Strategies for Retiring Right!
A Self-Directed Holistic Retirement Planning Course
Participants:
For those between the ages of 45 to 65 who want a happy and stimulating retirement and those already retired looking to add a little sizzle to their ‘golden years’. Also, millennials wanting to help their parents’ retirement right.
Benefits:
Strategies for Retiring Right! is for you. The benefits are:
- Sharpened understanding of retirement needs and interest before crisis occurs.
- Direction in creating a fully integrated retirement life plan to protect time and money.
- Discovering opportunities that add excitement and heighten personal fulfillment.
- Gain an increased peace of mind resulting from being better prepared for life after work.
- Live and love retirement to its fullest!
You will have instant access to the full course materials. Also, to facilitate learning and asking questions, you are invited to join my Facebook page - Strategies for Retiring Right! Course Members. As a member of this private Facebook group, you can ask any question specifically related to the lectures and receive a prompt answer - straight from me - to you as the student. I will give you complete answers that will be helpful and useful.
Also, as a group member, you will have an opportunity to share experiences and successes with other course participants. The link is: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1744396285949258
Description:
Research shows:
- 40% of boomers enter retirement without any planning
- 40% enter with only a financial plan
- 20% enter with a holistic plan and actions to make it happen!
Whether you are considering retirement or are already retired, Strategies for Retiring Right! will help you build a personal plan to enhance your life after work.
Worried you won’t have enough money in retirement or being bored, without purpose? Concerned about losing your work identity? Envisioning where you will live after you leave work? Wondering how your relationships will change with your family, friends, and partner?
Strategies for Retiring Right! will provide you with an increased degree of confidence to getting retirement right!
What You’ll Learn:
- Proven strategies to acquiring a happy and satisfying retirement as reported by successful retirees.
- How to create a realistic plan for life after work. By watching ten (10) descriptive videos, all containing real-life examples and stories, using a 60-page workbook filled with descriptive materials from Rick Atkinson’s years of research including in-depth interviews with hundreds of successful pre-and-post retirees, completing 10 exercises and 10 quizzes, pondering 3 true-to-life cases, 21 real-life examples, and studying 3 retirement plan models, you will build your own success action plan.
Course Length and Content:
Average time to complete is four (4) hours. Includes one and three-quarters (1 ¾) hours of video presentations.
You can begin this course immediately – If you have no knowledge, or if you are already beginning your retirement years.
Detailed Topic Outline:
Introduction:
- Hurdles faced in retirement including reduced income, different roles, time on your hands, changed relationships and more.
- What unsuccessful/successful retirees do, or not do, to achieve a happy and satisfying life after work
Activity 1: What is Your Current Picture?
- 42% of boomers are not prepared for life after work. 39% have no comprehensive vision.
- Exercise 1: Visualizing Your Retirement. What’s making you happy? How is your health? What will be your legacy? Questions to guide your development of a comprehensive vision. Four mini-exercises, to add in your crafting of a vision.
- Case study: The Honeymoon. Wilma’s concerned with her recently retired husband and his lack of activity development. Is Wilma’s concerns justified? What actions do you suggest?
- Self-quiz: 5 questions to test your understanding of the importance of a well-constructed vision.
Activity 2: How Much is Enough?
- 37% of boomers feel financially insecure.
- Exercise 2: How Much is Enough? 14 questions designed to determine how much money will make you feel secure. Specially designed form to help calculate your Total Net Worth. Results help answer, how much money do you need to live and fulfill your retirement vision?
- Case study: Upset Plans. Marta and Pedro have a financial plan but their son, Max, is facing a life challenge. Should Marta and Pedro proceed with their retirement or hold off to help Max? You are asked to consider the alternatives and suggest an appropriate route for Marta and Pedro.
- Self-quiz: Five questions related to building a realistic financial plan.
Activity 3: Developing a Balanced Leisure Lifestyle
- 36% of boomers don’t know how to spend their time in retirement.
- After reading what is a balanced leisure lifestyle (entertainment, education, travel, exercise, social activities, hobbies), what will be your lifestyle. Where does work and volunteering fit in?
- Exercise 3: Developing a Balanced Leisure Lifestyle. What activities are you currently doing? Which one’s do you plan to explore?
- Self-quiz: Five questions to test your understanding of lifestyle.
Activity 4: Health & Wellbeing Strategy
- Only 20% of retirees do regular exercise, many retirees continue with poor eating habits, a large percentage suffer from poor mental health caused by stress, and few recognize the importance of spirituality in their life.
