Are you at the age where retirement is becoming a priority? If so, check out this humorous look at retirement.
Maybe it will give you some ideas.
Posts Tagged ‘Retirement’
Thinking About Retiring?
January 1st, 2010 
admin 
Posted in Baby Boomers, Retirement, Travel & Leisure 
Tags: Baby Boomers, retired, Retirement, retiring 
1 Comment »Baby Boomers Want to “Be” Themselves, Live Life to the Fullest, Now!
December 31st, 2009 admin Baby Boomers have always enjoyed a privileged position in society, and they are used to being catered to by others around them – whether the others were parents, teachers, or merchants and advertisers.
Having started life in affluent post-World War II nuclear families, and having worked for many years to establish their own personal financial security, they’ve already satisfied the basic levels of Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy: physiological needs, safety needs, and many of their social needs and self-esteem needs. But, in doing so, many Boomers had to spend years working in corporate America where they had to subjugate their true underlying passions to the day-to-day needs of the business world and the financial needs of their growing families.
Consequently, as they approach retirement, they want to make up for any opportunities, dreams or goals that they missed out on during their working years. They now have different motivations than they did during their younger years. As increasing numbers of Boomers move into retirement, they are most focused on meeting their self-actualization needs. They are interested in “being” who they really are, and developing (or expressing) their full potentials in life. In other words, they are primarily interested in self-actualization.
This means that they are more intrinsically motivated than extrinsically motivated. They are self-directed and self-driven. They will happily undertake activities, and make choices, that many would have avoided in their younger years for fear of what others might think. Many of the things that would have bothered them – or even stopped them – in earlier years, don’t even register a blip on the radar screen anymore. They’ve mellowed, and they’re happily traveling the road to inner peace.
For many Baby Boomers, that path to self-actualization may mean starting their own business, going back to school to get an advanced degree, globe trotting around the world, or pursuing a variety of other artistic or cultural passions.
Smart advertisers will recognize that Boomers are still an incredible force in the economy, with enormous purchasing power, and will tailor their products and services – as well as their advertisements and marketing campaigns, their websites, and their social networks to the Baby Boomer generational cohort in ways that help them achieve their dreams and goals, save them time, and/or provide them with interesting life experiences.
One way to expand your horizons and increase your finances is by starting an online business – but, don’t put the cart before the horse! Get some training in online marketing first! Check out the Online Success for Beginners course. (Not just for beginners!)
Baby Boomer Retirement: What Will It Look Like?
December 18th, 2009 admin Baby Boomers have a long history of impacting American life and society, and now, as they prepare to retire, we can expect them to have an equally big impact on “retirement” itself.
The following six things are likely to describe the way Boomers live out their retirements:
1) Time Freedom
People are living longer these days than in previous years, which means that their retirements will also last longer.
Boomers, now aged 50, expect to live another 35 years.
2) Personal Growth & Development
For years, Baby Boomers have been known as the “Me Generation” and their earlier “selfish” lifestyles have changed into a desire for personal growth, as defined by Abraham Maslow.
Many will go back to school and earn an advanced degree.
Others will finally take the plunge and start their own businesses, or pursue some other job or career that they’ve always dreamed of doing.
3) Leisure Activities
With all this time to fill, Boomers will actively pursue a variety of leisure-time activities, from travel to sports to home entertainment games and systems.
4) Active Consumers
Just because they’re growing older, doesn’t mean that the Baby Boomers will stop spending money for the things they like – they control more than half the U.S. discretionary income and spend $2 trillion annually.
5) Search for the “Fountain of Health”
It’s true that Boomers want to look young, but even more importantly, they want to “feel” young. They are passionate about health and fitness and will do whatever they can to stay healthy and fit.
6) Culture of Social Isolationism
Although they intend to remain actively involved in the world, when it comes to their social life, they tend to stick closer to home and spend their time with small groups of people they know well – such as immediate and extended family.
If you’re one of those people wanting to start your own business, consider starting an affiliate or other online business.
Be aware, however, that their training is frequently limited to teaching you only about their product(s). Unfortunately, you’ll need more knowledge than that.
One very good place to start gaining the broader internet marketing training that you’ll need is to enroll in the personal and expert-led Online Success for Beginners course. (Not just for beginners!)
The Pig in the Python: Boomers Change Everything They Touch!
November 17th, 2009 admin The Pig in the Python
For decades, those Americans born shortly after WWII have been labeled “Baby Boomers”. According to the U.S. Census, a Baby Boomer is “someone born during the demographic birth boom between 1946 and 1964″.
