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Encore Careers – Part Four: Journal Your Experience

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Garden path as a metaphor for encore careers path

One of the takeaways I’ve tried to stress in this series about encore careers is that it is a path or process that takes time.

Whenever I’m working on a long-term process, I like to think about journaling as a way to keep track of my thoughts. Consider creating an encore career journal to help you document your decisions, skills, and future plans. Here are five things about journals to keep in mind:

  1. Pick a format that suits you. The great thing about journals today is that they can be paper or electronic. Use whatever works best for you. Personally, I love paper and like the idea of rereading my comments. It can help me make decisions. A Bullet Journal might be perfect for the task.
  2. Dedicate it to a single idea. If you already journal, then you might want to create a separate journal focused on unretirement or encore careers. That way all of your thoughts and ideas are in a single place. For a few years, I kept a secret board on Pinterest focused on “unretirement”.
  3. Stuff articles and reminders in them. This is kinda related to the last point. Whether you read an article online or via a paper magazine, you can cut/paste them into your journal. If you’re a visual person, you could create a vision board focused on your unretirement journey or encore career.
  4. Be flexible with your schedule. Because I suspect developing your encore career plan is going to take some time, a journal allows you to set it to the side when life gets busy and pick it up later. The important part is not to forget about it. That might be one advantage to a paper journal, it could stare back at you.
  5. Allow it to help you. What I mean by that is give yourself permission to not know everything. Your unretirement and encore career is a journey. Write down your thoughts and let them sit there. You don’t have to take action right away. At some point, you might want to share your journal with a family member or a retirement coach. 

Journals are an effective way to document your ideas, thoughts, and feelings about a subject. They give you time to think things through and organize information. Your retirement is one of the most important things you will do. It deserves a little planning. You’re never too young to start. 

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm in Maui, HI

What We Are UP To in June 2019

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June

Disclosure: Occasionally we receive free products for review or include advertising links in posts, but no one impacts the honesty of our opinions. 

Watching| Rocketman

> I’m a big Elton John fan (Keith not as much) but we both enjoyed Rocketman that was released earlier in June. Especially seeing the concert scenes on the big screen. Not going to give away any spoilers except to say that the movie focuses a bit more on the person versus the music. At least that was my takeaway. Oh, and lead actor Taron Egerton really sings Elton’s hits. 

Reading| How to Live Forever

> Currently, the most popular post on Unretirement Project is “3 Ways You May Contribute to Your Own Ageism”. If you haven’t read the post, I hope you will. One of the things we discuss in the post is networking across generations. Marc Freedman’s Book “How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations” is an in-depth look at what people – at every age – are doing to stay connected and learn from each other. 

Remembering| Gummies

> Remember gummy bears? I used to love eating them as a kid. Well, I’m happy to say that adult gummies are a thing. In June, I discovered a retailer called Sugarfina that makes adult gummies including flavors like Moscow Mule, Margarita, and Pale Ale. Oh, and if you want something caffeinated…cold brew gummies! I love snacks when I travel, and this is just the kind of little indulgence I could get used to.

Working On| The Perfect Eat Out

> I do not like to waste food. Whenever Keith and I go on long trips together, we try to leave our refrigerator as close to empty as possible. So, we do something called the perfect eat out (aka the PEO). It’s kinda fun to come up with meals just pulling from what’s in the fridge. Our meals for the first couple of days are fine then it starts to get a little weird. LOL! Anyway, with a move coming up to our forever home, we’re in serious PEO mode…and it’s getting weird.  

Feeling| Unsettled

> It’s probably because the move we’ve been waiting for is coming up, but it’s hard to feel settled right now. It might also be because we splurged on a rug during Wayfair’s Memorial Day sales and it’s rolled up in the middle of our living room. Kinda feels like we’re living in a warehouse. Ha.Ha. But for those of you who’ve been in this place before – and I know some of you have – it’s very unsettling. 

Planning| Erin Condren’s Life Planner

> I know, it’s hard to believe how fast time flies. I’m already talking with people about 2020 so June is time to find a planner. For next year, I’ve purchased an Erin Condren Life Planner. I really like how I can customize the cover, pages, etc. to suit my needs. 

Loving| Dr. Bronner’s Soaps

> I’ve mentioned before how we’re trying to pay more attention to our skincare routine. I’m not sure how I didn’t know about this company, since Dr. Bronner’s has been in business since the 1940’s. We purchased a couple of organic shower soaps and have been very impressed so far. 

