Don’t Retire to Expire: Once You Wake Up Everything Else is Optional - Softcover

Bradshaw, Bob

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1532032641 ISBN 13: 9781532032646

Publisher: iUniverse, 2017

Synopsis

Thanks to new advances in technology and medicine, we are living longer. Science is already predicting the first person to live to 150 years old has already been born. This means more people could be expecting longer retirement years.

Retirement is an often-discussed topic, but it is rarely planned for as a lifestyle. It’s like a freight train roaring down the railroad track chasing us. We know it will catch us at some point. In Don’t Retire to Expire, author Bob Bradshaw offers a discussion and guide to successful lifestyle retirement planning. Through more than 200 interviews of people who have retired, are planning for retirement, or are just now thinking what it will be in their future, Bradshaw shares a host of information on how to approach retirement—to begin thinking and planning for a better experience.

From the financial aspects, to living and aging well, to health care concerns, Don’t Retire to Expire explores the facets of leaving the work world behind. It advocates creating a strong plan to help you enjoy the retirement for which you worked so hard.

About this title

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Don't Retire To Expire

Once You Wake Up Everything Else Is Optional

By Bob Bradshaw

iUniverse

Copyright © 2017 Bob Bradshaw
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-5320-3264-6

Contents

FOREWORD KEN BLANCHARD, ix, 
DEDICATION BOB BRADSHAW, xiii, 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS BOB BRADSHAW, xv, 
INTRODUCTION BOB BRADSHAW, xvii, 
One THE PATHS TO RETIREMENT, 1, 
Two "THE RETIREMENT EXPRESS", 4, 
Three IT'S MORE THAN FINANCIAL PLANNING, 14, 
Four "LIFE" COMES BEFORE "RETIRED LIFE", 18, 
Five BE ALIVE IN YOUR LIVING!, 21, 
Six CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITIES, 28, 
Seven COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR PARTNER, 30, 
Eight WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THAT FREE TIME, 34, 
Nine LET'S MAKE A PLAN-AND MAKE IT PERSONAL, 43, 
Ten SUCCESSFUL RETIREMENT IS A MOVING TARGET, 59, 
Eleven THE INEXACT SCIENCE OF RETIREMENT, 62, 
Twelve THE TRIP TO RETIREMENT, 74, 
LIFE NOTES, 87, 

CHAPTER 1

THE PATHS TO RETIREMENT

In your "Golden Years" there are probably three ways to view this journey we will take. We can view all of these paths as a puzzle, a road map, or an instruction book (Owners Manuel)

THE "PUZZLE" VIEW

If you see retirement as a puzzle, you realize that there are many pieces that must be put into place. If you are missing any of the pieces, just as in a puzzle, it will not be complete.

The many pieces of your personal puzzle may include the following:

1. Your reality, as opposed to what you hoped it would be.

2. Your health, including how to pay for it. How will you maintain good health? Have you maintained your needed insurances? For example are you familiar with upcoming changes that will affect you? In the coming years there will be many changes coming. Make sure to keep up with those changes.

3. If you can't, or don't drive, will you have access to dependable transportation?

4. What about long-term nursing care? Have you planned ahead for that possibility or need?

5. Do you have enough money in savings, IRAs, 401k plans or other investments to live the quality of life (travel, entertainment, hobbies and friendships) that you had hoped for and dreamed about? (While this in no way a financial planning book or an investment guide, I will still suggest questions for you to ponder.)

6. How will you keep mentally and physically active in order to maintain your health and participate in the things you enjoy? Do you like to knit, or golf, or fish, or quilt, or walk? As you get older, how will replace your favorite activities — when arthritis or something else steals away some of your skills and abilities?

7. How will you — with the help of your family — pre-plan for the inevitable? I've talked to many retirees who respond with, "Well, IF I die, I HOPE that. ..." First of all there is no "If." We all hate to talk about it, but the REAL answer is, "WHEN I die, I have PLANNED that. ..." Pre-planning ensures that your exact wishes are met, that your family doesn't "emotionally overspend," and that your "final expenses" are locked in. No surprises! (More on this subject later.)

