unretirement Archives – Unretirement Project

Inspiration: The Best Thing To Do With Success Lists

December 12, 2018 by Keith Lauby Leave a 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.

Do Not Be a Pest In Your Job Search, Do This Instead

December 5, 2018 by Sharlyn Lauby 1 Comment

I recently ran across an article on the site Career Pivot about following up to get a job. There was a sentence in the post that said, “If you want to get the attention of a prospective employer, you may very well have to be a pest, a nice persistent pest but a pest none the less.” I get it and I completely understand why Career Pivot wrote it. Candidates want the job. So, they’re anxious and excited.

As a human resources professional, let me offer some advice. Don’t be a pest. Not even a “nice pest”. What you do want to do is be effective, efficient, and a good communicator in your job search. You want to follow-up and try to connect. But do not be a pest.

That being said, how do you follow-up and not step over the line to “pest” status? Well, here are a few considerations.

Remember the goal of job search. I worked for an outplacement firm many years ago and we always told candidates the goal of a job search was to receive multiple offers. The key word being “multiple”. That means job seekers should be constantly working leads – multiple leads – in the hopes there will be multiple offers. I’m bringing this up because…

Don’t put all of your efforts in one basket. If the goal is to get multiple offers, then candidates shouldn’t be focused on one company or one job. Yes, I’m sure there are jobs that you really like. But if a company isn’t responding, there are other opportunities available. Especially in today’s job market with record low unemployment.

When you go to an interview, find out next steps. Then follow them. I tell recruiters that a candidate should never leave an interview not knowing 1) when the company is going to make a decision and 2) who to contact with follow-up questions. If the recruiter doesn’t automatically tell you, ask the question. Then, once you know, do what the company asks.

Now, if all of these considerations haven’t convinced you that “being a pest” may not be the best approach in your job search, let me toss out one more thing. Do you really want to work for a company where you had to become a “pest” to get the job? Even a “nice pest” to get the job? When it comes to new opportunities, you should be interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. And if it takes pesky behavior to land a new job, just imagine what your career will be like. Enough said.

Maybe it’s just my perception of the word pest, but when you cross over to the pest category, you run the risk of organizations questioning your ability to follow the rules. This doesn’t mean you can’t contact the company or send a follow-up note. (You absolutely should.) Just be careful about going from appropriate job seeker follow-up to pesky candidate.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Austin, TX

Create Your Own 10 Word Retirement Definition

October 17, 2018 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

I read a very interesting post over on the Intentional Retirement blog titled, “My 10 Word Definition of Retirement”. I hope you’ll check it out. It’s a good read. Two things I found interesting about the post:

Everyone’s definition of retirement is different. And I mean this from multiple viewpoints. On an individual level and as a family. Because everyone’s definition is different, the path to get there is going to look a little different as well.
Everyone should take the time to develop their own definition. I think we have the foundation for the definition in “not working full-time” or “collecting Social Security”. But what does it really mean in terms of how we spend our time?

My real takeaway from the 10 word definition post is that we can create this activity for ourselves. You can do this a couple of ways:

Make a list. Put a date on your calendar to come up with 10 words that describe what you want out of retirement. Or put a piece of paper on your refrigerator and write down one word a day for 10 days. You get the point. After you create the list, put it aside for a few months and come back to it. Does it still describe what you want from retirement?

I could see this being an annual activity. Once a year, pull the list out and make sure you’re okay with it. If you want to change words, do it. At some point, you might want to share your list with family members. See if there are common words. Maybe there needs to be some discussion or compromise about other words.

Make a vision board. If you prefer visuals to words, find 10 images that represent retirement. You can keep them in a paper journal or post them on a site like Pinterest. (And if you’re not ready to share your images with the world, just label your retirement board “secret”.) Like with the words, you can revisit your images whenever you wish and change them as you like.

One of the things that’s nice about vision boards is you can eventually create smaller sections for areas like second careers, retirement locations, or retirement finances and add articles you want to refer to later. The other thing that’s nice about vision boards is you can search the internet for plenty of creative inspiration. Just be sure that the inspiration is something you really want.

It’s never too early or late to start thinking about the definition of your retirement. The definition is going to change. Trust me, I’m not retired (yet!) and my definition has already gone through some changes. And I’m cool with that.

My last takeaway from the post was that even when I become retired, it might make sense to every once in a while, revisit my definition of retirement. Very similar to my career. My career goals when I was in my 20’s weren’t the same as when I was in my 40’s. I could see retirement being the same way.

