Uncategorized

Coaching Corner

/ Leave a Comment

Coaching Corner

Welcome to Coaching Corner, a series of short “mini-podcasts” sharing insights and strategies for creating a fulfilling, joyful retirement.

We all know that retirement can be a big adjustment, which is why coaching is such an important tool to help you navigate this new phase of life. Our episodes go beyond just listening and feature thought-provoking questions, actionable tips, and exercises that are designed to guide you towards a retirement that is filled with greater confidence, clarity, and purpose.

So why not come along with me as we explore what it takes to thrive in retirement and make the most of your Third Age?

Have a listen!

Using Your Emotions to Help Shape Your Retirement

In this episode of Coaching Corner, we delve into the often overlooked but HUGELY important aspect of retirement: your feelings!

Listen in to discover the importance of emotional awareness and how feelings can be valuable messengers, guiding you towards a retirement lifestyle that truly resonates with you.  

The Difference Between Change and Transition

Retirement can be one of THE most significant transitions we’ll face as we get older…. and we all find our way through it with varying degrees of success!

Join me in this episode of Coaching Corner and I’ll introduce you to a simple transition model to help guide you through the change.

Sweet Dreams

In this episode of Coaching Corner, the focus is on your dreams and aspirations for the future.

Your dreams can be a hugely powerful catalyst for change and growth but how do you bridge the gap between dreaming the dream and living the dream?

The episode includes an exercise called A Perfect 10 which you can download here. 

Your Story

You have a unique story to tell – we ALL do – but did you realise that your personal story holds the key to your next chapter?

In this episode of Coaching Corner I share how exploring your story can help you successfully  connect your past, present, and future into a compelling whole.

You can find the blog post mentioned in this episode here.

Coaching Corner Read More »

Navigating the Opportunities and Challenges of Modern Retirement

/ Leave a Comment

Navigating the Opportunities and Challenges of Modern Retirement

Not so long ago, retirement was pretty much a one-way ticket to the armchair or garden centre! Now I’ve nothing against armchairs or garden centres but the prospect of spending a couple of decades in either wouldn’t exactly fill me with joy and anticipation!

Thankfully, today’s retirees are the beneficiaries of some radical changes that have evolved over the last few decades. Retirement’s no longer seen as a time to just put your feet up but is now viewed as a positive new beginning – a chance to explore new possibilities and create a new life chapter that’s just as dynamic and fulfilling as the ones that came before, albeit in a different way.

So how come things have changed so radically for this generation?

Well, this is without doubt, a unique and fortunate generation – one that’s healthier, wealthier and better educated than ANY previous generation. They’re living longer, healthier lives, enabling them to stay active and engaged well into their next chapter. Retirees stand to live 20 to 30 years in this phase of life and consequently, many are seizing this opportunity to forge bespoke new lifestyle pathways.

And of course, many women today have spent all or most of their adult lives working outside the home, building careers and establishing themselves as highly valued members of the workforce. And, just as they changed the working world, now that they’re hitting retirement, they’re changing that too! They’re not going to suddenly ditch their desire to be productive, purposeful members of society and submissively accept an outmoded stereotype that no longer fits.

 That was never going to happen!

They are as vibrant and engaged as they ever were and now regard retirement as a springboard into a purposeful future. What they seek now is not so very different from what they sought when they first entered the workplace. They wanted to make a difference, feel fulfilled and make a contribution to society then, and they want the same now.

They want to make personal decisions that align with their values and create an outcome that’s right for them. And that’s a retirement lifestyle that’s very different from that of their grandparents, or parents. 

They want a modern retirement.

So what does a modern retirement actually look like for women?

Well, for many, it involves some form of work. This might mean continuing to work, either part-time or full-time or choosing to take advantage of new flexible working models by becoming self-employed freelancers or consultants. Or it might mean choosing to start a new business, pursue a passion project, or simply take on a job that’s less demanding than their previous career. Many women also choose to use retirement as an opportunity to give back to their communities, volunteering their time and expertise to causes they care about.

Of course, modern retirement isn’t just about work. It’s also about enjoying life and pursuing interests that may have taken a backseat during the busy years of career and family. This might mean traveling, taking up a new hobby, or spending more time with loved ones. For some women, retirement is a chance to finally indulge in the things they’ve always wanted to do, but never had the time or resources for. 

It’s an ideal time to pause and recalibrate and make new or different choices.

CHOICE is a fundamental part of modern retirement – offering a sense of freedom, autonomy, and empowerment.  Women today are no longer content to adhere to someone else’s idea of what retirement should look like. Instead, they’re charting their own course and creating bespoke, flexible retirement plans tailored to their individual needs, interests, and goals.

Which is undeniably good news BUT it's not without its challenges.

Choice can be a double-edged sword! 

With SO many options to consider – from where to live to how to spend your time – it can be overwhelming to decide what’s best.

And where there is overwhelm, there is procrastination. And where there is procrastination there’s time wasted… and as I’m sure you’re well aware, ‘time’ is a very precious commodity!

The temptation in this situation is to just ‘wing it’ in the hope that things will magically ‘sort themselves out’ into something meaningful, purposeful and enjoyable.

