Keith Lauby, Author at Unretirement Project

Decision Making: What Underthinking Looks Like

February 20, 2019 by Keith Lauby Leave a Comment

Steve Jobs, think, decision making, retirement, retirement planning, underthinking

If you spend time on social channels, there’s a good chance you’ve seen the meme GIF about “what overthinking looks like”. It shows a young child crying in a pool, appearing to desperately cling to a lane marker rope to keep his head above the water. The mother rushes in to help him stand up in water that only barely comes up to his knees. The somewhat humorous intent, of course, is don’t overthink things – deal with the reality of a situation and you will be fine.

It’s a cute little message. But it made me wonder – where is the cute GIF about underthinking? There really isn’t one. Nor should there be. Because the result of underthinking is just bad decision making. And there’s nothing humorous or cute about that.

The business world has always placed emphasis on decision making and its importance in organizational success. In fact, our consulting firm worked with a number of companies, teaching an adaptation of the Blake Mouton Managerial Grid – a way of evaluating decisions relative to the task that needed to be performed and the people that are impacted. I won’t go into the details here. The point is, business success often depends on a systematic approach to decision making. We should carry that forward into our personal decisions.

A simplified version of systematic decision making is a 5-step process:

Step 1: Identify the Goal. This may be the most important step since it is the basis for all the rest. For this exercise, let’s say your goal is to retire comfortably as early as possible. There are some parameters here (“comfortably” and “early as possible”) that can help us identify the best options.

Step 2: Weigh Your Options. For this, you will need information. Given the goal, some of the options may be drawing Social Security as soon as possible. Or maybe tapping into your 401(k) at first and waiting a few years so you can draw a larger check from Social Security. This is the time to talk with friends and experts to learn all opportunities.

Step 3: Consider Consequences. The previous step is so important because it will help us consider the consequences of each option. Will we deplete our nest egg too soon if we wait too long to file for Social Security? What will be our tax burden, and will that eat away at our savings? This step may even help to identify other options like part-time work during retirement.

Step 4: Make Your Decision. Remember the “overthinking meme”? At some point, you have to be satisfied that you’ve collected all the options you need and evaluated the consequences of each. That should lead you to the best decision that fulfills as many parameters as possible and gives you the best outcome.

Step 5: Evaluate Your Decision. Sadly, this is often the step that gets overlooked. But, even if you did a great job with the first four steps, you may be surprised with part of the results. The worst thing you can do is cling blindly to a decision just because of the effort you put into it. Evaluate your decision and make adjustments as needed.

One other thing to remember along the way is you don’t have to do this all by yourself. Of course you will have many conversations with family and friends. And AARP is full of planning resources. You can also check out The FIRE movement (financial independence, retire early) – a group that appears to be setting new standards in financial planning for retirement. Again, do your research!

We know that life is full of important decisions and retirement is one of the most critical. Unlike the “overthinking meme”, we can’t count on someone to rush in and rescue us when we make bad decisions. Fortunately, using a good system can go a long way toward helping us make good decisions.

How To Help Your Parents Downsize Their Home

February 13, 2019 by Keith Lauby 1 Comment

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Thanks to Marie Kondo, downsizing is now a thing. If you haven’t heard of her, she’s a Japanese organizing consultant and author of the best-selling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”. Her method, called KonMari, focuses on only keeping possessions that bring you joy. While the book has been out for a few years, Kondo recently starred in a Netflix series, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” reminding all of us to organize and downsize our stuff.

While I still need to read Kondo’s book, I do find the whole idea of decluttering fascinating. Neither Keith or I are big collectors of stuff, but last year when we were getting ready for our move to North Florida, we realized that we had accumulated a lot of stuff. It’s easy to do and we wrote about our experience in the post “6 Lessons Learned from Decluttering”.

To learn more about downsizing, I recently picked up a copy of the book “Downsizing The Family Home” by Marni Jameson (published by AARP). This book takes a very different (and practical) approach to downsizing in that it views it from the standpoint of a person having to downsize their parent’s (or loved one’s) home, which may or may not be your childhood home. Here are a few of my takeaways from the book:

It’s possible that we will have to ask our parents or loved ones to downsize. While some adults might decide that it’s time to downsize the house for a condo, it’s also very possible that our parents have a very comfortable lifestyle and don’t want to downsize. It won’t be until their health or age start to prompt the conversation. That means an adult child or close family member might be the person who initiates the “we need to get rid of a few things” discussion.

