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How long will you live?
Why are Australians living longer than previous generations?
Advances in medicine have dramatically reduced infant mortality and mothers’ deaths in childbirth over the last 50 years.
Over the last century, successes have been achieved,
• by research to detect diseases
• by pharmaceutical drug development
to prevent, alleviate or cure many conditions such as cancer, heart disease or mental illness.
Education about well being, health and exercise is widespread, through community, school and public sectors.
People are more active and engaged than their parents and grandparents were.
More financial resources are available to people when they stop working full-time. People have more freedom in determining how they will spend their time and look after themselves. This freedom comes from an income in retirement as a result of earlier savings or government pensions or a combination of both.
What is the good news about us living longer?
Retirement will last for decades, not a few short years as once was the case. (Bogan and Davies, 2008)
For those of you who are planning your retirement, you have the joy of looking forward to a fulfilling life for over 30 years.
You can consider now, how you want your life to be, after stopping work full-time. People like you may scale back and work part time or casually, either paid or unpaid. Work is no longer just a job, where the result was money or profits. Now, when you work in retirement, you are able to achieve a purpose that is life-engaging.
You may seek to explore that passion or interest you had earlier in your life or are now building and learning about now. Imagine decades of doing what you really enjoy!
What is the bad news about living longer that previous generations?
Statistics about living so much longer are challenging and even worrying to many people. They are not prepared for their changing situations – they have not planned, financially, emotionally or even thought about their health for the future.
For some of you this change or transition may be a crisis – the results of a forced termination or redundancy, an unexpected illness or health change for yourself or others close to you, or exhaustion or dissatisfaction about continuing your life as it is now.
Even if your retirement date is known, you may be unprepared for what your future holds, for the next 30 years or so.
What can you do to live your life to the full in retirement?
So what can you do to bring this crisis, this inevitable change under your control?
What can you do in preparing for your retirement to:
• Be positive about this time of transition or change?
• Organise your life to meet your wants and needs?
• Manage your assets, your financial affairs, and your commitments?
• Ensure that happiness and fulfilment are yours?
What if you had someone:
• to talk to, a guide to assist you?
• to help you determine what is really important to you and your partner?
• to work out what will be meaningful for you in retirement?
• to assist you to be active and plan for a fulfilling life for your next 30 years?
Contact us for a complimentary consultation about how you can face this challenge, overcome your uncertainties and create a plan to live life with meaning and purpose. for the rest of your life, for as long as you live.
Over 75% of people report that they have not planned adequately for retirement; yet 25% of retirees say their current years are shaping up to be their best (Ian Hutchinson, 2008). Be a statistic yourself – be part of that 25%!
References
Bogan, D., & Davies, K. 2007, Avoid Retirement and Stay Alive, McGraw-Hill, New Zealand.
Booth, H. & Tickle, L. 2004. Beyond three score years and ten: Prospects for longevity in Australia, People and Place, vol. 12, no.1, pp. 15-27.
Hutchinson, I, 2008. Statistics, retrieved 22 September 2008, http://www.llifebydesign.com.au/media/stats/retirement.html
© 2009 Helene Strawbridge, All rights reserved. You are free to use material from the Second Half Success material in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read: By Helene Strawbridge of Second Half Success. Please visit Helene’s web site at www.secondhalfsuccess.com.au for additional articles and resources. (Make sure the link is live if placed in an newsletter or in a web site.)
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