But that’s a LOT to leave to chance, isn’t it? 

And yet, that’s exactly how many end up wasting the first few valuable years of retirement – trying to figure out what they really want now, wondering why retirement doesn’t look or feel like they thought it would… or sometimes questioning their decision to retire and worrying about what they could or should have done better or different.

One way to overcome the challenge of ‘too much choice’ when creating a bespoke retirement plan is to start by identifying your priorities. 

  • What are the most important things to you? 
  • What are your non-negotiables? 
  • What do you want more/less of in your next chapter? 
  • What are you going to continue doing?
  • What do you want to change completely?

By getting clear on the fundamentals, you’ll find it SO much easier to narrow down your options and start making decisions. 

It will probably come as no surprise at all that my top recommendation is that you call upon the services of a retirement coach such as myself (shameless plug!) – someone who knows the territory well and brings outside expertise to the process. One of the many benefits of working with a retirement coach is that they bring a fresh perspective and help you see new possibilities and options that you may not have considered on your own as well as supporting you to turn your great thoughts and ideas into a fulfilling reality. 

Thankfully, the days of the one-size-fits-all retirement are long gone!  The undoubted gifts that modern retirement has to offer are there for the taking if you take the time to explore the possibilities before you and actively plan for the future you want. These can be the best years of your life – it’s up to you to make the most of them.

Read more articles ON THE BLOG….

Are You Retirement Ready? (..and we're not talking money!)

Download your FREE checklist and discover your true retirement readiness.
Dreaming of retirement freedom, but feeling stuck in the planning stage?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone! It’s time to take a more holistic approach because while finances ARE important, true retirement readiness goes beyond the numbers.

This isn’t your typical tick-box exercise! Our red, amber, and green system offers instant clarity on your current situation as well as a framework for genuine self-reflection.

This checklist, based on my Six P’s Retirement Framework, will help you build a rock-solid foundation for a happy, healthy, and fulfilling retirement:

  • Explore six key areas essential for a truly fulfilling retirement, from health and purpose to relationships and mindset.
  • Build clarity and confidence about stepping into this exciting new chapter.
  • Stop wasting time in the “not ready” limbo and take control of your future.
  • Get intentional about creating your ideal retirement lifestyle.

 Sign up for instant access to your FREE checklist*  (*both digital and printable)

Navigating the Opportunities and Challenges of Modern Retirement Read More »

Your Two Word Retirement Mantra

/ Leave a Comment

The Two Word Retirement Mantra

If ever I’m asked about the best way to start creating a meaningful retirement, I offer this 2 word nugget: be intentional!

What? That’s it?  Yep, pretty much! ‘Be intentional’ has fast become my 2-word mantra!

Let’s face it, we all WANT a good retirement but wanting isn’t the same as having is it?  We need to actually DO something about it. And that’s where the ‘intentional’ bit comes in – because if ever there was a time to start getting intentional about what we want and how we want to spend our time and energy in the years ahead, this is it!

Not much of a strategy you may think, but actually, it’s one that works every time! Being intentional simply means proactively giving your attention to finding the answers to these key questions… and once you have the answers, the rest is comparatively easy.

Intention plus attention is a truly powerful combination

I’d say this is true for virtually anything you want to achieve – but never more so than when you’re transitioning into this exciting new chapter!

Of course, you can always ‘wing it’ and take a more passive approach in the hope that things will magically ‘sort themselves out’ into something meaningful, purposeful and enjoyable. But that’s a LOT to leave to chance, isn’t it?  

But I get it, I really DO – staring a big life transition in the face can feel challenging, scary, and overwhelming.

One quality decision

We’re all vulnerable to these feelings and many find it easier to default to a passive position…. otherwise known as procrastination! But procrastination isn’t exactly a whole heap of fun is it? It’s frustrating at best and totally incapacitating at worst – it’s always ‘there’ in the back of your mind, keeping you stuck… unable to move forward, unable to go back.

I recently read that we are all one quality decision away from anything we want. The important word here being ‘quality’.  It doesn’t mean passively wishing or dreaming that you’ll do it. It means actively deciding.

If we never make this decision, we will never do.

But by making the decision to ‘be intentional’ we bring a powerful force into play to help us create a retirement by design, instead of by default. 

Yes, it takes a degree of faith, commitment and courage but wonderful things happen once you make that decision:

  • You can finally focus your attention
  • You become the creator of possibilities
  • You can start to define your options and choices
  • You can start to shape the outcomes you want
  • You open yourself up to and attract opportunities
  • You turn your ideas into a commitment
  • You shift from ‘castles in the air’ to laying firm foundations
  • It closes the door marked “What?” and opens a new door marked “How?”
  • You can begin.

Owning the direction of your life

Being intentional is about taking charge of your life rather than letting circumstances rule you. Change can be hard but the biggest danger comes not from doing the wrong thing, but from doing nothing. 

Once you make a start, you’ll be amazed at how easily everything else falls into place.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Once you make a decision, the world conspires to make it happen.”

Make an intentional start...

I know it can be tough to get started, which is why I encourage you to ease yourself in by taking the simple first step below. The Are You Retirement Ready? checklist is a great starting point.

Your Two Word Retirement Mantra Read More »