I’m beginning to think that the key to a successful retirement involves many of the same skills that I’m using to manage my career. Who woulda thought?!

How To Build Your Elevator Pitch

October 10, 2018 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

As working professionals, we’re aware of what an elevator pitch is. It’s those couple of sentences that we say to someone we’ve just met that answers the question, “Who are you, what do you do, and why should I pay attention to you?” No one would really ask this question, of course, and I didn’t write it this way to be evil or mean. But let’s be honest – this is the intention.

It’s called an elevator pitch because it’s supposed to be brief. Something you could easily say between floors during an elevator ride. Elevator pitches still matter as we’re approaching unretirement. Whether you plan to transition to part-time or try freelancing, having an elevator pitch is a perfect way to start a conversation or capture someone’s attention.

During AARP’s webcast on “Sharpening Your Networking and Interviewing Skills Online”, they talked about elevator pitches still being relevant, especially in job search. But here’s an example of how to use an elevator pitch when you’re not looking for a job:

Tell people who you are. As in your name, title, etc. I am amazed at times when I’m introduced to someone that they say their name but nothing else. For example, “Hi! I’m Joe.” doesn’t tell people who you are. But saying “Hi! I’m Joe, owner of MoJo Bakery” does.

Share what makes you special. Add a little something extra to your introduction like, “Hi! I’m Joe, owner of MoJo Bakery. We have the best brownies in the city of Denver.” You could also tweak this to reflect an accomplishment like “Hi! I’m Joe, owner of MoJo Bakery. We just won Denver’s Best Brownie award.”

Explain what you’re looking for and what you can offer. Sometimes people will upfront this part as in “We’re looking for tasters to try our latest brownie.” Or “I’m looking for a company to put brownies in their employee breakrooms.” Another approach is to introduce yourself and wait for a question like “Nice to meet you Joe. What brings you here?”

Elevator pitches have value in building relationships. And, in our unretirement, relationships are still important. They help us get jobs, volunteer board positions, and frankly, just build friendships.

Many of the skills we’ve learned over the years – like elevator pitches – are going to help us in our unretirement. We just have to refine the message to align with our unretirement goals.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA

Unretirement: Create Your Own Aging Strategy

October 3, 2018 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

I ran across a very interesting article on NextAvenue titled, “Let People Choose How They Age”. It’s a good read you might want to check out.

The gist of the article for me was that individuals should break some of those traditional stereotypes when it comes to retirement. You guys know I totally believe that. It’s what “unretirement” is all about.

But I think there’s a difference between saying, “I want to redefine retirement.” and actually doing it. Let’s face it. For decades, we’ve been told that, at a certain age, we stop working, and that’s it. We’re supposed to save enough money to take care of ourselves. Today is different. We don’t need to stop working at a certain age. We can earn money while collecting Social Security.

Again, if we’re trying to break the retirement mold and create our own unretirement, it takes time. And it means thinking about our aging strategy. And then being prepared to put those thoughts and plans into action.

How do we want to spend our time? There are so many different things we can do: traveling, volunteering, working, etc. And frankly, there’s no reason we can’t do them all. It seems to me though, as we age, we will need to reprioritize the ways we spend our time. We need to be prepared to do that on a regular basis. And communicate it to the people in our lives. That includes family, friends, managers, and co-workers.

What impact will health have on our plans? At some point, we have to confront our health. Even if we eat right and exercise regularly. As our health changes, can we find activities that we enjoy? Is it possible to still volunteer or work part-time? If possible, it could make some sense to take a personal skills inventory and identify some knowledge and skills that we want to work on now…when we have the time to do it at our pace and convenience.

Will our finances force us to change our retirement plans? It would be wonderful to say that when we retire that we won’t have to live on a budget. Chances are that won’t be the case. So, first, we must learn how to create a retirement budget. In addition, we must make some very adult decisions about things we might never do because the budget doesn’t permit. When we’re in our 20’s and 30’s, we figure the money will always show up. At some point, we have to address the possibility that it won’t.

As we think about our unretirement and retirement, we have the ability to pave our own path. But that doesn’t necessarily mean we will be able to do whatever we want. It will be necessary to balance our wants and needs with the resources we have available to us. That doesn’t mean we can make our unretirement and retirement an enjoyable and fulfilling time.

