Boomers Don't Retire, They Rewire

When it comes to the evolution of retirement there39s no better authority than Jeri Sedlar coauthor of the visionary book Don39t Retire Rewire We sat down recently to talk about all of the surprising things that boomers are doing with their lives including the popular phenomenon of quotrewiringquot a term that she coined when her groundbreaking book was first published back in 2002By definition rewiring is what people do to reinvent themselves after 65 to enjoy meaningful productive and satisfying lives The concept is based on the fundamental belief that work is good for you and that continuing to work past traditional retirement age is a great way to stay mentally and physically fit What39s more many of those who have successfully rewired have done so because they39ve finally found a way to achieve the worklife balance and joy that had eluded them during their primary working yearsRewiring is often triggered by a failed attempt at retiring A lot of people flunk retirement because they don39t have a realistic plan the biggest miss being the assumption that rest and relaxation will be enough to fill their days In their zeal to escape the grind of their former work lives they fail to appreciate just how much they will miss the things that they39re used to Contrary to popular belief retirement doesn39t evolve on its own amp8212 you need to work at it to make it workAs the shift from retiring to rewiring continues to play out what are the implications for marketers Here39s everything marketers need to know about why so many boomers are choosing to rewire and how they39re doing itRewiring starts with awareness and selfmotivationNothing creates awareness like failure We all know someone who couldn39t wait to escape their demanding job in the big city only to discover that retiring to a cabin in North Carolina didn39t quite do it for them Whether trying to get it right the second time or nailing it the first time successful rewiring begins with having a keen awareness of why you39re making the decision to continue to work past age 65 If it39s because of financial need then so be it for others it39s a choice that requires thorough consideration and careful planningEven if the way forward is clear you39re not going to get there without a strong will and plenty of selfmotivation Change is hard in general but when you39re attempting to do something new for the first time at the age of 65 or older it39s going to be inherently more challenging While the principles of rewiring apply to everyone success at it belongs to those with sufficient foresight to creatively rethink their future and commit to it with their full wherewithalIt39s about them not usThe most important principle of rewiring is that it39s personal there isn39t one right or wrong way to do it because we39re all different people who are motivated by varying influences This is not a commentary on boomer narcissism or selfcentricity but simply an acknowledgment that the reason most people rewire amp8212 and succeed at it amp8212 is because their vision is built on an understanding of their deepest personal needs and that it39s finally time for those needs to be put ahead of others39 they39re working for themselves now not a companyMost of these people have spent the majority of their life advancing the interests of others and living by a code of conduct dominated by quotshouldsquot This is their time to have a meeting with themselves for a change to search for their deepest values and understand what39s finally important and what39s not Some are looking to prove something to themselves or leave a legacy while others are looking for the joy of turning an avocation into a vocation Regardless of their motivation their ultimate goal is the pursuit of personal fulfillment while there39s still time For marketers the best business to be in is one that enables this quest whether that39s entrepreneurial coaching access to capital or acknowledgment that what they39re doing is nobleWhen they dream they cannot failThey say that boomers were born dreamers but the many years of obligation to the practical requirements of life put a lot of dreams on hold For their parents who lived threestage lives amp8212 education employment and retirement amp8212 pursuing a personal dream meant having a dream job because retirement was a time of resting and relaxing not restarting Things are different now the dividend of longevity is adding extra years to the prime of their lives If you39re 65 you still have a lot of road in front of you to dream about what you can still do while even leaving some room to chase more than one dream Failure is OK now because the consequences of failing aren39t as severe as they once were When you think about it there has never been a better time in their lives for them to do what they really want than the years of age that they39re living right nowWhen you ask people who have successfully rewired to describe what they ultimately succeeded at most say that they found a way to stay visible and relevant by doing something that truly matters No boomer that I know intends to fade away so even if they39re not consciously thinking about a rewiring scheme they are moving toward a future that has them continuing to be engaged in the world around them in a way that helps them to be taken seriously Which brings us back to rule number one of marketing to boomers Regardless of what you and what your organization may think about people of age if they matter to your business take them seriously They39re still going places and watching to see who39s keeping up with themPhoto courtesy of BoomAgersClick the social buttons to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Boomers Don't Retire, They Rewire

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Peter Hubbell

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Boomers Don't Retire, They Rewire

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