Categories: My journey to retirement

30 Jun 2009, Comments (0)

Retirement sentiments

Author: Susan Kersley

‘It doesn’t seem such a bad life, being retired,’ said my son glancing through my latest copy of SAGA magazine.

There are lots of benefits: free bus travel, fee swimming sessions, reduced train fares and reduced entrance into museums and shows!

But disadvantages too: as I’m recovering from a sprained ankle and realise I can’t yet get back to doing what I was just less than a week ago – It’s all rather frustrating!

So the mixed pleasures of seeing my grandchildren and then not being able to climb down the rocks to be on the beach with them yesterday. However gratitude that my injury is minor and by this time next week I will throw down my crutch and climb down the clff path with renewed agility.

17 Feb 2009, Comments (0)

Adapting to a new life after retirement

Author: Susan Kersley

While on holiday in Itacare, Bahia, Brazil I copied the footwear of the locals: flip flops. My feet unaccustomed to the new pressures of the flip flop's straps. My feet more used to being enclosed in socks and town shoes, have reacted to the flip flops with several blisters. However I know that in a few days the skin will heal and the skin will adapt to their new footwear.

Life after ( or even before) retirement can be like adapting to flip flops too. At first doing something different may feel strange and you may be tempted to stop as I almost decided to abandon my flip flops. However when you persist the scars heal and you adapt to the new situation. As you prepare to retire or adapt to the transition called retirement, there will be many opportunities to do something different. Be brave and go ahead. Take the opportunities which retirement brings to do something different, even if it seems at first as though you won't be able to adapt. Most things need repeating or doing 21 times to become automatic. So keep your goal in ind and don't give up too soon,

For more useful strategies to have a life after work read my book 'Get ready for retirement – how to have a life after work' available from LULU

7 Feb 2009, Comments (0)

Time to get fit again

Author: Susan Kersley

The panic about New Year Resolutions is past so now it's time to decide on goals for the longer term. Exercise is definitely my number one priority. I did an interesting exercise (no pun intended) using the GROW model with Coach BobGriffiths http://www.bobgriffiths.com the other day.

I found it extremely interesting that going through the GROW model in relation to my wish to lose weight I found that what I need to do is more exercise. So with this in mind I went to a totally toning class at the local leisure centre http://www.leisurecentre.com/ and feel great though somewhat aching (just a bit, because of using some muscles which have been neglected for some time!)

So new intention to go to the leisure centre regularly and get the result I want!

Whatever you want, define your goal, be clear about your reality, look at your various options and then decide on your way forward…and doing something you have neglected or not done before may hurt a bit too at first but keep motivated, keep your goal in sight and keep going and you will succeed!

31 Dec 2008, Comments (0)

Life long learning in retirement and new opportunities

Author: Susan Kersley

Everyday brings new ways to use the internet. I'm learning something different each time I 'play' with my computer.
So many ways to connect one thing with another! 
New ways to connect one person with another, one event with another, one year with another.

Sometimes it's overwhelming and quite amazing to see the connections linking people all over the world.

When you prepare to retire you are entering a new and different phase of your life. You have the chance to do things you’ve never had time to do before. If you sincerely believe retirement is about opening new doors, then those doors will appear for you. Be willing and ready to recognise and open them.

Too many people believe retirement is only about closing old doors.  Do you see retirement as the end of the road or as a chance for new opportunities?

Your beliefs tend to be related to what happens to you and can become self-fulfilling prophesies. That’s why affirmations are so powerful. When you repeat a phrase over and over several times each day, your subconscious mind takes it ‘on board’ and believes it to be true. So saying a positive statement in the first person, present tense and stating what you want to happen, as though it is already happening, is a very powerful thing to do.

25 Nov 2008, Comments (0)

Distractions and decisions

Author: Susan Kersley

How easy it is to get distracted by one's own experiences of bodily dysfunction. Gallstones have been confirmed and I'm reluctant to have the necessary operation. However been persuaded by the possible awful things which might happen if I don't and the wonderful benefits which will happen if I do….

Reminds me of the four questions to ask yourself when faced with making a decision of any sort.
Ask: What will happen if I do?
What will happen if I don't?
What won't happen if I do?
What won't happen if I don't?
The rest is easy. (I hope!)

So when you get ready for retirement you have to remember that unexpected health challenges are part of the journey. Get them sorted then back on track and do what you really want to do. 

I've written a book to motivate you: 'Get ready for retirement- how to have a life after work'
7 Nov 2008, Comments (0)

Go for a walk to find a solution

Author: Susan Kersley

I was going to order some more copies of my book ‘Get ready for Retirement- how to have a life after work’, when I discovered to my horror a huge price increase. So much so that my profit margin would be almost nil. I didn’t know quite what to do as I’ve just started to publicize the book and have several people about to write a review of it. I wrote to the Lulu forum to get my frustration out and today went for a walk.

When you retire walks are good for lots of reasons: keep you fit and joints mobile, gets you away from sitting in front of the television releases endorphins so you feel much better. As a sort of walking meditation a walk also offers your sub-conscious mind a chance to let you know the answer to your worry or frustration.

What I decided to do was to consider raising the price of my book (which I don’t want to do), or re-write the book to produce a new edition in a few months covering topics not covered by this book ( not an ideal solution as I have several other things I want to complete before then). Anyway at least I felt better.

When I got home I found thta my rant in the Lulu forum had been answn to slightly change the size of the book ered by someone’s suggestion to slightly change the size of the book to a US standard size. It works the price is as before!!

So just a bit of re-formatting and up loading in the next few days. Retirementbook

6 Nov 2008, Comments (0)

Retirement is a journey

Author: Susan Kersley

Sometimes journeys don’t go as planned. You can have a detailed itinerary and then something unexpected happens. Flew to Sweden and the plane couldn’t land at Stockholm Skavsta as there was too much fog so we had to land at Stockholm Arlanda instead. This meant a three hour train journey to reach our destination. How is this related to being retired?
-Life is like a journey
-You plan a destination and yet sometimes you are taken on an unexpected route to get there.
-Things may take longer than expected
- be willing to change your plans but keep your ultimate goal in mind and you will get there.
What can you learn when things don’t go as planned?
-There are different routes to achieve the same goal.
-Enjoy the journey
-Be flexible
-Don’t be too rigid in your plans

What life lessons have you learned recently in relation to retirement?

3 Nov 2008, Comments (0)

Do as I say….

Author: Susan Kersley

Here I am writing about retirement and wondering how to reach people who are getting ready to retire and find myself wondering if actually I’m going through the transition myself!

These past few days I’ve been thinking about when I want to retire from Coaching or at least some past of it. And what I’ve realised is that I need to listen to myself and go through that I recommend others to do. A recurring theme which comes up again and again in what I write and how I coach is that its important to ask and then answer the question ‘What do you want?’ This is Steven Covey’s habit ‘Begin with the end in mind’

So what do i want? I want to continue writing, initially using the material I have already produces and am in the process of producing to make several products both digital and in print and CD. I also want to design a ‘workshop’ on the theme of my new book ‘Get ready for retirement- how to have a life after work‘ This would be something I can offer as a teleclass and/or face to face workshop. I’m considering devising something using some of the principles of Louise Hay from her book ‘You can Heal your life’ as I am a certified Louise Hay workshop leader.

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