- Description provided: (a) regular exercise , including activities; (b) diet and nutrition; (3) mental health, with strategies for keeping stress in check; and (4) spirituality, including communing with nature and artistic pursuits.
- Exercise 4: Health & Wellbeing Strategy. Listing activities designed to guide you to good physical wellbeing, healthy diet, ways to reduce or eliminate stress, and actions to meet your spirituality needs.
- Self-quiz: Six questions to assess your awareness of health and wellbeing.
Activity 5: Relationships in Retirement
- Most people recognize that when they retire, relationships they have with people at work will change drastically. Information on building relationships.
- Exercise 5: Rewarding Your Social Circle. Who’s in your current social circle and what rewards will you give to signify their importance to you.
- Self-quiz: Five questions related to your social circle.
Activity 6: Spousal/Partner Relationships
- In a recent survey, it was found the average couple, when working, spends less than 4 hours a week together, without the children. When retired, togetherness time increases, often leading to strained relationships. Information on building communication lines including how much time you and your partner will be apart, daily/weekly.
- Exercise 6: Spousal/Partner Relationships. What will be your role and the role of your partner? Who will be responsible for what? What little acts of kindness will you show to demonstrate appreciation to your spouse/partner?
- Self-quiz: five questions related to building a stronger relationship.
Activity 7: Choosing Where to Live
- Most retirees decide their current home meets their needs. It’s important to consider cost, layout, location and proximity to services, public transportation, both now and in 5, 10, 15 years from now.
- Exercise 7: Future Suitability of Your House. Considering both cost and level of happiness with lay-out, neighborhood, etc. How would you grade your house (A-E)? Advice when downsizing.
- Self-quiz: Six questions designed to guide your actions regarding suitability.
Activity 8: Using Legacy to Guide Actions
- Successful retirees give considerable thought to how they want to be remembered. This thinking helps identify what’s truly important in your life.
- Exercise 8: Using Legacy to Guide Actions. Answering the questions, “How do you want to be remembered?” “What actions are required to achieve your ‘legacy’?
- Self-quiz: Two questions on legacy and reasons for.
Activity 9: Engaging Mentors
- 84% of pre-and-post retirees don’t have a retirement coach or mentor – someone who has already successfully travelled the retirement road.
- Included in the descriptive information are tips for finding a suitable mentor.
- Exercise 9: Engaging Mentors. Identification of potential mentors and reasons for selecting these individuals.
- Self-quiz: Three questions on mentorship and steps in finding a suitable mentor.
Activity 10: Your Bucket List
- A bucket list is a list of things that a person would like to do or achieve before they die. The list acts a reminder of things that are important and helps spur us on to accomplishing our desires.
- Exercise 10: Your ‘Bucket List’. All the things you always wanted to do. When will you do each bucket list item?
- Self-quiz: Five questions relating to what a bucket list is and isn’t.
Examples of Retirement Plans
The Story of Megan and David – results of discussions between the couple in the formation of their balanced leisure lifestyle, ‘where to live’, in search for a mentor and other plans.
Retirement of Elma and Susan – Two partners, one is younger and plans to work while the other, to retire. This mix results in different financial and living actions.
Sam and Maria – As a business owner who is consumed with work, Sam, has neglected Maria. As part of Sam’s plan is dedicated action to repairing his relationship with his wife. Over the years, Sam has also become unfit which he now recognizes needs to change. Maria, on the other hand, has become independent but is willing to meet Sam half-way.
Appendix A: Author’s answers to the cases:
The Honeymoon
Upset Plans
Happy Being Alone
Rick Atkinson
The materials were created by Rick Atkinson, an expert in holistic retirement planning and the author of three best-sellers, Don’t Just Retire – Live It, Love It! Strategies for Retiring Right! and Why Me? And No Gold Watch!
Rick is founder and president of RA Retirement Advisors. For over 12 years Rick has helped people throughout North America plan for successful and fulfilling retirement. He is a popular speaker and workshop facilitator.
Rick brings to the course a passion and commitment to both the materials and learning videos based on years of research, interviews with hundreds of successful retirees, and a love of seeing people transition successfully from work to life after work.
Click on the accordion bar below to take the pre-test.
A computer, or tablet with internet access is recommended for taking this course.
Paper/Pen & Ink for the exercises (for retention and record keeping)