Sharlyn Lauby, Author at Unretirement Project

What We Are UP To: Researching Edition

April 7, 2021 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

As vaccine eligibility continues to expand, we find ourselves researching about vaccines and what we can do once we (finally!) get the vaccine. It’s exciting because it means we might be able to be more mobile by summer. But it’s also important to be careful. There’s so much information! And it’s changing on a regular basis. That’s not bad. As we learn more about COVID, we can and should expect new guidance. However, as we’re researching, we are trying to find some time for fun.

Feeling | Hopeful

> I’m sure that we’re not alone that we get closer to receiving the vaccine, we’re getting more hopeful about the things we might be able to do. Like eat in a restaurant. Or travel. It’s nice to be talking about plans for the future.

Watching | Sherlock

> We started watching this BBC television show starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman years ago, but we hadn’t seen Season 4. So, we watched the entire series from start to date. It was great! Love the way that Holmes and Watson go about researching their cases.

Reading | About Medicare

> I’ve listened to some webinars about Medicare before, but it’s time for us to start researching in-depth about what options are available. And what might be best for our situation. I found an older book called (don’t laugh) “Medicare for Dummies”. The book does a good job of explaining the complexities of Medicare in casual conversational language. I’m only a few chapters in and can tell it’s going to take some time to digest all of this.

Working On | Air Fryer Recipes

> When we lived in South Florida, one of the food items that we were able to regularly enjoy were guava and cheese pastelitos. Living in North Florida, we haven’t really been able to find them, so we’ve decided to try to make them at home. I’ve been researching recipes that will allow me to use our air fryer. Wish us luck! I’m confident they will not be as good as the ones we had in South Florida, but hopefully they will be good enough.

Loving | Everlane

> I have been researching a clothing company called Everlane for quite some time. They’re known for selling basic pieces like jeans, t-shirts, etc. You know, the pieces that all of us probably have in our closet. What attracted me to them is that they partner with ethical factories around the globe, and they disclose the actual cost of every item. I bought a couple of items recently and am impressed with the quality.

Geeking | WandaVision

> We are really looking forward to the Disney+ series WandaVision. That being said, we’re also getting ready for all of the research we’re going to have to do after each episode. LOL! To get us reacquainted with the Scarlett Witch, we’ve planned an Avengers movie marathon.

Planning | Re-entry

> While staying at home has been hard, I do wonder if starting to do things again will be even harder. We’re calling it our “re-entry”. ha.ha. What can we do? What should wait a little longer? We’ve been spending time discussing our comfort level for certain activities. Honestly, I don’t know that we will simply start doing all the things we’ve done prior to COVID.

Remembering | 2020

> As much as we’re looking forward to vaccines and everything that we’ll be able to do this summer, we’re also reminded of the pain and hurt that COVID has caused. This virus isn’t going to go away overnight, and we need to remember that masks, hand washing, and distancing are still important. They will be for some time.

What’s UP with you? Stay safe!

Consider Having a Side Hustle In Your Unretirement

March 31, 2021 by Sharlyn Lauby 2 Comments

airport sign showing that forward thinkers consider a side hustle in retirement

A key aspect to unretirement is work. When we think of being retired, we think of “not working”. Many individuals are finding that they like work. They like the challenge of work. They like the camaraderie of work. And they even like the financial rewards of work.

But that doesn’t mean that our work has to remain the same.

It might make sense to transition from full-time to part-time. Or maybe have an encore career, also referred to as a second career. You could also have a portfolio career, where you do a few smaller jobs instead of one big one. Then of course, there’s the option of being a freelancer, contractor, or consultant (aka creating a side hustle as part of the gig economy).

The reason I’m bringing this up is because I just read an article on The Hustle that LinkedIn is building a gig marketplace. The idea is that the “Marketplace” will be similar to Fiverr and Upwork, which are sites that host freelance work. If having a side hustle is part of your unretirement strategy, then it could make some sense to watch what LinkedIn is doing. Here are also a few other things to consider.

