Lifestyle Design and Reinventing Retirement

retirement

retirement (Photo credit: 401K)

Monday I wrote about a TED video by Tim Brown, on the subject design. It challenged me to consider a question that I think is on the minds of many Boomers and Gen-Xers about how they are going to reinvent retirement in this modern world. The question is:

How can Boomers and Gen-Xers enjoy the benefits of retirement while at the same time remaining active, productive, and profitable members of our modern society?

What this question boils down to is a matter of lifestyle design. By this I mean how the whole of a person’s life (family, health, community, dreams, purpose, etc.) fits together in a homogeneous way and provides benefit and blessing both to themselves and to those they interact with on a regular basis.

You see, retirement, by my definition does not mean to stop working altogether (most people cannot/don’t want to do this) but to transition into a lifestyle that allows for you to be more in control of your time, talents, efforts, and the direction of your life travel.

How can a Boomer/Gen-Xer wake up in the morning and engage in activities that they choose, while maintaining an active, productive, and profitable life? What can they do to spend time with family, travel, volunteer, and create in a way that makes them happy, healthy, and a value to their community/society? What is their life-dream and how can they create a design plan that brings all the elements of that dream into fruition every day?

Most people don’t consider such things and as a result end up looking to get back into the workforce shortly after the big “retirement party.” One retiree who is 70+ said, “I am bored to death, I just want something to do.” Another said, “I want to continue to feel useful and valuable in my retirement life.”

Both of these folks retired like they had been told to and found that without some lifestyle design work in place they were doomed to “being retired.” What they really want is to design a lifestyle that will give them the benefits of retirement (slower pace, more control, and the pursuit of what they consider valuable) while still being active, productive, and profitable (financially capable for their own needs).

What about you? Are you planning for those great years of life where you can live out your dreams at your pace and according to your desires? What advice can you give to those who are just beginning the process?

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Helping Boomers and Gen-Xers Design Success!!

Tomorrow (May 15, 2012) I am shutting down two blogs that have been a part of The Doulos Group for the past two years. I am not shutting them down because they are unimportant of because they are no longer relevant. I am shutting them down in order to focus my attention on the things in life and business that I am most passionate about.

Those things are simply:

  1. I am going to help people design a life-style that blends life and business to fulfill their dreams.
  2. I am going to focus my efforts on helping my clients through the process of discovery, design, and delivery of their passion within their definition of success.
  3. I am going to focus my efforts on Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers who are looking for a way to reinvent retirement.

With these simple rules in place I hope that everyone who comes to visit will find something worth while, something that makes sense, and something that helps them design success!

Come back often and let’s get this party started!!!

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I Just Can’t Stand It Anymore!!

I just can’t stand it anymore!! I said in my last post (The Doulos Group Launches) that I was going to combine my efforts at Baby Boom Entrepreneurs with those at The Doulos Group. I was wrong in trying to make that work and want to let you know that I can’t stand being away from my fellow boomers any longer.

I will be working hard again to provide you all with valuable content that will help you make the best choices when it comes to creating the perfect “second chapter” for your life. I hope that what is done here will serve you well and I am always available to answer specific questions you might have.

Thanks to all of you who have continued to check back here to see when/if I had come to my senses and begun to post again. You were very much apart of my decision to “re-open” BBE.

Talk to you all soon …. Dave!

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Quick Site Update

I just wanted to post a quick site update, because I am incredibly excited with the activity over the past week. At the beginning of last week my efforts were to quietly update the site throughout the month of December and then launch it in its new configuration and with its new mission on January 1, 2012. (This is still my ultimate goal, but it has been modified just a bit!)

To my shock, last week several people actually joined the site as members! There are eight of us total (and one “practice” member) as of this writing. Eight doesn’t seem like much, but seven of the eight came “by accident” (I was here on purpose)! I am so thrilled that folks both found the site and that they saw enough value to “join.”

So, for those of you who have joined in this “pre-launch” period, I need your help. I would like you to act as a sounding board for ideas that I have for the site. Please take time as often as you can to read these December posts that will lay out the ideas that will guide us here and will set the course for the new year.

Comment on what you read, give me feedback, additional thoughts, and your thoughts on both the direction of the site and how to accomplish the goals I will lay out in my December posts. As long as you are here early (which I count an incredible blessing) let me know what you think!

If you know some other Boomers who could bring some really cool thoughts to the table, invite them to join us as well!

I look forward to hearing from you and to gaining insight that will help me do the most good for the greatest number of Boomers!

Thanks for being here – Dave

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Looking Forward to the New Year!

As I write this post, we are still a couple days short of Thanksgiving but already I am looking forward to the new year. Baby Boom

The First Thanksgiving, painted by Jean Leon G...

Image via Wikipedia

Entrepreneurs is moving in the direction of a full-blown member site and I am very excited to see how its develops throughout the year. I will be adding details for the official “launch” during the last couple weeks of December so stay tuned and let me know what you think!

In the mean time, you can sign up as members of the site right now and by doing so you can get in on the ground floor of all the excitement that the new year will bring. So make sure that you begin now to not only sign up yourself, but to share this site with all your Boomer friends and help me kick this thing off with a bang in January.

Let be “bait the hook” by telling you about three unique aspects that you will find here:

1. There will be a section on the site called “Boomers helping Boomers.” This section will cover everything from “how-to” information to “aging in place” advice, to travel tips, etc. It will be a place for Boomers to learn about living a life full of joy, impact, and security.

