RETIREMENT, Wise and Witty Advice for Making It The Next Great Adventure. Natasha Josefowitz, PhD. Blue Mountain Press, 2005. 95pp. $10.95. (ISBN 0-88396-882-7)
I chose this book because my mom is going through retirement, which is a big change in her life and I would like to understand it.
The author, Natasha Josefowitz , is a 78-year old married woman with a masters degree and a PhD. She is a professor at the School of Social Work at San Diego University, a columnist and the author of seventeen books. She is internationally known for her accomplishments on behalf of women, which earned her numerous awards.
RETIREMENT, Wise and Witty Advice for Making it The Next Great Adventure is for those who have parents that are retiring and those who are retired or about to retire. This book emphasizes that retirement is not an end, but it is a start of something new. This book serves as a guide for retirement. It teaches how to prepare for retirement and what to do after. Moreover, it inspires people to dig in deep and uncover new things they want to do. The author is highlighting the fact that retirement is taking the next step in life and reinventing oneself. In the book it says, “Reinventing could be finding new interests, exploring different parts of ourselves, or becoming more of who we already are” (Josefowitz, 2005, p.8). Due to this, retirees will not have idle time in their hands. Those retired can choose what to do and how long to do it. They have the freedom.
The content of this book is briefly outlined by the author: “This book will look at how to prepare for that next adventure – and how to live it fully, avoiding the pitfalls and celebrating the joys. It’s about embracing life before, during, and after the transition” (Josefowitz, 2005, p. 9).
I personally find this book interesting because my mom is currently going through this life-changing experience. I am not sure what happens when one undergoes retirement and this book has given me a lot of details that pertain to this. This book is inspiring and instructive. Inspiring because it motivates people to embrace retirement since it allows them to do things that they’ve always wanted to do and to explore new things that are of interest to them. Instructive because it has chapters that teach people how to manage retirement given that it is a huge change.
The second chapter reveals the importance of looking ahead . If you know that you are retiring soon, planning in advance is essential so that the change won’t come as a shock leaving you with nothing to do. The author said, “Planning ahead while still employed will ease the transition” (Josefowitz, 2005, p. 17). The author also suggests listing down the things that you have accomplished and identifying those that you had fun with. In this way, you will be provided with possible options to do after retiring. I fully agree with this chapter because retirement as it has been said again and again is a big change. Herewith, planning ahead should be encouraged in order to have something to do even when retired. This will make it easier to transition from employment to unemployment.
In the fourth chapter, the three types of retired people are explained: (1) Outer-Directed – people that make things happen, (2) Inner-Directed – people to whom things happen and (3) Undirected – people who ask “what happened?”. The outer-directed people are people who still want to work but in another field of interest. The inner-directed are those who choose not to work anymore and is looking forward to recreation and spending time with family and friends. The undirected are those that were forced to retire or just decided to retire on a whim, which means they have no plans on what to do afterwards.
I like how the author categorized people that pertain to retirement. It makes people ponder which type they are and makes them realize what they need to do. It makes them plan. I think that no matter which category you fall under, you still need to plan thoroughly. If not, you will be left idle not knowing how to manage your time, which may lead to restlessness and depression.
I especially like how the author actually gives you options on what to do after retiring. There is one chapter focused on volunteering . Everyone knows that we come to a point in our lives that we want to give back. This goes especially for those who are retired. This chapter provides people with ways to volunteer and to give back to the community. It says here that there are two ways to volunteer: “by giving money or by giving time” (Josefowitz, 2005, p. 30). So, retired people can opt to give back by giving a significant amount of money to a charity or a foundation. They can also choose to volunteer by working in a shelter, a public school, a hospital, etc. Either way it is still giving back to the community. In addition to this, the author supplies information on organizations that accepts elderly volunteers. The information given are names, websites and contact details of the organizations, which enables people to research to see which organization will suit them and contact these organizations if they are interested.
Another dilemma that elderly retired people are facing is deciding to move or not to move . Retirement will make them contemplate on whether to move to a smaller house closer to their children or to a retirement community where they can get the care that they need. This is quite difficult given that they are thinking of moving out of the house where they built their families. It is very hard to let go of all the memories that fostered in their homes.