Geeking| Orion Ascent Abort Test

> Keith and I have been approved to attend NASA’s Orion Ascent Abort 2 (AA-2) Test from Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). All our years living in Florida and we’ve never been to Kennedy Space Center together. We are super excited! The Orion test will demonstrate that the Launch Abort System can safely send the space capsule a safe distance from a failing rocket if an emergency arises during ascent to orbit. 

What’s UP with you in June?

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby after speaking at the Flora Icelandic HR Management Conference in Reykjavik, Iceland

Retirement Planning: 5 Reasons to Have a Stop Working Date

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There’s an excellent read over on the Considerable blog titled, “How long will you be able to work?” Regardless of your current age, one of the questions that individuals should ask themselves is, “When would I like to stop working?” Picking a possible retirement date – and I do mean possible – allows individuals to have a starting point in their retirement planning. And that planning date is important for several reasons:

  1. Think about a Plan B just in case you need to retire before the date you’ve chosen. Let’s say you’ve decided to stop working at age 70. But something happens when you’re 65 and you might need to retire sooner. I hear stories of individuals retiring early to care for their health or the health of a family member. What does a Plan B look like? And can you kick it into gear should you need it?
  2. Consider having two dates: a part-time date and a full-time one. Instead of going from fully employed to fully retired, does it make sense to think about a phased strategy? You could transition to part-time at 65 and then fully retire at 70. Of course, I’m just throwing out ages here. You have to decide what makes sense for you. This could also make a lot of sense when trying to coordinate your retirement and your spouse or partner.
  3. Use a retirement date to map out the transition to an encore career. I know several people in their 40s who work insane hours and travel a lot. They love their lifestyle right now but at some point, want to find a different pace of work. Selecting a retirement date (or dates as in #2) could help with planning an encore or second career. Especially if that next career involves getting some additional education or a certification.  
  4. Reflect on how your retirement date impacts savings and spending. It goes without saying – but I’ll say it anyway, our decision to slow down or stop working impacts our finances. When retirement planning, we do have to think about how the bills will get paid and we can maintain our lifestyle. In fact, we might want to consider making some lifestyle decisions well in advance, so we can get used to them.
  5. Get yourself mentally ready for a change. I’ve always been a person who needs a full-plate of activity. I am getting myself ready for retirement to be a major change. It’s one of the reasons we started this blog. As you think about an approaching retirement date, ask yourself if you’re ready. Do you need to think about starting a hobby? I’m not joking. I do believe many people retire without a plan and get bored.

It’s very easy to simply pick the government’s age for collecting Social Security as your retirement date. But if I had a dollar for every person who turned 62 or 65 and said, “I’m not ready yet.” I would be retired right now. LOL! No one is holding you to that date. It’s simply a placeholder for planning.

And retirement planning is important.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby somewhere in North Carolina

Encore Careers – Part Three: Using Volunteerism to Find Your Dream Job

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In this series about encore careers, we’ve talked about why we should consider an encore career as part of our unretirement and how to figure out the right encore career. So, we have a game plan. Today, we’ll start talking about the task of finding it.

I was going to say finding your encore career is the hard part, but I’m not sure it is. I can’t help but wonder if figuring out what we want to do later in life is the hardest part. My guess is for the majority of us, we identify with our career. Changing to a different career or even going from full-time to part-time in the same job could be hard. 

It could be said that finding our dream encore career is challenging because job hunting in general is hard. And that’s true. But there are a few things we can do to keep our job search skills fresh.

Don’t stop thinking about networking and job search. Until you are 100 percent, completely and absolutely convinced you will never need to look for a job again, you should always have job search in the back of your mind. You should continuously build a network. As a human resources professional, I am amazed at the people (of all ages) who  find themselves looking for a new job, struggle finding something because they don’t have a network, swear that they’re never going fall into bad networking habits again, and as soon as they land a new position…they stop networking. 

Take some classes. Especially around the use of technology. AARP is regularly offering job-search webinars for older workers. And they’re recorded so you don’t have to listen to them live if you have a scheduling conflict. If you’ve never tuned into one of these sessions, it will only take you a few moments to realize that being a lifelong learner and keeping your skills current is going to be key in getting an encore opportunity. 

Get a retirement career coach. When we first started this blog, I interviewed Hannah Morgan (aka Career Sherpa) about getting a retirement career coach. This is a great opportunity to work with someone on developing an encore career that you will find rewarding. If you don’t have the budget for a coach right now, start reading some career related blogs that might offer some preliminary insights. 

Which leads me to my last point and the subject of today’s post – volunteerism. One of the best ways to learn about different careers, gain new skills, and show off the skills you currently have is volunteering. Lots of organizations want volunteers and they rely on them to help their operation. But, even with volunteerism, you have to be patient. You can’t just show up and expect the entire organization to give you whatever you ask for. If your strategy is to get involved with a non-profit in the hopes that you can get a job there, you have to think short- and long- term. 

