Live Your Own Adventure

BY ARDITH BOWMAN FEBRUARY 23, 2024 MINDSET  Sixtyandme.com

Remember those “Choose Your Own Adventure” ® books by Chooseco? What if we looked at our post-fulltime life like that? After all, there are phases to retirement – from honeymoon to disenchantment to reorientation. Sometimes, there is no honeymoon, and we experience concern and confusion about what to do. It seems like “choose your own” is a mindset that could help us navigate the retirement journey with all its twists and turns.

Freedom to Choose

Do you ever find yourself looking around to see how others are handling life after fulltime work? Using our book analogy, that is like finding out what others are reading. It doesn’t mean that you will like the book! Of course, exploring to get ideas is a good thing. The trick is to not assume others have the key that will work for you. You could use the “choose your own adventure” chapter approach to...

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Beyond the Vision Board

GOING BEYOND THE VISION BOARD

BY ARDITH BOWMAN JANUARY 02, 2024 MINDSET In sixtyandme.com

For many of us, early January is a time of dreaming about the year ahead. I just love taking the time for this with a cup of cacao or tea wrapped in my aqua Afghan made by a friend. Find your special place to focus on your own desires.

Perhaps you dream of following an interest long ignored or deepening love in your life. Maybe, like me, you dream of some new adventures to keep the spark shining brightly. Some women desire to make more of an impact in the world or to slow down and live a simpler life. What are you dreaming of?

Then, what can you do to take your dreams out of the “dream world” and into the life you live?

Bringing to life our deepest desires requires faith and trust because usually it is not clear how we can make them reality. That is a good thing! If you know how to accomplish something, then it is a goal, rather than a dream. We deserve to...

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Life Transitions

HOW DO WE TRANSITION TO A NEW PHASE OF LIFE?

BY ARDITH BOWMAN First published in Sixtyanme SEPTEMBER 06, 2023 

This article focuses on the transition out of full time work. The ideas also are relevant to anyone seeing 65 as a transition into a new phase of life. Let’s begin by framing the end of a full-time career as simply a transition in a continual sequence of life transitions. We have been through many and know how to do it. Step away from phrases like “final phase, third act, and golden age.” Such language builds an expectation of decline that may not be true for you, and certainly not for many of us.

A recent study by Age Wave (June 2023) found that on average, the concept of “old” for our grandparents was at 60 years and now is 80 years for our generation. I think that calls for a new language and understanding of what our post full-time years are about! Don’t you?

As we navigate the end of full-time work, we often ask...

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VITALITY DOMAIN #3 – MEANING AND CREATIVITY: LIVE IT NOW

VITALITY DOMAIN #3 – MEANING AND CREATIVITY: LIVE IT NOW

BY ARDITH BOWMAN MAY 30, 2023 in Sixtyandme.com 

We are continuing our exploration of the four vitality domains that influence your health span, now focusing on the area of meaning/purpose and creativity. Isn’t it time to be your own heroine and be/do what has been waiting in the wings?

What brings you a sense of meaning? What gets you up in the morning looking forward to the day? Are you putting your unique talents/gifts to use somehow? Why let them lie dormant? Consider your own sense of meaning as you read!

 If you are just diving into this mini-series, you may also want to read the introductory article on health span.

Why Is a Sense of Meaning Important?

A sense of meaning, however that manifests for you, is not only essential to quality of life but longevity as well. That is what we mean by ‘health span’ – years lived + quality of life. Research suggests that a sense...

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Work Hard - Retire Hard

meaning purpose Dec 20, 2022

This was first published in Sixty and Me at 
https://sixtyandme.com/work-hard-retire-hard/  DECEMBER 06, 2022 LIFESTYLE 

Remember, this is about embracing YOUR purpose and sense of satisfaction with life. 

Many of us grew up in an era where the accepted approach to life was to work really hard to be successful at our chosen role and take care of responsibilities. Then, like magic, at 65 we get to stop and make up for all the “fun” we put off and take the relaxation we deserve. My parents did that, but it really didn’t turn out as they imagined. I thought that is what I was going to do. Not anymore.

Let’s unpack this.

 

The World Has Changed

In western cultures we are living longer and retiring earlier than in the past. If we stop working at 65, we are likely to have a reasonably healthy 20-30 years to go! That is why we call this the third phase of life… it literally can be 1/3 of your life.

Is kicking back with the...

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True Comfort

WHAT IS THE TRUE MEANING OF COMFORT?

First published in SixtyandMe on OCTOBER 31, 2022 MINDSET https://sixtyandme.com/seeking-comfort/

One of the blessings for many of us in our 60s and beyond is living a comfortable life. This does not imply riches. It means we have found a way to have ‘enough’. We have given our time to our work/profession and family. Now is our time to relax and enjoy life. We want to enjoy our comfort. We deserve to enjoy comfort.

Still, for many women there can be a yearning or dissatisfaction lurking just under the surface.

In my experience, these women are drawn to the idea of enriching and creating more in their lives. They sense possibility and are curious. Yet, the belief that change in their lives will be work and disrupt the comfort they have crafted stops them from taking action. Up until now, this has puzzled me.

 

The Lure of Comfort

Now that I have married my love, I feel full. Recently, I have faced my own complacency...

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