Keep your LinkedIn profile current. Most of us do not have career events happen that justify changing our LinkedIn profile on a weekly or monthly basis. But that doesn’t mean you can simply set it and forget it. Make a note to yourself to check your LinkedIn profile every six months or so to ensure it looks the way you want it to. If you feel your profile needs a good overhaul, Hannah Morgan (aka Career Sherpa) has a reasonably priced LinkedIn eGuide that can help.

Start posting news and paying attention to others. With your LinkedIn profile in order, now it’s time to start creating engagement. You can do that by posting articles of interest, giving endorsements, and writing recommendations. You can also do it by commenting on other people’s posts. It’s not hard, but it does take having a plan. If you’re thinking about a side hustle in unretirement, then you need for others to remember you. Being engaged helps people remember you.

Think about how you would display your side hustle on your profile. Lots of people have a side hustle. This isn’t anything to hide. What you have to do is find a way to share it so it looks cohesive with the rest of your profile. A few years ago, an HR Bartender reader asked about displaying side hustles on their resume and LinkedIn. A couple of recruiters shared their thoughts. Check it out when you have a moment. It might give you some creative inspiration on how to let others know about your side hustle.

Test drive the Marketplace feature. As I mentioned earlier, LinkedIn’s new feature will resemble other freelance marketplaces. At some point, you will want to test out these sites to see how they work. You’ll want to know their terms and conditions. Are there any other things you will need to create to participate (like a PayPal or Venmo account). You’ll also want to see if others are doing the same type of work you’re doing. On one hand that can be a good thing – because the site might have a reputation or attracting customers looking for a specific product or service. It could also be a negative if there’s too much competition.

Set a date to evaluate your progress. I’m thinking of this activity as a way to learn more about side hustles. I do believe the best time to do that is when you’re still employed. The goal isn’t to start working two jobs, although you might find that adding the side gig now makes perfect sense. Just be prepared to regularly look at the effort you’re putting into your freelance work and the return you’re getting from it.

Freelancing work is a common way to transition from regular full-time status. It offers individuals freedom and some income. But make no mistake freelancing doesn’t just happen. It takes time to build a side hustle. If you’re thinking this might be for you, try it out before you need to make a final decision.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, GA

Create Opportunities to Get More Comfortable with Technology

March 24, 2021 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

shirt print about technology technically awesome

I’ve seen several headlines recently about seniors who are frustrated because they can’t get COVID-19 vaccine appointments. Because the majority of places offering appointments are doing so online.

I realize that it won’t eliminate the frustration, but I’d like to think that everyone realizes the reason that county health departments and retailers are using online technologies to schedule vaccine appointments is because its faster. Individuals can schedule their appointments at their convenience. The scheduling process involves fewer people, which allows those people to focus on the task of putting shots in arms. Which is what we all want.

In an article on The Verge, I learned that only about half of individuals age 75 plus use the internet. Of course, not using or having access to the internet is not only frustrating for older individuals, but for organizations. In a study from McKinsey & Company, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated technology advancements seven years. Think about that. The McKinsey study is saying that we’ve put seven years of technological advancements in the past year alone.

While I understand that having access to technology is an equally important issue, we’re going to save that conversation for another day. Individuals need to figure out how to get more comfortable using technology. It’s not about age. It’s about being able to get the things that you need and want using the technology that is available.

Using Social Media in Unretirement: 5 Day Plans

Social media isn’t just some fad. It continues to grow as a communication medium, connecting business and personal brands with a vast global network. Whatever your goals, you can scale your social media activity up or down. Right now, we’re really experiencing the value of connection. Learn how to carry that forward into your own retirement and unretirement.

How to Become More Media Literate

As much as technology and social media have enriched our lives, those tools have also created challenges in being media literate. Each of us has been susceptible to misinformation on the internet. My guess is that won’t be ending anytime soon. This isn’t something to be ashamed or embarrassed about. Even professional journalists have had it happen. And the answer isn’t to stop using the internet. It’s to get better about questioning what we read and see.

Healthy Aging is Trendy Thanks to Global Shift

For the first time globally in 2018, the number of people over 65 has surpassed those under 5 and that number has only grown since. The healthy aging trend has not been lost on Madison Avenue and other leading marketers throughout the globe. As a result, many brands are viewing seniors as a prized demographic. They are expanding their product offerings along with their marketing budgets to reach the over-65 consumer. And even a few brands that target a much younger audience are developing new product lines with healthy aging in mind.