Getting rid of our stuff is both physical and emotional. Jameson’s book deals with both the physical and emotional aspects of downsizing. Let’s face it – all of our possessions have stories attached to them – how we got them, who gave them to us, etc. Getting rid of items that have long-term or significant memories is more than simply disposing of stuff. It’s an emotional message tied to our mortality.

Consider phases. You cannot organize and declutter your home in a day. When Keith and I were moving, we did a room every week and it took about three months. So, put together a plan. If you’re helping your parents or a loved one and don’t live close by, it might take even longer. It could also be helpful to space it out, so it isn’t a big shock when larger items (like furniture) leave the house.

Make downsizing a regular event. It could be possible that your loved ones don’t need to move or downsize into a smaller home today, but you’re thinking someday they might. If someone is apprehensive about moving to a smaller home, moving in with children, or into assisted living, it could be helpful to start downsizing early. That way someone doesn’t associate downsizing with moving away from their long-time home.

Figure out your disposal strategy. Okay, you have a big pile of stuff to get rid of. Now what? It’s time to figure out whether to sell it, donate it, or junk it. Jameson’s book devotes quite a few pages toward estate and rummage sales – how to figure out whether older items have value and disposing of them. She also spends some time talking about the difference between what parents might think is collectable and what actual collectors think.

Make a plan. One of the things I like about this book is that there’s a companion workbook (Yes, you have to purchase it extra). Instead of calling it a workbook, I’d actually characterize it as more of a downsizing journal, with prompts that allow the user to document their downsizing goals, how they feel about letting go of items, and planning for the sale of items.

It’s one thing for us to decide to get rid of our stuff. It’s another to have to help our parents part with their stuff. Especially when it’s our childhood home. We’re dealing with both our emotions and theirs. Books about downsizing, like Jameson’s, can help us bring some structure to the process.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of New Orleans, LA

Your 5-Day Plan to Using LinkedIn In Your Unretirement

January 16, 2019 by Keith Lauby Leave a Comment

A little while ago, I wrote about using social media to help grow your messaging as an independent contractor during retirement. By now, you know that you can use social sites to gain practical experience that will help in unretirement. The first article was about Facebook. Today, let’s talk about LinkedIn.

What is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 562 million members in over 200 countries. Most of us have LinkedIn profiles and know how to connect with people. But did you know:

Over 20,000 companies post 3 million jobs on LinkedIn.
80% of the 146 million U.S. LinkedIn members want to have a mentor or be one to others.

Maybe you’re not officially looking for your dream job, but do you really want opportunities to pass you by? Even in unretirement, you want people to find you on LinkedIn.

How do you create (or update) your LinkedIn profile?

There are hundreds of articles that share great ways to structure your LinkedIn profile. Check out some of the best on the LinkedIn blog. If you want a couple posts that can help optimize your profile, check these out:

Creating a Killer LinkedIn Profile [INFOGRAPHIC]

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words, Make Your LinkedIn Profile Shine [SLIDESHOW]

Your 5-day Plan for Learning More about LinkedIn

DAY 1 – Read articles of interest. Your home page will have articles that your connections are posting. This will give you a good sense of what your connections find interesting. Try to find content that both you and your contacts will enjoy. Because a little later on, you will want to share articles with your connections.

DAY 2 – Add to Your Feed. LinkedIn isn’t shy about making recommendations and you will find a few along the right side of your homepage. Trending topics are first, followed by recommendations of people or companies to follow (yes, you can follow companies). It’s a great way to expand your LinkedIn community.

DAY 3 – Check Out Suggested Features. Along the left side of your homepage you will see even more recommendations for LinkedIn Groups and hashtags. LinkedIn is trying to expand the use of hashtags so find a few that interest you – like maybe #unretirement and #retirement.

DAY 4 – Get to Know Your Dashboard. Your Dashboard can be found in your profile, right under your profile section. It offers a quick and easy way to understand who is paying attention to you. It also gives recommendations on ways to expand your interactions on LinkedIn.

DAY 5 – Write a Post. At the top of your feed is a box that says, “Start a post”. Since you’ve found articles in #1 above, share them with your connections. Please remember – LinkedIn has a business focus so save those vacation or adorable pet posts for Facebook.

BONUS! Publish an Article. That’s right, LinkedIn lets users publish their own articles. At the bottom of your new post box you will see a link to “Write an article”. This is your opportunity to share your expertise with the world! Once you do that, LinkedIn will create a page with all of your articles that everyone can follow.

There are a lot of things you can learn using LinkedIn and connections can be valuable. It should definitely be a part of your social media activity in unretirement. So go have some fun growing your community!

