In response to a recent media debate that was stirred up in response to an article about whether women can actually "have it all," I say bring "it" on! 

Women have an inborn capacity to take on more than most men deem possible. From pioneer women who plowed the fields to those who broke through the glass ceiling, our abilities have been underestimated throughout history. Even by ourselves. The "it" of "it" may be a carrot of less nutritional value than estimated, and in fact rejected by astute women who know themselves well enough not to be lured by ephemera, and who value what they do have already without having to hyper-extend their reach.

But for those who believe that fulfillment can only be attained by stretching their limits, they should be allowed to do so without criticism and with our sisterly support. Their innate wisdom will let them know when "it" is not worth it. Or they will find that "it" is and enjoy the moment. Personally, I am far less judgmental and more pragmatic in my dotage, now that I've already had "it" all. 

WHAT WILL GIVE YOUR RETIREMENT LIFE MEANING AND PURPOSE?

ARLENE'S MUSINGS


WHAT WILL GIVE YOUR RETIREMENT LIFE MEANING AND PURPOSE?


It is Monday morning 8:00 a.m. EST in North Carolina and my husband Ed and I just returned from Top Sail Beach where we walk a mile every Monday morning from May through August as part of the Turtle Watch Volunteer Program. Our mission is to look for giant turtle tracks in the sand, evidence that a female turtle has come ashore in the night, sometimes crawling 30 - 40 inches, to prepare a nest and then lay approximately 80 -100 precious eggs. These nests have to be identified immediately and protected carefully from predators, as once the hatchlings surface (60 - 90 days later) very few actually make it back to the ocean. Of those that do return to the ocean only 1 in 1,000 survive to maturity. 


This weekly activity fills me with a sense of MEANING AND PURPOSE. It is an opportunity to make a contribution, have fun and get some exercise at the same time. I participate in other volunteer  activities that also fills my need for MEANING AND PURPOSE in my retirement life. I tutor at the Middle School and visit with a stroke victim on a weekly basis (through my participation in the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program, RSVP in my area).


Reflecting on my current life, I realized that I am living a multi-dimensional retirement life, as a retiree and as an encore careerist (doing retirement coaching and facilitating workshops). Both avenues provide me with the MEANING AND PURPOSE that I might have lost if I hadn't personally discovered how critically important this is to my sense of self  and happiness.  Of course, I knew the importance of finding meaning and purpose on an intellectual level, read about it in the research and stress it in all my retirement seminars ( "HOW TO LIVE YOUR BEST RETIREMENT LIFE" and "THE NEW RETIREMENT: Focusing On The Non-Financial Aspects Of Retirement"). However, I am truly experiencing it in "real-time" now.  Each of us has to remember that one of the keys to living a "Successful" Retirement Life is to discover what will give us MEANING AND PURPOSE and a sense of fulfillment and happiness.


In YOUR PERSONAL SURVIVAL TOOLKIT section of out book and in the workshops we emphasize the importance of redefining "SUCCESS" in your retirement life and using THE THREE QUESTIONS OF RETIREMENT LIFE and THE WHEEL OF RETIREMENT LIFE exercises to help you create your own definition.


Here are some additional questions for you to ponder. Please share your thoughts and stories with us on the blog.


WHAT WILL GIVE YOUR RETIREMENT LIFE MEANING AND PURPOSE?
HOW WILL YOU DEFINE "SUCCESS" IN RETIREMENT?

THE THREE QUESTIONS OF RETIREMENT LIFE

Arlene's Musings

Welcome Bloggers. Now that our book has been released, we are ready to focus on our Blog. We are delighted to have you join us and contribute to our Blog Conversation about your experiences transitioning to retirement or creating an encore career. We trust that you will find our Blog useful and fun.


My personal contribution to out Blog will be two-fold. First, I am an active retiree (semi-retired) and have experienced and am currently experiencing the actual event in "real-time" and am familiar with the psychological and emotional issues and concerns of those of you who are transitioning to retirement or have recently retired. Second, as a certified retirement coach and career/professional coach, for those of you who want to create encore careers or part-time employment, I will enthusiastically share my knowledge of career transition concepts.  For those of you who are transitioning to retirement, I hope our book and our blog will assist you in making a successful transition to a retirement life filled with meaning and purpose.


START ANY SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION BY ANSWERING THE THREE QUESTIONS OF LIFE


Retiring or creating an encore career should be viewed by you as the next career development stage or the next chapter of your life. Therefore, transitioning to this next stage should follow the same concepts first introduced by early Career Development Gurus who emphasized the importance of knowing and answering three basic questions before making a career decision. I was first introduced to these questions when I was going through a traumatic divorce thirty years ago and my counselor pushed me into a Career Development Workshop at the University of Utah to find as new direction. Little did I know that attending this workshop would have a lasting impact on my subsequent life...First, I noticed that everyone in the workshop was in crisis. I learned that the average person spent more time deciding what type of car to purchase than deciding on their first career choice. I was lucid enough to realize that a time of crisis is not the best time to make important decisions like this. Second, the workshop helped me to discover a future personal path and also was my introduction to the field of Career Development and the importance o f purposeful planning (hopefully when you are not in crisis).
Although these questions were originally introduced as Career Development questions, I soon discovered that they were valuable LIFE questions and could and should be used before any type of decision making and transitioning. I have consistently used them in my own life and in coaching others. Now, that I am retired, I have adapted the questions to RETIREMENT LIFE.  The Three Questions of Retirement Life are introduced in YOUR PERSONAL SURVIVAL TOOLKIT in our book. Here are the Questions for you to begin to ponder:
1. WHO AM I NOW?
2. WHAT DO I WANT?
3. HOW DO I GET THERE?
Only after you do some self-assessment and introspection can you be ready to move forward to discover your unique path to a successful, meaningful and exciting future. Check future postings for more ideas.
WELCOME TO THE DISCUSSION!
Arlene