2. There well be a section on the site called “Boomers, Business, and Finances.” This section will help Boomers understand all aspects of living financially secure through the entire second act of their lives. We will have information on the current job market and how unemployed Boomers can find meaningful work, business opportunities for Boomers, financial planning and how to reinvent retirement.

3. There will be a section on the site called “Making a Dent.” This section will help Boomers join forces and create opportunities to leave our world better than when we found it. It seems to me that when all we think about is ourselves and how life is about us that we really diminish the true meaning of life.

Being the “dreamer” on my team, I don’t know all the details about how this is going to pan out, but I do know that this is the direction we are heading. I would love for you and those you invite to be an active part!

Stay tuned and stay active!

Dave Wellman, Founder
Baby Boom Entrepreneurs

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Boomers Can’t Wait!

The corner of Wall Street and Broadway, showin...

Image via Wikipedia

As I have been working on the changes to Doulos Marketing for 2012, I have come to one undeniable conclusion:

Boomers Can’t Wait!

With all that is unfolding right before our eyes (Occupy Wall Street, a Congress that cannot function, an economy that cannot rebound, a housing market still reeling, manufacturing jobs gone for good, etc ….) it is time for average Boomers to once again step up again and lead the way to better things. Better ways to work, to serve our communities and to strengthen our families as well as ourselves.

Add to all of this that we Boomers are the largest group of chronically unemployed and I say again: Boomers can’t wait!

So, here is a simple plan that is filled with risk, excitement, fear, and, in the end, a way out of these dark times to a brighter day:

  1. Get up every day with a desire to be significant. Now I am not suggesting that everyone has to have a master plan designed to “change the world.” What I am suggesting though is that we don’t just go through life like it is an exercise in futility. We are here on this planet at this time for a reason. Find yours and live to bring it to pass!
  2. Go out every day to be the best person that you can be. If you have this “best person” mindset, you will treat others with dignity and respect (even people you don’t agree with or even like); you will work hard in everything you set your mind/heart/body to do; and you will continue to look to the benefit of your efforts to your company, your customers, your community and your family. You will see the dignity in everything you do and be able to end each day knowing you did what was right for you.
  3. Give back to those whose lives are not where yours is. One of our biggest struggles we have in this country is realizing how much we really have on a world-wide scale. So many of us have so much and so often we see what we have as “rights” instead of the blessings of liberty. When we recognize that we are truly blessed we will be much more willing to step out and help others so that they can have what we readily enjoy.

Now we can debate a lot of things these days, looking for the right people to blame, demanding that others “pay their fair share”, or shouting from the roof tops “its not my fault.” But, in my view, its time to stop that because too many of our generation will be destroyed without remedy looking for the mouse in the cookie jar. Boomers simply can’t wait any longer! We must choose to step up, step out, and be counted again.

The “new” Doulos Marketing is dedicated to charting a course for this to happen. I hope you will keep reading, keep passing the message on, and keep looking for ways to reach out to other Boomers who like sand at the beach, slipping through the cracks. (And the older we get the harder this task will become.) It’s really up to us. Will you join the effort?

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Saturday Update – 6

This week has bee a very sad one for the Boomer generation. One of our greatest visionaries lost a long battle with cancer. Hope you enjoy the video and choose to be the best person you can be in this stage of your life!

What do you think? Leave your comments and let’s get a conversation started!

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The Loss of a Great Boomer

Steve Jobs shows off iPhone 4 at the 2010 Worl...

Image via Wikipedia

Today our generation is suffering the loss of one of our own. At 56, Steve Jobs is gone too soon! I have read a lot about Steve and have watched (particularly in the last two years) the unique way in which he lived and ran his company.

I have heard him tell the story about the education he received after leaving college. I have heard him tell the graduating class at Stanford to never settle. I have seen the gleam in his eye as he described new functions/products in his keynote addresses. He has been an inspiration to me and knowing that I will not hear any new things from him makes me very sad.

The most important thing that I ever heard said of him was when said that he wanted to make a dent in the universe. He certainly did that and I for one am inspired to follow suit. We have suffered a great loss, but as Steve said, death is the greatest innovation. It clears out the old and makes place for the new. I can’t wait to see who steps up and accepts the challenge of greatness in the next generation.

Goodbye Steve, you represent the greatness of our generation and those of us remaining here want to represent like you did in these most difficult times!

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Baby Boom Entrepreneur – Saturday Update #5

This has been a wonderful week. I hope you had a great week as well. Enjoy the video and please let me know what you think and/or how I can help you!

Let’s all have a great weekend and an awesome week! Keep looking for ways to live your dreams.

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Boomers Helping Boomers

I promised to keep you up to date on the efforts some Boomers are beginning to help other Boomers find work in these tough economic times. I had a great, albeit very preliminary conversation with a couple of very interesting ladies who have a burden like I do to help as many Boomers as possible.

What we are working toward is a training program designed to train business owners about the value that Boomers can bring to their workplaces. We also need to help Boomers understand the technology and tactics of the current business climate.

Our talks are in the very preliminary stage, so if you have some ideas or thoughts that you would like to share, please leave a comment and/or contact me so that we can talk. I am dedicated to finding something that we can do now and expanding that into an ongoing program that will provide Boomers and employers with all that they need to bring willing workers together with companies who understand the value these willing workers bring to their businesses.

Please join the conversation and let’s become a community of Boomers helping Boomers!

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