Inspiration: The Best Thing To Do With Success Lists

December 12, 2018 by Keith Lauby 1 Comment

success list, inspiration, rules for success, business, business success

We’ve all seen inspiration lists that feature a wildly prosperous person (like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, or Steve Jobs) under a catchy headline telling us how to be successful – either in business or life in general. It’s followed by a number of things we should all do to achieve that success. The idea, of course, is that it worked for this person, so it should work for us too.

It’s easy to dismiss these offhand – – I’m never going to be a billionaire entrepreneur so just forget it. Early in my business life I did that all the time. At some point, though, I started to pay attention to some of the inspiration lists. And this is what I decided to do with them:

Look for things you are doing already. Okay, we all work hard. We all read and try to learn things that will make us more effective and productive. We try our hardest to achieve without giving up. These are affirmations of the great job we are doing every day. Look for them in inspiration lists and celebrate them! Then think of ways to do even more of them.

Cross off things that are beyond your control. This one will take some soul searching because it’s easy to dismiss a lot. You don’t make the company’s products, or you don’t have any input on who gets hired or who you get to work with. But you can offer great service, whether it’s to the general public or coworkers. And you can always help others improve. Make better the things you can and don’t worry about the rest.

Look for things you can start doing. Whether it’s focusing on your well-being or taking more risks, there is almost always something in an inspiration list that you could do better. And avoid the temptation to feel you have to do it on a grand scale. If organization is a problem, schedule a little time to organize something small. Too many distractions? Develop a morning routine and stick with it! That will help you focus for the rest of every day.

The best way to be successful is to know yourself. Know what you do well and find ways to do more of it. Regardless of where you are in your career, we all have areas we can improve so make that a priority. Learning resources are abundant so take advantage of them.

In the end, we all make our own success. Our stories can be an inspiration to others. But everyone has to find ways to make it on their own. In the year ahead, be your own inspiration and create your success story.

Is It Safe to Use Social Media for Marketing in Unretirement

April 11, 2018 by Keith Lauby 2 Comments

By now, we’ve all seen the articles about Facebook and their use of user information. It has caused a number of users to delete their accounts. Some brands are doing the same. So, I thought it would be a good time to talk briefly about online privacy and social media.

Over the years, social media has become an integral part of our lives. We engage with family and friends on Facebook or our business associates on LinkedIn. Or we monitor trending stories and its entertaining commentary on Twitter. The question people are asking – is our information safe?

Recently, I wrote about using Facebook to help with marketing in unretirement. For years, I’ve used Facebook for my marketing and I will continue to do so, simply because there are more advantages than disadvantages – as long as you’re smart about it.

First of all, know and understand your privacy settings. Every social media site has them. I recommend spending some dedicated time getting to know how every type of social post is handled. Can everyone see it? Only friends? With Facebook, you can start by seeing how others view your page. Click on your profile and, in the bottom right corner of your cover image there are three dots – that’s an extended menu. Click on it and select “View as . . . “.

The difference may be subtle, but you will notice a prompt to send yourself a friend request and an “Add Friend” button. You’re on the right page! From here, carefully read over your Intro box. Does it have the right information? Is it sharing information you don’t want to share here? Any changes in your information can be made using the “About” tab (be sure to quickly click on your profile again first to get back to interacting as you). You should select each heading listed on the left side of your profile and make any edits in the field as needed.

After you confirm your information is correct, it’s time to focus on your privacy settings. On the far right at the top of your Facebook page is a down arrow. Click that and select “Settings” from the drop-down menu. Select “Privacy” on the left to confirm your settings and edit them as needed. After that, select Timeline and Tagging on the left. That will give you a breakdown of your posting types and who can see them. From here, you can select “Edit” for each type of Facebook action and select who can see them from the drop-down menu.

Every social platform has their own version of a privacy setup. Get to know them! In fact, it’s a good idea to schedule an annual social media audit because sites tend to fine-tune their settings over time.

Social media is, and will continue to be, a major force in shaping our communities and culture. It offers vast opportunities! So, don’t be afraid to take advantage of everything it has to offer. Be smart and be aware. And, above all, be safe. It’s really not that hard to do.

Fitness Matters in Unretirement So Get Creative

March 21, 2018 by Keith Lauby 1 Comment

Our pursuit of fitness changes over time. It’s not that we stop pursuing it – we can’t. But rather, how we do it and the tools we use to get there evolves as we age. And when you work for yourself, you may have to get creative where your fitness is concerned.

Please understand, I’m not a medical or fitness professional. But I am a business pro who is always looking for ways to keep healthy and fit. Ways that align with a hectic schedule. When I worked in corporate offices, some of my daily activity was walking to meetings, warehouses, and a variety of other workplaces. Now that I work in a home office, I’m looking for a different solution to help me keep active.