Start getting to know non-profits in your area. Find out what they do, how they get their funding, who’s on their board, etc. etc. You want to work with a non-profit that aligns with your values, has solid funding, and a respectable, ethical board of directors. 

Apply for a volunteer role. Consider this to be the best job interview you could ever have. See how the non-profit treats volunteers. The volunteer experience will give you some sense of what working there will be like. See how they manage the organization. 

Talk with management about goals. Once you know that you’re happy with the organization and the people associated with it, then consider setting up a time to talk about transitioning into an employee role. You don’t have to rush this conversation. 

Becoming a volunteer is great for organizations and good for you. It can also be a source for your encore career. But it takes time to find the right non-profit and build the relationships. The good news is that you know what to do. You’ve been networking, interviewing, and doing job research your entire career. Use those skills to create the encore career of your dreams. 

What We Are UP To in May 2019

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Watching| Marvel Cinematic Universe           

> In anticipation of Avengers: Endgame, we’ve watched Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1. I won’t give away any spoilers, but IMHO, Endgame lived up to the hype. We’re going to see Endgame a second time in May on the big screen. The only other movie I’ve ever seen on the big screen more than once is the Rocky Horror Picture Show. 

Reading| Older, Wiser, Shorter

> A huge thank you to Jane Seskin for sending me her book of poems about the journey to seniorhood. “Older, Wiser, Shorter: An Emotional Road Trip to Membership in the Senior Class” definitely lives up to it’s title. The topics range from Meditation and Memories to Chores and Conscious. It’s an easy read that many will identify with.

Remembering| Old Music

> No offense against today’s music scene, but I’ve noticed a growing number of public places (like bars, restaurants, conferences, etc.) playing older music from the 70’s and 80’s. I’m certainly not upset by it. I grew up with the music. It’s been fun reconnecting with old tunes. The only downside is I’m downloading quite a bit of it. LOL!

Working On| Cast-iron Skillet Pizza

> While we’ve been living in the rental house, one of the things Keith and I miss is pizza. In South Florida, we had perfected making pizza at home on our gas grill. When we arrived in Gainesville, we put the grill in storage thinking we can live without pizza for a couple of months. Well, a couple of months turned into a year and we miss pizza. I don’t hate restaurant pizza, but it’s not the same. The other night, we saw a new episode of Rachael Ray’s 30-minute meals and she made cast-iron skillet pizza. Now, we are very excited about trying this!

Feeling| Health-Focused

> In particular, we’re focused on healthy skin. It’s amazing how this little UV skin tracker I mentioned to you a couple of months ago makes you hyper-focused on wearing sunscreen, moisturizing, and keeping your skin in tip top shape. While Keith isn’t wearing the UV tracker, he’s always asking me what the scans say because his skin is being equally exposed. We are also focusing this May on mineral-based sunscreens because they aren’t absorbed into the skin like chemical screens and they are more environmentally friendly.

Planning| Another move!

> It’s hard to believe that our home in Gainesville will be finished soon and we will be moving into our forever home. This has been the longest house building project ever and we can’t wait for it to be completed. While we’re happy that we took the leap and moved up before the house was completed, it will still be nice when we’re settled.

Loving|Thai Coconut Peanut M&Ms

> I’m a sucker for seasonal food flavors that come out – pumpkin spice, eggnog, etc. Recently, M&Ms came out with a handful of seasonal flavors including jalapeño and toffee. But the real winner was Thai Coconut Peanut. Part of me would love to see this as a regular flavor and the other part of me is hoping they leave the shelves as quickly as possible (if you know what I mean). They really are that good! 

Geeking| Our first “Con”

> There are many meanings for the word “con”, but in this case, I’m referring to a fan convention. Probably the most famous is San Diego Comic-Con. No, we’re not going to that one. MegaCon is nearby in Orlando in mid-May so we’ve decided to see if we’re “con” people. It should be fun. 

What’s UP with you this May?

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami, FL

Encore Careers: 4 Ways to Find a Thriving One

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dream job, encore careers, never tire, careers

In a recent AARP Bulletin, they published a list of the “99 Ways to Add Healthy Years to Your Life”. Number 83 caught my attention. It was “Don’t cling to a dying profession.” 

We’ve been talking about encore careers here at Unretirement Project. One of the things to consider as you’re thinking about an encore career is what the jobs of the future might look like. Here are a few recent articles that you might find interesting.

The fastest-growing job in the US is expected to grow 105% by 2026—here are the other 19.

The 20 Fastest Growing Jobs in America—And How Much They Pay.