THE "ROAD MAP" VIEW

If you view your path to retirement as a Road Map, you basically see your life and your future as "Where am I now, and Where do I Want to Go." You measure your journey toward retirement as an ongoing series of "Milestones." These Milestones might be laid out as a time table "i.e. by age 50 I want to have done this etc." They can be specific places, on your roadmap. If you make a wrong turn, your road map can help you can get back on the right path.

THE "INSTRUCTION BOOK" VIEW

Every time you have bought a car — whether new or used — there has generally been an Owner's Manual in the Glove Box. (Probably not any actual gloves, though. It makes me wonder why they don't call it the "Owner's Manual/Kleenex/Ball Point Pen/Registration and Proof of Insurance Box" instead of the "Glove Box.")

That instruction book explained what all of those lights on your dashboard mean (you know, those lights that you DON'T want to ever see come on). It tells you how much air pressure to put in your tires, and what weight of engine oil to use. Many owner manuals even offer advice on washing and waxing the exterior surfaces.

In other words, the owner's manual, tells you what you need to do to keep your vehicle in top shape. In presentable condition and ready for the long journey.

The Instruction Book, or Owner's Manual view of retirement is much the same. It's your plan for maintaining your exterior and interior. It's your fitness plan. It's your diet plan. And the thing is, you get to write this book yourself. You have the opportunity to combine what you know about the physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of yourself and your needs so that you can get more "miles" out of your life.

We will take more looks at these views of the three paths to retirement as we move ahead.

Enjoy the journey!

CHAPTER 2

"THE RETIREMENT EXPRESS"

Picture yourself as taking a leisurely walk down a railroad track out in the country. Looking back over shoulder, you can see the headlights of a freight train in the distance — far behind you. You casually say to yourself, "No need to worry, there is still have plenty of time before the train catches up with you, plenty of time."

But you instinctively start walking a little faster, no need to panic, no need to hurry. Looking back, the train seems lot closer! There's a tunnel up ahead. You can see a light at the other end. The warning whistle is a lot louder. You make it to the tunnel and race into the blackness. Now, the light seems so far away!

You start to run, no turning back. There is no room to get off the track in the tunnel. The only way out is to beat the train to the end of the tunnel before it catches up with you!

It is pitch black inside the tunnel. The only light is at the end of the tunnel and the headlight of the locomotive is barreling down behind you. You can feel the heat. There is nothing you can do but run as fast and as hard as you can. The train whistle is deafening, howling, the rails are shaking.

You cry, you pray but you are running out of time, and strength. You are in a full-blown panic. Your heart is racing and the blood pounds in your head. Just as you reach the end of the tunnel, the monster is upon you. The light is blinding — the noise overwhelms you! You cry out in prayer, please help me.

Your time has run out. What are you going to do now? Maybe you should have paid more attention to what was happening while you still had time.

That train is "The Retirement Express." It eventually catches up with all of us. When it does, we may realize that it is taking us someplace we are not prepared to go. "The Retirement Express has won!"

The decisions we made, or failed to make, now have profound impact. What are we going to do? Many of our options have disappeared. Had we paid attention, instead of putting things off, we might be better prepared for the future.

If we had worked on piecing together the puzzle, if we had studied the road map, and if we had read the instruction book, the years ahead could likely be a lot less of a challenge.

Times have changed. In the past, reaching the age of 65 meant our working years were over. The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Thesaurus (DICTIONARY?) defines retirement as "withdrawing from one's position or occupation." This was the past. Retirement was probably a less challenging process than it is today.

We are now faced with much more than just the pure financial considerations of retirement. The advent of new technologies — in medicine and science — are extending our lives beyond the previous norms. We are faced with new, and more, complex answers being needed.

The February 23rd issue of Time Magazine predicted that the first baby who will live to 142 years of age has likely already been born! Someone who will reach 150 years old is probably alive today! According to some studies there is a 40% increase, in those who are reaching 100 years old, every year.

