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

Bradshaw, Bob

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1532032641 ISBN 13: 9781532032646

Verlag: iUniverse, 2017

Inhaltsangabe

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.

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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...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: iUniverse
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2017
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1532032641
• ISBN 13: 9781532032646
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 116
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: preigu GmbH & Co. KG; mail@preigu.de; ; Lengericher Landstr. 19; Osnabrück; Niedersachsen; 49078; Deutschland