In chapter seven, the author talks about her own experience on this. She then explains how to plan the move, either to a new house or to a retirement community. She gives a number of things to consider when moving in order to make it a successful one. Examples of these are: public transportation, climate, family, friends, etc. Another thing to consider is the necessary facilities. The author said, “Gather information about facilities in your desired location from doctors, social workers, and resources, such as Eldercare Locator or your local office on aging” (Josefowitz, 2005, p. 41). I agree with the author on encouraging people to take into account all of these when considering to move when retiring. Moving, just like retiring, is a big change. And, it is best to consider everything before doing so. Most especially since retired people will need all the help they can get as they get older. They should feel safe and comfortable in their new homes and the tips given by the author in this chapter, I believe, will undoubtedly make this happen.
Another interesting factor in this chapter is the part where emphasis is put on timing a move to a retirement community. She presented this by listing down the advantages when moving as soon as possible. I like that she did this because it positively persuades retiring people to plan ahead when moving for the reason that it will be highly beneficial for them in terms of safety and comfort. I also like that she gave information on organizations that can help people on selecting which retirement community is a best fit for them. This will give people a head-start on the plan to move.
As everyone knows, with retirement comes aging. Therefore, it is no surprise that the author tackles on this too. When aging, it is vital to take good care of your health. Chapter nine - Healthy, Wealthy, Wise grasps on this matter. The author points out the relevance of taking vitamins on a daily basis, exercising regularly, eating healthy food, putting on sunscreen and having fun. The author believes that these will make people age better and will allow people to live longer fuller lives. We all know how vitamins, exercise, healthy food and sunscreen help us live healthier lives. How does fun do it? She says here that, “Laughter acts as a stress reducer, lowers blood pressure, boosts your immune system, increases your circulation and can act as a painkiller” (Josefowitz, 2005, p. 54). Come to think of it, I noticed that retired or elderly people would invest most of their time in having fun and now I know why. It makes them feel better. It makes them look forward to another day. It brightens their lives. Out of all, I think her tip on having fun is the most essential because I believe that fun surpasses all the trials and tribulations that comes with aging. This chapter will inspire retired or retiring, and aging people to look forward on this next great adventure that they are going through or about to go through. Knowing that they have all the time in the world to have fun and just enjoy life will make them want to retire and will allow them to make the most out of their retirement.
With retirement, people are compelled to deal with important documents . It is quite challenging to have to do this but it is a reality that needs to be faced and dealt with. As I mentioned earlier, retiring means aging and aging means that disability and death may happen sooner than later. The author stated, “We will not become stronger or more able, so planning for the eventuality of disability, whether physical or mental, is equally important” (Josefowitz, 2005, p. 83).
The author uncovers the information that needs to be written down for family members and caretakers in case of emergency, like information on doctors, lawyers, etc. A list of documents, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, insurance policies, etc., should be written down too. Additionally, there are four more needed documents. These are: (1) A living will, (2) A durable power of attorney for healthcare, (3) A durable power of attorney for financial asset management and (4) Last will and testament . Herewith, I really think it’s smart of the author to include this advice because people might not think of dealing with this as they are too caught up with other things with regard to retirement.
People may ask why this is essential when retiring. The author mentions that, “Taking care of the above will give you peace of mind. Once it’s done, you don’t have to think about it, and peace of mind is part of any retirement plan” (Josefowitz, 2005, p. 84). After reading this, it dawned in me that it is imperative to have peace of mind when retired. It makes the transition much easier because you don’t have to worry about that anymore and you can devote more time in enjoying life by exploring new interests and spending time with loved ones.
Generally speaking, I really enjoyed reading this book. I practically read it in one night as it is a real page-turner. I just found everything so interesting and the author made it so by giving very specific advices and helpful information on the various concerns on retirement. I especially like how she discloses her own retirement encounters. It makes people realize that they are not alone and that people have done it successfully. It inspires them and it eliminates the fear of retirement.
I strongly recommend this book to those already retired, about to retire and those who have loved ones going through retirement. The information in this book will make this big change absolutely easier. It will provide a smooth transition to the next great adventure - Retirement .
Reference:
Josefowitz, N. (2005). RETIREMENT, Wise and Witty Advice for Making It The Next Great Adventure. Colorado: Blue Mountain Press.
I chose this book because my mom is going through retirement, which is a big change in her life and I would like to understand it.
The author, Natasha Josefowitz , is a 78-year old married woman with a masters degree and a PhD. She is a professor at the School of Social Work at San Diego University, a columnist and the author of seventeen books. She is internationally known for her accomplishments on behalf of women, which earned her numerous awards.