Recently there was the story of a 117-year-old woman who posed spanking her 100-year-old daughter. 117 years old is only 33 years away from being 150! The possibility of living, to these ages, is a wakeup call to us now. What will our retirement longevity be in the future?

Decisions future generations face will need to be looked at in a much different way. It seems that the real, and most voiced fear, is of outliving our retirement savings. True, we cannot think of everything, but we should at least be thinking. We will be entering uncharted waters and we better be able to swim, not just tread water.

Start Thinking About Retirement Now

For some of us, retirement is something we feel we have all the time in the world to think about. We say, to ourselves, "I have plenty of time!" What really happens is that time passes before we know it and we realize "Houston, we have a problem! We are un-focused, and it's something we can think about later. Just like the train in the tunnel, time catches up with us.

One of my goals is to bring you to the point of taking a more realistic view of what the retirement years, ahead of you, can be like. Not the financial aspects, but lifestyle options. Just as there has been uncertainties, in your life, you will encounter the same in retirement. My objective is not to provide you with my answers but to get you to ask yourselves the right questions. It is to get you to think about the questions you should be asking yourself. Normally we just react to the future as it unfolds. A better way is to plot one of the three paths to give you a better chance to not just to survive but to thrive as you enter this upcoming phase in your life. If you have a life partner, both of you should play an equal role in making decisions that you both can live with. A big mistake is when the dominant partner makes the major decisions with too little input from their partner. This might not show up for a while, but it can lead to a strained relationship later on in the partnership. It is important that both have a chance to make sure both are in agreement. Problems will arise when either of the partners do not feel that their views, and input, are not heard as a part of the conversation.

Many times, issues rear their heads unexpectedly causing a strain where the root cause is that one partner feels left out in the making of major decisions leading up to retirement. Maybe topics even never really got discussed. Rather than waiting until it is too late, get started now. Times have changed — and continue to change — even as you read these words.

For those fortunate enough to have a couple of million dollars in retirement savings, there are a lot more options in retirement. The reality is that most retirees have a great deal less.

The average retiree is reported to have less than $10,000 in savings when they retire. To many, Social Security is their default financial plan. With the advent of the lottery, you cannot begin to believe how many really believe that hitting the jackpot is in their future. The problem is that if this is all they have to depend on, it really leaves a lot to be desired.

The reality is very few of us have the ability to plan, or save enough, to be totally comfortable in retirement. In many cases, extending our working lives can ease the pain. But what about those who retire anyway? It can become a real crapshoot!

Some are able to find other activities to plug up the gaps. They find part time work that gives them a little breathing room. Others make use of the funds they have tied up in their homes to get them through. A fairly new tool has been the use of reverse mortgages. These can be effective but you really have to understand how they work in your circumstances. The jury is still out so be careful if you decide to use these as a financial vehicle. Consult your banks, or federal agency to make sure. Going to the sellers of these programs can be iffy.

In retirement grandkids can become a new occupation. After retiring they become the new occupation. Just as much is the new found spirit of volunteering. They fall in love with helping others. They actually work more energetically at volunteering than they ever did working at a job. This is the real joy of discovering a new life purpose. Others may end up working part-time just to keep busy, or connected. What can happen is that the part-time job gets in the way of their retiring/social lives. Somehow they find that by simplifying their lives they don't need the extravagant salaries to support the retirement lifestyle. These become the really successful stories in finding a new purpose in life. They replace the value of things with the satisfaction of doing something for others. How much time have you invested in thinking about what your life in retirement is going to really be like? Sure, we think about the travel, the beaches, and the lying around just relaxing. Really, how many hours/days in a week can you sit around doing nothing? How much of your time do you plan to invest in watching TV? Take a look at those you know who have gone down this path. What is the usual payoff? Weight gains, no physical, or mental stimulation. That once active brain turns to mush and who you once were, becomes a faint shadow of the past and a diminished future.