After reading that the Deskcise Pro from FlexiSpot won a 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Innovation Award, I jumped at the chance to give it a test drive. The Deskcise Pro combines a standing desk and exercise bike in one compact piece of equipment. It has a very small footprint, so it doesn’t get in the way in my small office and it easily rolls wherever I want it. But don’t worry, it won’t roll around as you’re using it because it has an innovative feature that locks the wheels when you’re pedaling.

I’ve always believed that accessibility was the key to consistent use of any exercise equipment. It becomes even more important as we age. After waking up one morning with a stiff neck, I just used a spring lever on the Deskcise Pro to raise up the desk so it’s a little more comfortable to read on my laptop. You can also move the desktop a little closer just as easily. When my legs a little sore from too much yardwork, a dial on the Deskcise Pro main console lets me dial in just the right amount of resistance. And a screen allows me to track speed, distance, calories, odometer and revolutions per minute (RPMs).

Even if you don’t want to pedal, you can still be active. A spring lever adjustment can quickly convert your bike into a standing desk. Let’s face it, you I won’t have an excuse not to keep active anymore! And that’s important to me when I’m working from a home office.

Working in unretirement can bring a few challenges and fitness can be one of them. If you’re looking to keep up your activity in a home office, but don’t want to invest in a lot of different equipment or lose work time at the gym, consider checking out the Deskcise Pro. It’s a simple but creative solution that offers a lot of flexibility.

Your 5-Day Plan to Using Facebook In Your Unretirement

March 7, 2018 by Keith Lauby 5 Comments

Social media isn’t a fad. It’s a daily part of our lives. According to Pew Research, seventy percent of Americans use social media with thirty seven percent of them age 65+. So, whether you’re using social media to market your blog or communicate with friends, it’s important to know how to use it well in your encore career.

That’s why I thought it might be helpful to run a series about social media. Think of it as a mini-learning plan. We’ll take a short look at using popular social platforms, but from the viewpoint as part of a marketing engine. The marketing engine, of course, will help drive your unretirement efforts whether it’s through blogging or other types of content promotion. Social platforms can help you showcase your interests and skills, learn about new opportunities, and discover trends you can leverage.

Our first installment is about Facebook. Of all the platforms, I believe Facebook is where most of us already have accounts. According to Pew Research, 72 percent of the American adult population has a Facebook account which they visit at least once a month. Globally, the number is 38.6 percent. The challenge is getting comfortable using a platform for business that we may have exclusively used for personal connections.

What is Facebook?

Okay, you probably already know them, but Facebook is a social networking site that allows you to connect with brands, organizations, family and friends. As of their last earnings report, Facebook broke the 2 billion monthly active user mark. It’s the first social platform to reach that level of popularity.

You Have a Facebook Account, Right?

In case you don’t have an account, Facebook is free. You can learn how to sign up using their help page.

Your 5-Day Plan to Learning Facebook

If you don’t have an account, all of these activities will be new to you. If you do have an account, ask yourself, “How many of these have a done?”

DAY 1 – Post one piece of business news that interests you. Maybe it’s a blog post about leadership, an update about the gig economy, or something about what’s happening in your preferred industry.

DAY 2 – Like a group related to your interests. It can be a professional association that aligns with your unretirement goals. Gig economy sites like Wag! (dog walking on demand) or Helpr for babysitters have thriving Facebook pages.

DAY 3 – Like a business brand page. My guess is at least one of the vendors you currently do business with is on Facebook. Or look for a business you just enjoy. For example, I follow Consumer Reports to help me make informed purchases and Disney because I love their products.

DAY 4 – Like a government agency that pertains to your work. I’ve connected with my local city government – they publish a weekly informational newsletter and announce jobs and purchase requisitions. Facebook Townhall can also help you connect with your elected representatives.

DAY 5 – Get comfortable with notifications. At this point, it’s been about collecting information. If you feel comfortable, take a little time to review your feed to make sure are hearing from the people you really want to hear from. Keep in mind, that could include people or brands.

The easiest way to turn on notifications is by clicking on the three dots next to every status update. That will bring up a small menu. Look for “Turn on notifications for this post” – you may have to click “more” in the first menu.

BONUS! At some point, you may way to create your own business page. You can read all about it in the Facebook Help Center.

Facebook can be a valuable business tool without disrupting our personal space. I go into Facebook several times every day, so there are business things I just prefer to read on Facebook. And I do enjoy being connected to my friends and colleagues there.

Think about blending a little business and personal on Facebook. You might decide that you like it.