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

Choosing the Right Unretirement Gig

September 4, 2018 by Sharlyn Lauby 2 Comments

One of the reasons that we started this blog was to share our experience with blogging. Little did we know when we started HR Bartender that it would become something that we love to do while making a little money.

And my guess is we’re not alone when it comes to retirees or soon-to-be retirees wanting to find a little something they can do and make a little side income. But I will admit, blogging might not be for everyone. So, how do you find what makes sense for you?

Well, one of my favorite career sites is The Muse. They recently had an article about “How to Choose the Right Side Hustle for You”. Of course, the article is focused on anyone, but I thought this could be perfect for individuals thinking about their unretirement.

Developing a side hustle or side gig (whatever you want to call it), takes time. Just because you’re doing to do it on the side doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put any thought into it. Having a side hustle still involves business plans, licenses, taxes, etc. Here are three things to consider when choosing the right side work:

What do you want to do? Not simply “What am I doing now?” Or “What am I good at?” You might choose to do something completely different in unretirement. Maybe follow a dream you’ve had for years. But it’s worth taking the time to think about where you want to focus your energy because that might give you some indication of skills you want to polish up.

What are you willing to invest? Starting a side hustle might take some money. Some side hustles take very little. When I began consulting, all I needed was a desk and a computer. Both of which I had at home. Other side gigs might take saving and purchasing equipment over time. If you begin the process while you’re working, then you can budget for the expense while you still have income from another source.

How much time do you want to spend? The main reason I’m bringing this up is because how much time you want to spend doing your side gig could tell you if a marketing investment will be necessary. If you don’t mind starting slow and working your way to greater income, then little or no marketing might be okay. If you want to have a certain amount of income right away in your unretirement, then it might take a more robust marketing plan.

And let me add, these questions also allow you to decide if you like the side hustle you’ve chosen. That way, if you decide that the side hustle you thought was going to be so fabulous…well, isn’t, you have time and resources to change it.

It’s perfectly logical to think about having a side gig during unretirement. But the time to consider developing one is when you’re still working. That way the pieces are in place when you’re ready.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Denver, CO

What We Are UP To in June 2018

June 13, 2018 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

Watching| A Gap Year for Grown-Ups

> I had the pleasure of meeting Debbie Weil years ago and we’ve been able to stay in touch. She and her husband Samuel Harrington took a ‘gap year’ as part of their transition to unretirement. Now they’re starting a podcast. I love their gap year blog and can’t wait to hear more in June.

Reading| At Peace

> Speaking of Samuel Harrington, I just picked up a copy of his first book “At Peace: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life”. Let’s face it, at some point, we have to make some very adult decisions about aging and our health care. Dr. Harrington’s book helps us look at those topics. I’m looking forward to reading it.

Remembering| Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade

> There are no words for the sad loss of these two icons earlier in June. I remember reading “Kitchen Confidential” years ago and immediately becoming a fan. And I have always loved the fun yet professional designs of Kate Spade. I own several of her totes. In remembering their legacies, I hope we can also have a frank conversation about mental health.

Working On| One List a Day

> A while back, I did a little journaling experiment. I liked it, but the idea of writing journal essays just didn’t appeal to me. I loved the days my journaling prompt was to make a list. Well, I found the perfect list journal. Lisa Nola’s “Listography: One List a Day” allows me to journal in a fun but thought provoking way.

Feeling| Settled

> Every day we learn a little bit more about Gainesville, FL. While we enjoy cooking at home, Keith and I have decided to have a regular June ‘date night’ on the town so we can get to know a little more about the city. Some places are hits and others are misses, but that’s to be expected. It’s starting to feel like home.

Planning| Holidays

> I know! It seems so far away. But I’m a planner so I’m trying to figure out a nice Plan B in case we’re moving from the rental house into our new home during the holidays. If you’ve moved during the holidays, please drop us some suggestions in the comments. I’d love to hear your story about how you survived. 🙂

Loving| Sneakers

> I was never a big sneaker person growing up. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed an appreciation for sneakers. Especially for slip on styles from makers like Sperry and Vans. Super comfortable and they go with everything – shorts, pants, skirts, and sometimes even dresses.

Geeking|AloeBud

> I hate to admit it, but I need and want reminders for things like taking my vitamins. I found a self-care app called AloeBud (FREE in iTunes, with in-app purchases for premium features). I’m enjoying the ability to set regular reminders with custom messages. And it pushes notifications to my Apple Watch.

What’s UP with you in June?