Smart Home Technology Helps Aging in Place

You don’t need to get a degree in engineering to become proficient with smart home technologies. But for all of those people who might be saying, “Ah, who needs the internet?!” keep in mind that smart homes are the wave of the future. It’s what people want. And it’s what companies are making. At some point, it is possible that all we might be able to buy are smart home technologies. No one wants to age behind a steep learning curve.

Organizations have the ability to create wonderful, valuable products and services for the aging population. My prediction is that many of those products and services will involve technology. Our ability to use technology could have a significant impact on our aging and retirement. It would be better to learn more about technology when you can do it comfortably at your own pace.

What We Are UP To – The Waiting Edition

March 10, 2021 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

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

One of the little factoids you might not know about Gainesville, Florida is that it’s the birthplace of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Tom Petty. I can’t help but think of his song “The Waiting” as we are all “waiting” our turn for COVID-19 vaccines. See what I did there – ha.ha. Seriously, while we’ve been waiting, we’ve found a few things to keep us busy.

Watching | History of Swear Words

> I understand there are many studies that say people who use swear words are more intelligent and creative. My use of swear words is mostly limited to when I slam my fingers in drawers (as in “Oh, S***!) But we do like Nicolas Cage, so we were anxiously waiting for this Netflix series. It’s fun and there are great history lessons from etymologists about the origins and evolution of swear words.

Reading | Books About Cosy/Cozy

> To help me enjoy my waiting time (and because it’s a little chilly outside), I’ve been reading books focused on the art of comfort. My list includes “Cosy: The British Art of Comfort” and “The Cozy Life: Rediscover the Joy of Simple Things Through the Danish Concept of Hygge”. My big takeaway from them is to define your own cosy/cozy. It might take some time to figure it out. And we also have to learn how to be respectful of other people’s cosy/cozy.

Remembering | Our most popular post

> We were wondering the other day about the most popular content on Unretirement Project. Interestingly, it’s a post from 2019 titled “3 Ways You May Contribute to Your Own Ageism”. There are some great reminders in it about not sitting around waiting to get old and making your own decisions on how you want to age.

Working On | Taking Pictures

> One of the things we miss about traveling is taking pictures. We love street art and it’s fun to walk around cities and capture their essence through street art. We’ve decided that we haven’t been fair enough to Gainesville and, instead of waiting to take pictures of other cities, we’re going to take more local images. Our city has installed a new social justice murals project that we want to check out.

Feeling | Hopeful

> We’re very encouraged by the positive vaccine news. We know that we still have several weeks – possibly months – of waiting until we’re able to get the vaccine. It’s nice to know the process is moving in the right direction. We can’t let our guard down. In the meantime, we have started double masking.

Planning | Of course, vaccines!

> While we’re waiting, I’m finding it very helpful to start bookmarking the websites of places that will be offering the vaccine in our area. Even though we’re not in the eligible category yet, this allows us to see how the website works and what information we might need to have handy at the point we are eligible. You might find it helpful to prepare in advance so you’re ready when it’s time.

Loving | Ghee

> We’ve been watching some cooking shows lately and they’ve mentioned Indian clarified butter or ghee. We found some at the grocery and decided to give it a try. Our first attempt was using it to sauté some gnocchi. OMGosh…so good!

Geeking | LEGO Bonsai Tree

> I love bonsai trees, but they do not love me. I’ve had more than my fair share perish. Keith absolutely refuses to buy anymore. However, he did buy me one that I can’t destroy. LEGO has created a botanical collection including a bonsai tree. It’s beautiful! They also have a bouquet kit that I’ve got my eye on.

What’s UP with you? We hope you’re safe and well.

Older Workers Should Think About Their Short and Long Term Career Plans

March 3, 2021 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

It’s no surprise that older members of the workforce are being negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article from PBS News Hour, older workers are faced with two huge challenges when it comes to work and the pandemic. First, there’s the science that says older persons are a higher risk of exposure to the virus. Second, older workers are finding it hard to land new opportunities in today’s labor market.

