Power Up Blog
Thoughts & Musings on Retirement
With the outbreak of COVID19 requiring quarantine, we are all acutely aware of the stress this places on our economy.
Perhaps you have been laid-off, or your stream of income is otherwise impacted by closures and other people's lay-offs.
We are all in this together, witnessing an entire system slow nearly to a halt. We don't know, at this point, what the long-term repercussions of this are going to be economically.
For some of you, COVID-19 may be giving you a taste of what retirement could be like especially without a plan.
You may be feeling isolated and alone without your social connections, lost without a purpose, bored without activities, and worried about your finances.
Whether you are retiring during the pandemic or after, there are key elements that need to be considered to plan for a smoother transition and a happy retirement.
Join Marielle Gauthier, Executive Coach and Norm Lalonde, Certified Financial Planner as they present the financial and non-financial aspects of planning for your retirement.
For more information and to register: https://www.powerupyourretirement.com/retirement-webinar
10 Steps to Get on The Path to a Happy Retirement
When it comes to retirement preparation, the first thing that seems to come to mind for people is finances. Of course, the money matters are a critical part of being able to retire and determine when you will retire. After that is established, however, there is so much beyond financial preparation that you can do to ensure a happy retirement. We all know money doesn’t buy happiness, so let’s not stop at financial preparation when it comes to retirement! Your happiness in retirement is worth the effort of truly investing in your future emotional well-being.
How do you get prepared? Here are 10 steps to guide you as you consider, not only what your retirement will look like practically, but how you want to FEEL in your retirement.
Are you a year or two away from retirement and worried about the impact the current pandemic may have on your plans?
Financial stress is real for a lot of people right now, in a lot of different ways. If you are facing the necessity of revising your timeline on retirement plans, how are you coping with this emotionally?
As a Results Certified Coach who specializes in the transition to retirement, I have the tools to support you as you navigate the emotional impact of these changes to your plans. Please reach out by sending me an email at marielle@redworkscoaching.com.
Having a daily rhythm to add structure to our lives is healthy and reassuring for us, even under usual life circumstances. Throw in the global upheaval that currently has most of us living without the routines that normally add structure to our life, and we find ourselves, now more than ever, needing to create those rhythms from scratch ourselves.
The COVID-19 outbreak has shown the importance of having a succession plan in place that accounts for unforeseen events. If your business does not already have one in place, there is no better time to do so than now!
Many small businesses are dependent on the owner, which means being capable of retirement or a career transition requires strategic forethought and action built into the structure of an organization. Having a strategy for developing people who can move up when key employees leave is critical to the long term success of a business.
If you feel overwhelmed by all of the unknowns right now, you are not alone. We are living through something we have not lived through before, which means all of us are wondering 'how long?' and 'what will the long-term repercussions be?'
When you get caught up in this sort of 'scary' thinking - pause. Stay focused in the present. You have what you need at this moment. You are grounded. Think of all the things you are grateful for. Breathe.
You may not know what the future holds, but you can look at other times in your life that you had to adapt and evolve and see that you are capable of doing that.
Be present and trust that you are adaptable.
In my three-part Estate Planning series with lawyer, Elizabeth Williamson of Williamson Law, we cover the Last Will and Testament, Power of Attorney and the Health Care Directive.
In this video, Elizabeth explains the purpose of a Health Care Directive (also known as a Living Will) and what to consider when preparing one.
Shifting the focus off of ourselves and onto others can be really gratifying. Thinking about how we can support those around us, be it our loved ones or those within our community can be liberating as well.
We sometimes default to becoming the centre of our own universe - wrapped up in our own troubles. When we become involved with others, we become part of something that is greater than our individual self.
What are some ways you can step outside of yourself this week and offer a meaningful connection to others who may need it?
Social distancing requires creativity for this task. Drop your ideas in the comments!
Podcast Host, Cathy Heller, is often quoted for saying: “The opposite of depression isn't being happy, it's finding a purpose.”
How does one determine their purpose while living in such uncertain times? How do we navigate living meaningful lives when we don’t know what lies ahead of us on the journey?