RETIREMENT, Wise and Witty Advice for Making it The Next Great Adventure is for those who have parents that are retiring and those who are retired or about to retire. This book emphasizes that retirement is not an end, but it is a start of something new. This book serves as a guide for retirement. It teaches how to prepare for retirement and what to do after. Moreover, it inspires people to dig in deep and uncover new things they want to do. The author is highlighting the fact that retirement is taking the next step in life and reinventing oneself. In the book it says, “Reinventing could be finding new interests, exploring different parts of ourselves, or becoming more of who we already are” (Josefowitz, 2005, p.8). Due to this, retirees will not have idle time in their hands. Those retired can choose what to do and how long to do it. They have the freedom.
The content of this book is briefly outlined by the author: “This book will look at how to prepare for that next adventure – and how to live it fully, avoiding the pitfalls and celebrating the joys. It’s about embracing life before, during, and after the transition” (Josefowitz, 2005, p. 9).
I personally find this book interesting because my mom is currently going through this life-changing experience. I am not sure what happens when one undergoes retirement and this book has given me a lot of details that pertain to this. This book is inspiring and instructive. Inspiring because it motivates people to embrace retirement since it allows them to do things that they’ve always wanted to do and to explore new things that are of interest to them. Instructive because it has chapters that teach people how to manage retirement given that it is a huge change.
The second chapter reveals the importance of looking ahead . If you know that you are retiring soon, planning in advance is essential so that the change won’t come as a shock leaving you with nothing to do. The author said, “Planning ahead while still employed will ease the transition” (Josefowitz, 2005, p. 17). The author also suggests listing down the things that you have accomplished and identifying those that you had fun with. In this way, you will be provided with possible options to do after retiring. I fully agree with this chapter because retirement as it has been said again and again is a big change. Herewith, planning ahead should be encouraged in order to have something to do even when retired. This will make it easier to transition from employment to unemployment.
In the fourth chapter, the three types of retired people are explained: (1) Outer-Directed – people that make things happen, (2) Inner-Directed – people to whom things happen and (3) Undirected – people who ask “what happened?”. The outer-directed people are people who still want to work but in another field of interest. The inner-directed are those who choose not to work anymore and is looking forward to recreation and spending time with family and friends. The undirected are those that were forced to retire or just decided to retire on a whim, which means they have no plans on what to do afterwards.
I like how the author categorized people that pertain to retirement. It makes people ponder which type they are and makes them realize what they need to do. It makes them plan. I think that no matter which category you fall under, you still need to plan thoroughly. If not, you will be left idle not knowing how to manage your time, which may lead to restlessness and depression.
I especially like how the author actually gives you options on what to do after retiring. There is one chapter focused on volunteering . Everyone knows that we come to a point in our lives that we want to give back. This goes especially for those who are retired. This chapter provides people with ways to volunteer and to give back to the community. It says here that there are two ways to volunteer: “by giving money or by giving time” (Josefowitz, 2005, p. 30). So, retired people can opt to give back by giving a significant amount of money to a charity or a foundation. They can also choose to volunteer by working in a shelter, a public school, a hospital, etc. Either way it is still giving back to the community. In addition to this, the author supplies information on organizations that accepts elderly volunteers. The information given are names, websites and contact details of the organizations, which enables people to research to see which organization will suit them and contact these organizations if they are interested.
Another dilemma that elderly retired people are facing is deciding to move or not to move . Retirement will make them contemplate on whether to move to a smaller house closer to their children or to a retirement community where they can get the care that they need. This is quite difficult given that they are thinking of moving out of the house where they built their families. It is very hard to let go of all the memories that fostered in their homes.
In chapter seven, the author talks about her own experience on this. She then explains how to plan the move, either to a new house or to a retirement community. She gives a number of things to consider when moving in order to make it a successful one. Examples of these are: public transportation, climate, family, friends, etc. Another thing to consider is the necessary facilities. The author said, “Gather information about facilities in your desired location from doctors, social workers, and resources, such as Eldercare Locator or your local office on aging” (Josefowitz, 2005, p. 41). I agree with the author on encouraging people to take into account all of these when considering to move when retiring. Moving, just like retiring, is a big change. And, it is best to consider everything before doing so. Most especially since retired people will need all the help they can get as they get older. They should feel safe and comfortable in their new homes and the tips given by the author in this chapter, I believe, will undoubtedly make this happen.
Another interesting factor in this chapter is the part where emphasis is put on timing a move to a retirement community. She presented this by listing down the advantages when moving as soon as possible. I like that she did this because it positively persuades retiring people to plan ahead when moving for the reason that it will be highly beneficial for them in terms of safety and comfort. I also like that she gave information on organizations that can help people on selecting which retirement community is a best fit for them. This will give people a head-start on the plan to move.