I wish I could say this is going to change once we all get vaccines, but I don’t know if that’s true. There are still many unknowns regarding our economic recovery and the longer-term impacts of the virus. But one thing is certain. Older workers should be thinking about both their short- and long-term career plans.

Always having a “Plan B” where your career is concerned is a good idea. There’s no rule that says you have to use it. It just makes good sense to think about the career options you might be willing to explore if circumstances warrant. It allows you to stay in control of your professional career.

If you’re looking for a place to start thinking about your future career options, here are a handful of articles that might help.

Encore Careers: What They Are and Why You Might Want One

As we’re thinking about our retirement (and unretirement), one option that’s available to us is an encore career. It’s defined as a job or career that happens later in life to provide both purpose and money. According to Encore.org, some of the most promising fields for encore careers are in the non-profit sector, management services, and services for aging persons. Currently, the older generation is also the largest freelancing group.

How to Apply Your Transferable Skills Toward an Encore Career

An Unretirement Project reader asked about how to “take the skills we’ve honed to a razor’s edge during our regular career and apply them to something completely new.” It’s a very valid point. As we start considering our future career options, we need to be able to identify and sell the transferable job skills we’ve acquired throughout our professional lives.

Portfolio Career: An Alternative to Encore Career

A portfolio career is where someone works many part-time jobs instead of one full-time job. For example, an accountant might sell insurance and do tax preparation. It’s the idea of having several smaller jobs that a person can work on at the same time. This might not be optimal for everyone. But for some, this could be exactly the flexible work arrangement you’re looking for.

Even if you’re not planning a transition to an encore or portfolio career, it’s important to keep your skills relevant. That means finding ways to keep your business acumen current and possibly exposing yourself to new experiences via volunteerism.

Business Acumen: 6 Ways to Improve Yours

It should come as no surprise that one of the biggest competencies that organizations expect from employees is business acumen. It’s important to know the business, be able to talk about it, and make decisions to help the business grow. But honestly, it’s hard to develop business acumen. Oh sure, a lot of people throw business buzzwords around like “growth mindset” and “blue ocean strategy” but do they really know everything those terms mean? In today’s business world, new concepts are being developed all the time. It’s a challenge to stay current, especially when your plate is already full of work.

Now May Be the Best Time to Volunteer – Or Not

We know that, for many, workplace unrest, furloughs and layoffs have upended retirement planning. Volunteering may not be an option when your focus is on an interim job or your next opportunity. However, a volunteer role may provide experience, new skills, or connections that could lead to a new job. Something to keep in mind. For others, volunteering can be a rewarding way to support others and the causes that really matter. Use your spare time to find something that matches your interests and skills. And if volunteering is still a few months or years away, no problem. You can do the groundwork now to find what’s best for you.

Remember that old saying, “The best time to look for a job is when you have one.”? Well, it’s possible that won’t always apply. We weren’t able to predict a pandemic and its recovery. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t always have a career plan.

A career plan allows us to see the possibilities. We can act on them if we want to or need to. A career plan can allow us to be in control of our career, which is so incredibly important. As we think about retirement, be able to control how and when your career ends on your own terms.

Aging Doesn’t Have to Lead to Ageism

February 24, 2021 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

wall sign with phrase oh the places you will go speaking out against ageism

Age discrimination, or ageism, remains an issue for employees. According to a study from Hiscox, the number of age-related discrimination charges filed by workers over age 65 doubled in the past decade. I wish I could say that there was some magic solution but unfortunately, I don’t have the answer.

What I can say is that when you look at employer defenses in age discrimination claims, many of them mention that the employee’s skills were out of date and they lacked creativity and curiosity. Don’t misunderstand my comment. I’m not saying these employers have a valid argument. I don’t know the specifics. But as someone who reads about discrimination cases, I do find this an interesting trend.

On the flip side, when I talk to older workers who have been fired or laid off, they always respond that it’s because of their age. It couldn’t possibly be for any other reason like violating a rule or the person’s position becoming redundant or the business not doing well financially. Again, I don’t know the specifics of the employee’s departure, but the trend is interesting.

One of the things that both employees and employers should realize is that aging is inevitable, and aging doesn’t have to lead to ageism.