Do you give much thought to what you might do as your day begins? What are you looking forward to doing on an average day? Will you get up and take a brisk walk, or run or will your day start with a big breakfast followed by the easy chair in front of the television?

How many of your neighbors or friends are you looking forward to seeing as your day progresses? Is there a chance that you will make a new friend? I try to do this every day. Meeting people who might smile back, makes my day brighter. Sometimes the smile, and, casual nod are returned. If I don't get that smile back, I go looking for the next. I encourage you to give it a try. A smile goes a long way. It gets to be a habit. It makes my day. Of course, sometimes I get nothing, or maybe a frown. Their loss. Try it and see for yourself. It is amazing how a smile can brighten up your day as well as others.

Taking Care of Yourself

If there is one area that can make a world of difference in your retirement it is something only you can make happen. The dreaded words exercise and diet. We put on a little weight and move a little slower. Too many of us use age as an excuse to "take it easy." I am amazed at the number of people who make the 6am "call to arms" at the local gym. Many feel that this is the best way to keep going. I am trying my best to become one of them. These are the over 70 year olds who not only hit the gym but are in training and maintain their physical routines so they can run 10k's and ride in senior bike races. I still ski and find the slopes sprinkled with us old geezers, as we refer to ourselves. We may not be the fastest, but we are out there. This is our way of staying connected to life. I just read an article about a 90 year old man who ran a 4 hour marathon time. He vowed he would beat his time next year.

One of the most successful organized circuits for seniors is the National Senior Games which sponsors the Senior Olympics. There are senior circuits all over the U.S. I am hoping to participate in the downhill skiing event in this upcoming ski season. The information is on the internet which is a lifeline for all sorts of information, and activities. If you are interested in volunteering, they are waiting for you to assist in helping put on the games. I have found softball leagues, senior tennis circuits as well as basketball and pickleball competitions. The activity is out there. There are also Winter Senior Olympics if you want to compete in downhill or cross country racing. I belong to a ski club and we sponsor downhill racing. The most competitive brackets are the seniors. No excuse for not having something to do to keep in shape. We all come with an expiration date. We can influence that number by taking better care of ourselves.

As the years pass we come to understand that "health becomes our wealth." We overdue the drinking, and eat far too much bacon. Then we wonder why we ache so much. We develop high blood pressure as well as other unhealthy side effects.

On the other hand there are those who maintain certain healthy habits and lifestyles such as moderate exercise along with eating healthy. You don't have to run 5 miles a day, eat nothing but Kale or lettuce salads to maintain a normal and healthy routine. This really becomes the soft spot in the planning. Hopefully you have taken fairly good care of yourself and are in reasonably good shape. Is your weight under control? Have you been to your doctor to make sure that most of your physical health needs have been met? What are you going to do to keep your body, and your mind, in shape? You say you haven't really given it a lot thought? How old are you? When are you going to begin to think about it? Have you heard the phrase "Use it or lose it?" When is it going to occur to you that it is just as important to exercise your mind as well as your body? If you have not thought of either, you are really behind the curve.

Relationships are important

Apart from your physical health what thoughts have you given about you current social surroundings, and family? If you have a wife, a partner, children, or close friends, have you thought about the roles they play in your life now and what roles they will play in your future? Unless you are a hermit, there are people who really mean something to you. They are present in your everyday life. If every one of them were to disappear today, how would you feel? What would you do? During retirement, this can happen in reverse. You are the one who packs up and leaves. It perhaps doesn't dawn on you that you are leaving a very important resource group behind. Have you got the addresses and telephone numbers of those you love in your address book? Have you jotted down birthdays, anniversaries or dates and things that can keep you connected with family and friends? Your focus is in leaving. The gathering of this type of information is usually a second thought.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Don't Retire To Expire by Bob Bradshaw. Copyright © 2017 Bob Bradshaw. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Edition details

• Publisher: iUniverse
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1532032641
• ISBN 13: 9781532032646
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 116