As everyone knows, with retirement comes aging. Therefore, it is no surprise that the author tackles on this too. When aging, it is vital to take good care of your health. Chapter nine - Healthy, Wealthy, Wise grasps on this matter. The author points out the relevance of taking vitamins on a daily basis, exercising regularly, eating healthy food, putting on sunscreen and having fun. The author believes that these will make people age better and will allow people to live longer fuller lives. We all know how vitamins, exercise, healthy food and sunscreen help us live healthier lives. How does fun do it? She says here that, “Laughter acts as a stress reducer, lowers blood pressure, boosts your immune system, increases your circulation and can act as a painkiller” (Josefowitz, 2005, p. 54). Come to think of it, I noticed that retired or elderly people would invest most of their time in having fun and now I know why. It makes them feel better. It makes them look forward to another day. It brightens their lives. Out of all, I think her tip on having fun is the most essential because I believe that fun surpasses all the trials and tribulations that comes with aging. This chapter will inspire retired or retiring, and aging people to look forward on this next great adventure that they are going through or about to go through. Knowing that they have all the time in the world to have fun and just enjoy life will make them want to retire and will allow them to make the most out of their retirement.
With retirement, people are compelled to deal with important documents . It is quite challenging to have to do this but it is a reality that needs to be faced and dealt with. As I mentioned earlier, retiring means aging and aging means that disability and death may happen sooner than later. The author stated, “We will not become stronger or more able, so planning for the eventuality of disability, whether physical or mental, is equally important” (Josefowitz, 2005, p. 83).
The author uncovers the information that needs to be written down for family members and caretakers in case of emergency, like information on doctors, lawyers, etc. A list of documents, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, insurance policies, etc., should be written down too. Additionally, there are four more needed documents. These are: (1) A living will, (2) A durable power of attorney for healthcare, (3) A durable power of attorney for financial asset management and (4) Last will and testament . Herewith, I really think it’s smart of the author to include this advice because people might not think of dealing with this as they are too caught up with other things with regard to retirement.
People may ask why this is essential when retiring. The author mentions that, “Taking care of the above will give you peace of mind. Once it’s done, you don’t have to think about it, and peace of mind is part of any retirement plan” (Josefowitz, 2005, p. 84). After reading this, it dawned in me that it is imperative to have peace of mind when retired. It makes the transition much easier because you don’t have to worry about that anymore and you can devote more time in enjoying life by exploring new interests and spending time with loved ones.
Generally speaking, I really enjoyed reading this book. I practically read it in one night as it is a real page-turner. I just found everything so interesting and the author made it so by giving very specific advices and helpful information on the various concerns on retirement. I especially like how she discloses her own retirement encounters. It makes people realize that they are not alone and that people have done it successfully. It inspires them and it eliminates the fear of retirement.
I strongly recommend this book to those already retired, about to retire and those who have loved ones going through retirement. The information in this book will make this big change absolutely easier. It will provide a smooth transition to the next great adventure - Retirement .
Reference:
Josefowitz, N. (2005). RETIREMENT, Wise and Witty Advice for Making It The Next Great Adventure. Colorado: Blue Mountain Press.
2 comments:
This is a great post, Kevin. So many people don't understand exactly how tricky retirement has become lately. The recent state of the economy has thrown a wrench into the plans of many boomers. They're either delaying retirement or coming out of retirement because of this. It's an unfortunate situation.
However, keep in mind, when it does come time to retire, one company will be there to help you out as you enjoy your golden years!
AARP is a great source of services and information that can be beneficial to the quality of life. What's great about AARP is that a membership comes with prescription and travel discounts!
AARP has teamed up with talk show host, Cristina Saralegui and made a fun, customizable video and you're just a click away from being the next guest on Amigos Live! Check out http://www.upclosewithcristina.com/video to learn more and make your own video!
Also, you can enter to win an all inclusive trip for 2 to Miami while you're checking out the site! (And even if you don't win, there's still those great travel discounts that come with the membership!)
Definitely check out AARP for yourself or a loved one. There are really are some great benefits to joining!
I hope it's alright that I commented on your blog -- wanted to let you know about the fun video with Cristina and AARP's great benefits. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to email me.
Thanks!
Isabella Coldivar
AARP Ambassador
isabellaAARP@gmail.com
Thanks for the comment. Just as an FYI - the post was written by Sam Dichupa, a student in my graduate class on change management...
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