Forget the Term “Boomers” and Get Ready for the Young Old

“Young Old” (aka YOLD) individuals are working longer, staying healthier, and represent a significant consumer market. This should not be a surprise to anyone. Regardless of the unemployment rate, organizations need the best talent and YOLD individuals are willing to work a few more years because they want to, and they can save up a few extra dollars. The time to think about how you want to spend your YOLD years is now. Because you want to spend them your way.

3 Ways You May Contribute to Your Own Ageism

Regardless of your physical age, if you act like the stereotype then people will assume you are one. As we age, we have some decisions to make and one of the biggest is deciding how we will accept aging. If we want others to see us as contributors, then we need to act like it. Please notice I didn’t say we need to act “young”. People need to accept our age for what it is. But that doesn’t mean we’re not able to bring value. We need to send the message and demonstrate that we can.

While I can’t control what others do or say, these two articles remind me that I have some control over my aging journey. I can still enjoy nostalgia and also explore new things.

In addition, we recently published an article about “Healthy Aging is Trendy Thanks to Global Shift”. Demographics are changing the way marketers look at older persons. This could have a huge impact on the way aging is viewed.

Hopefully, the shift in demographics and our own views about aging will create a much needed shift in perceptions about ageism.

Retirement Planning: It’s About More Than Just Not Working Anymore

February 17, 2021 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

wall art everything is figuroutable like retirement planning

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing older workers to examine their job options. In an article on CNN.com, an economist mentions that young workers’ participation in the labor force has almost fully recovered, while older workers and women are recovering more slowly. I’m sure this has prompted individuals to say to themselves, “Am I ready for retirement?”.

Making the decision to retire involves more than simply deciding not to work anymore. It includes financial planning (Do I have enough money?), healthcare planning (Can I take care of my medical needs?), and emotional planning (Am I emotionally ready?). Over the past year, we’ve written about some of these topics and we thought it might be helpful to have them as a reference in one place.

Retirement Planning: 5 Reasons to Have a Stop Working Date

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.

Retirement Success: We Need to Learn About Happiness

Happiness means knowing what will make us happy. In our retirement life, we will often have to deal with trade-offs. For example, we can travel often but our accommodations might be economy. Versus traveling less but more luxuriously. Or we can retire earlier but it means downsizing and paying off a mortgage. Or we can work longer, but it means becoming a freelancer or contractor without corporate healthcare insurance. For us to make good decisions, we need to truly understand what makes us happy.

5 Ways We Can Bridge Our Retirement Gap

Statistically, we know that people are living longer. The challenge is that we’re not financially preparing to live longer. The financial shortfall between how much we need for retirement and how much we have has been labeled “the retirement gap”. The retirement gap is a global retirement planning issue and it’s growing, especially in the United States. The bottom-line is that individuals need to prepare for retirement because Social Security wasn’t designed to cover 100% of our retirement expenses.

Is It Possible to Flunk Retirement

In today’s business world, we appear to be much more accepting of failure than ever. Billionaires like Sir Richard Branson and Spanx founder Sara Blakely remind us that it’s okay to make mistakes. But I can see how people could feel different about flunking at 20 than flunking at 60. We have to view our unretirement and retirement as a journey. A journey that starts early in life. Will there be stumbling blocks and changes along the way? Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean we’ve flunked life or our retirement. It does mean that we need to find ways to adjust.

The Pros and Cons of Being a One Car Household

One of the things to consider in retirement planning is transportation as in, “How much do you want to drive?” The answer might prompt you to take some action like moving from the suburbs to a more walkable community. Or maybe downsize vehicles to something smaller and/or more fuel efficient. Or you might do what we did and simply become a one-car household.

Should You Keep “To-Do” Lists After You Retire

As a person who likes to plan, I make lists. Granted, all of my lists aren’t created equal. For example, I plan our meals using lists. It helps us save money on groceries and we don’t waste food. I also have a list of small tasks that I need to complete during the day like “buy tickets to see Bohemian Rhapsody on Friday”. I can’t imagine when I retire that I would stop making those types of lists.

Regardless of where you are in your retirement planning process, making sure to think about all of the aspects involved in retirement is important. I’d like to think that anyone considering retirement wants to know they’re as ready as they can possibly be for the future.