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fastest Growing Occupations

These types of lists can be used to identify a potential encore career. It’s possible that you have many of the transferrable skills that would make a shift logical and easy. Or you might see something completely different that looks interesting and exciting, so you can go to school and get the necessary skills. Either way, these lists serve a purpose. That being said, there are bigger messages here. 

  1. We should be regularly evaluating our career possibilities. Whether you’re 30, 40, 50, or older.The last thing you want to hear is that your long-term career potential is dwindling. These lists might offer some insight about your current career that would be helpful. And of course, your current career could have an impact on the decisions you make about an encore career.
  2. Career choices involve decisions about knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs).It’s important to keep the KSAs for your current job relevant. It’s also important to think about the KSAs you’ll need in the future. I cannot emphasize enough the need to embrace lifelong learning. Not only is it good for your mental health, but it’s good for your career and encore career. 
  3. Figure out how you like to learn and what you need to learn.The conversation about KSAs and being a lifelong learner is really about self-learning. As we start to think about our unretirement and retirement, we need to think about how we will continue to learn. There won’t be any more corporate training programs. Or vendor sponsored webinars. Our learning will come in different forms. But it will start with us personally. 
  4. Today’s hot jobs might be lukewarm tomorrow. While lists of growing occupations can be helpful, we must be careful when it comes to taking these lists as the only truth. If today’s fast-paced, technology-driven business world has taught me anything, it’s that today’s bright shiny concept could be a dud tomorrow. As you’re looking at your future career, make sure you’re not trading one dying career for another.

There are many factors that go into the encore career decision including what we like, what we’re capable of doing, how much money the job pays, etc. One important factor is the future for that role. Will it be around in a decade? Researching industries and occupations can help us find an encore career that’s growing and thriving. 

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Disneyland and San Francisco, CA

5 Activities to Avoid Becoming the Indoor Generation

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indoor, indoor room, indoor office, indoor generation, retirement, Unretirement

I heard a term recently that fascinates me – the “Indoor Generation”. As the name implies, it’s a label for people who spend most of their time indoors. They’ve figured out how to do as many things as possible without leaving the house. 

I totally get it. We can do our shopping on our home computers or mobile devices. We can order food, and have it delivered to our home. We can talk with a doctor via webcam. Keith and I are building a house and we talk about it being both the place we work and our sanctuary. I can absolutely see how the term came into existence. 

The indoor generation is also a term that defies age. I see young people who spend a lot of time inside – maybe reading or watching television and playing video games. But for today’s post, I want to talk about the indoor generation in the context of getting older.

In a study sponsored by Velux, it’s been found that there are health risks to being indoors all the time. We need sunlight as part of our wellness. The research found that daylight can improve learning abilities up to 15 percent. We need fresh air for our health. Living in damp or moldy homes increases our risk of asthma by 40 percent. And a lack of sunlight impacts our general wellbeing. According to the research, a lack of daylight makes 15 percent of us sad. 

So, what’s the answer. Well, it’s easy just to say get out more. But the reality is, going outside needs to feel good. Otherwise it will be a chore and we won’t get the desired benefit. Here are five things that might help us get outside more:

  1. Talk and walk. I’m going to mention this one first since it’s the most obvious. Find time to take a walk. Keith and I have what we call walking meetings. Instead of sitting inside the house to talk about stuff, we take a short walk. It’s good for us and we can still have a productive conversation.
  2. Take up an outdoor activity. People laugh when we mention that we play Pokémon GO. But it gets us out of the house every single day. We also discovered a nearby botanical garden that has lots of Pokémon Gyms and PokeStops. So, we purchased an annual membership. We get to see the gardens and play at the same time. 
  3. Build outdoor time into our daily routine. One of the things we’re looking forward to in our new home is drinking our morning beverages outside. It doesn’t seem like a lot, and it’s not, but it’s a few more minutes outside. 
  4. Turn outdoor chores into something worth looking forward to. This is totally not me, but Keith loves working in the garden. And he enjoys mowing the lawn. Once a year, I’ve been known to assist with mulching (well, maybe). My point is, find a way to turn being outdoors into something more than drudgery. 
  5. And finally, if all those ideas don’t work, try to bring some plants and sunlight into your home. We’ve discovered that we enjoy having live plants in our home. And dark walls might be on trend, but they make the house dark. So, we’re opting for lighter colors.

As we age, it can be very easy to shift our routines, so we spend more time inside and less outdoors. It could have a negative impact on the way we feel. Maybe we just need to change what we do outdoors. Find new activities that fit more with our unretirement lifestyle. 

Image created by Sharlyn Lauby