This demographic includes roughly 80 million members with amazing purchasing power.
> The 50+ have $2.4 trillion in annual income, which accounts for 42% of all after-tax income (U.S. Consumer Expenditure Survey).
> Adults 50+ spend an average of $7 billion online annually (SeniorNet).
> Adults 50 and older own 65% of the aggregate net worth of all U.S. households (U.S. Consumer Expenditure Survey).
> By 2015, those aged 50 and older will represent 45% of the U.S. population (AARP).
> By 2030, the 65-plus population will double to about 71.5 million, and by 2050 will grow to 86.7 million people (U.S. Census).
Many of us, particularly advertisers, consider this group to be homogeneous; however doing so is really a mistake. Traditionally the group has been thought to be composed of rebels, as demonstrated by the period of the sixties (e.g., free love, peace-niks, and war protesters), but many members are essentially quite mainstream in their beliefs and lifestyles.
People born in this time frame differ in many respects: many (but not all) are now parents; some are grandparents and/or “empty-nesters;” others are single, caring for an aged parent, divorced, gay, or members of extended or alternate lifestyle families. Some are actively employed, some retired, others giving serious consideration to retiring.
There is, however, one characteristic that I agree has defined (and will continue to define) this cohort – they are transformers. In fact, author Doug Owram has called them “a shockwave,” and writer Landon Jones has described them as “the pig in the python”.
Transformers Change Everything They Touch
Because of their numbers, and relative wealth, they have had a transformative effect upon life and culture in the U. S. during the past six decades. This generation has transformed pretty much everything as they have moved thru their teenage years, early maturity, their jobs, the economy, etc. – and there isn’t any reason to believe that they have stopped their transformative actions on our society.
I’m betting that the latest area to be transformed by this generational cohort is retirement.
> One-third of the 195.3 million Internet users in the U.S., adults aged 50+ represent the Web’s largest constituency (Jupiter Research).
> The Internet is the most important source of information for baby boomers when they make a major marketing purchase, such as automobiles or appliances (Zoomerang).
> 50% of baby boomers plan to buy a new home after retirement (Del Webb Survey).
> 42% of all travel industry purchases happen online, and adults 50+ account for 80% of all luxury travel spending (Pew Internet and American Life Project).
I remember when I was a youngster, I thought anyone aged 50, or more, was “old” but today, demographers consider fifty to be the beginning of Early Middle Age, and propose that Old Age doesn’t start until age seventy five. Now, Americans aged 50 can expect to live another 35 years, and thus, be “retired” for twenty years or longer – so what are they intending to do with all that time?
In the past, the period of retirement was usually relatively short and characterized by poor health, limited funds, and few choices; however, for this group of nearly eighty million US people, those limits no longer apply. In their 30’s, they bragged about “never growing old,” and now, it’s up to them to deliver on that claim.
So, just what are they going to do with an extra two or three decades of active aging? Modern diet and medical care have considerably extended that time period when individuals stay healthy and active (as an example, my mother is in her 90s, lives alone, and still drives her own automobile).
How Retirement Is Being Transformed
Are the so-called “Boomers” going to be content to drag out the rocking chair, sit on their porch, and watch the world pass them by? I think not!
Generally, individuals of this generation are on the path to self-actualization (as Abraham Maslow used the term):
> A lot of them have a large “Bucket List” – i.e., tons of things they want to do before they die.
> Considering they’ll have 20-30 years of time to fill, they will be interested in a wide selection of leisure activities (e.g, travel, golf, at-home entertainment).
> As a consequence of all this time, they also want to stay fit enough to enjoy their “retirement” – so they are going to be very interested in products and services that may help them stay healthy and robust.
> Lots of people will essentially “reinvent” themselves – starting that career or occupation they have often daydreamed about, but had to put off due to family or other duties.
> Many will start their own businesses, and the Web offers them many opportunities they’ve never had before.
> Education, learning and things that will provide time freedom will be high priorities for this group of affluent Americans.
How can you balance that time between work and play? Are there dreams that you have put off for years but want to realize during your “retirement”?
If you’re one of those people intending to launch your own business, consider starting an affiliate or other online business – but be aware that most online programs offer very limited training. Unfortunately, you will need more education than they typically provide – knowledge is what separates the successful internet marketers from the unsuccessful ones.
One excellent place to start gaining the knowledge and skills that you’ll need is to join the Online Success for Beginners course.
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