler, less cluttered and less stressful lifestyle. Simplifying our lives both internally and externally is the perfect activity for the immediate post-retirement days. While you're at it, get rid of the clutter inside and around you. I think you will find the simpler and de-cluttered lifestyle very pleasing.
6. Enjoy the present moment NOW. It is easy to become overwhelmed by responsibilities, goals and things we simply need to do. After all, most of us have spent our lives preparing, planning and working for the next thing or the next step, whether a raise, a promotion, paying for college, etc. It is easy to become so focused on planning and preparing for the future that we forget to enjoy today. Retirement gives us the chance to stop and enjoy the present moment in the NOW instead of partially enjoying it when we look back at old photos. Retirement offers enjoyment and fulfillment in the present moment if we will just grasp it.
7. Discover and cultivate your strengths. Retirement brings freedom from supervisors and bosses telling you what they think your weaknesses are and how you should work on fixing them. I have a better idea: cultivate and play to your strengths. If a weakness gets in the way, then just figure out how to work around it!
8. Leave a legacy - Make a difference. One thing that seems consistent among Baby Boomers is the desire to leave behind a legacy of making a difference in the world. There are thousands of ways to do this. Just figure out how you can focus your interests and strengths on making some kind of difference somewhere for others.
9. Let go of the past. Most unhappy retirees are living in the past in their minds. They are reliving moments of joy or glory. They are rethinking and getting mired in guilt or regret over mistakes or missed opportunities. Recognize that the past is the past, including your last job, and live in the present, making things to look back on later in your life.
10. Renew your self physically, mentally and spiritually. The happiest retirees I encounter are those who are physically fit, mentally challenged and spiritually at peace. All of the preceding nine habits will help you on your way to renewal.
If you are a Baby Boomer anticipating retirement and planning for your exciting life after retirement, I encourage you to practice these ten habits to enjoy a lifestyle that is fulfilling, passionate, and joyous.
Dr. Cynthia Barnett is a Retirement Lifestyle Expert. Through her coaching, keynotes, workshops and seminars, she inspires people to "re-fire" their lives to live happier, satisfying and more meaningful lives. Learn more about her latest book, Prime Time Makeover, by visiting http://www.primetimemakeover.com
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Five Ways to Keep your Marriage Alive after Retirement
By Annie O'Neill
Divorce statistics for the over 50s continue to rise steadily. It has been speculated that the most common triggers for this are children leaving home or retirement. Couples suddenly feel they have nothing in common any more and marriages that have lasted for 25 years or more come to an end. Don't become another statistic. Follow these steps to keep your marriage alive and happy.
1. Talk to each other. It sounds simple but it is amazing how many couples no longer have meaningful conversations. Discuss your day, current affairs, your interests, share anecdotes you have heard on the radio and remember to talk about your feelings. If one of you does something that annoys the other then talk about it, don't bottle it up and resent the other.
Make a point of eating your evening meal at the table and talking to each other, rather than eating in front of the TV. This will not only improve your relationship, but also your digestion.
Couples who have strong marriages tend to be friends as well as lovers. "People who play together, stay together" is an old and true saying.
When asked about the secret of her long marriage, Jilly Cooper said "Having enjoyed being married to Leo for 42 years, I can say that the secret of our marriage is bedsprings creaking, not so much from sex but from laughter at a million private jokes that hold us together".
2. Look for common interests. Find at least one hobby or interest that you can enjoy doing together. Do something different. Try something new together, maybe learn to dance, take up bowling or tennis, or join a club. Meet new people and acquire new skills.
Once you are both retired, share the household chores. It is only fair when both partners are at home to split the housework, cooking, shopping and gardening. Make the chores fun, see who can come up with the most interesting recipe from 5 set ingredients, who can plant the most bulbs in 20 minutes, who can clean the kitchen floor the quickest.
It is also important to have individual interests. Find at least one hobby or interest you don't share. This will give you some precious time apart as well as something different to discuss. It also creates the chance to form new friendships with like-minded people.
3. At least once a month go on a date. Have dinner, go to the cinema or theatre, visit a museum, take a walk in the country or along the beach. Ensure the date is planned in advance, is in both your diaries and is never cancelled. Take turns to decide what you will do.
Maybe even go away for the weekend occasionally. This gives you the opportunity to stay in a hotel where you won't be disturbed by people phoning or 'popping in'. You get to eat all your meals out, a great opportunity to talk and the chance to explore somewhere new.
4. Practice positive thinking. Happy couples stay together. If you make a habit of thinking positively you are more likely to be happy.
Count your blessings. Be grateful for what you have. List at least 6 positive things that have happened during the day before you go to sleep at night. (A beautiful flower, a bird singing, a lovely sunset, something someone said, a new piece of knowledge, a delicious meal, a good deed, good health, a task completed).
Positive thinking also has a beneficial effect on your health. Research has shown that patients with a positive mental attitude recover more quickly from surgery or trauma and that people with positive attitudes are more likely to conquer diseases such as cancer.
Check in with your feelings regularly and be aware of negative thoughts. Where focus goes, energy flows. Focus on what you do want, not what you don't want.
5. Spice up your sex life. Just because you've been married for a long time, it doesn't mean you can't try new things. You don't have to be athletic, maybe cuddle in a different position or make love in a different place. How about being spontaneous on the sofa? All too often lovemaking becomes a habit and we don't vary our positions or foreplay. Pretend you have only just met and explore each other's bodies all over again.
Take a candlelit bath together or massage each other - rekindle the romance.
It is sad for all concerned when a long-term marriage breaks up so follow these simple steps and rekindle your relationship.
If your relationship is not working despite trying these ideas then it is worth making an appointment with Relate (www.relate.org.uk). Splitting up after many years together is devastating both emotionally and financially.
'Ten Secrets to a Successful Divorce' is a practical step-by-step guide designed to help you to start redesigning your life right away. And it's yours free just for visiting my website - http://www.newhorizons-divorcecoaching.co.uk
If you found this article helpful you might like to visit http://newhorizons-divorcecoaching.blogspot.com/ where you will find more free articles to help you start transforming your life today.
I am a qualified Divorce Coach and NLP Practioner. I can work with you to redesign your life after divorce.
I have been divorced and widowed. I understand the emotions associated with being on your own after being in a long-term relationship. I have had to reinvent my life on two occasions and am proof that it can be done. I am now self-employed, with a job that I love. I am also married again, very happily.
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