retirement – Dutra Associates

Will You Be a Super-Ager?: Tips You Can Apply Now to Improve Your Odds

April 9, 2019 By Sherry Dutra 2 Comments

What is a Super-Ager?

Staying mentally capable for our entire lives is an issue that most adults are interested in. The good news is that, in recent years, research into aging has expanded to include the exploration of what is different about those who still have the sharp memory of those who are decades younger. The study of those who are aging well is beginning to reveal key differences associated with those who are described as super-agers – those age 80 and above who can function cognitively like someone in their 50’s and 60’s.

What Research Has Revealed

A variety of studies have been and are continuing to be conducted at highly respected universities and hospitals. One researcher, Dr Emily Rogalski, a neuroscientist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, leads a Super-Aging study there. Two key findings stand out. First, that the brains of super-agers don’t shrink as fast as others’ the same age. Second, that super-agers have a large number of spindle neurons, a special kind of nerve cell that helps us to make quick decisions in challenging situations. Not only do they have far more of these cells than their peers, but also super-agers can have more than the average 20-year-old.

What You Can Do

There is much research still to be done. Scientists don’t understand yet why these differences exist. Whether it’s due to genes, environmental factors or an interaction between the two is still to be determined. Dr Lisa Barrett, a neuroscientist with Massachusetts General Hospital, theorizes that working hard at something, either physically or mentally, helps to slow cell loss in our brains. This correlates with thicker brain regions that are associated with better performance on memory and attention tests. To be clear, Dr Barrett is talking about high intensity exercise and strenuous mental effort. So, while the scientists continue to explore the mystery behind the super-ager, there are tips you can apply right now.

Get out of your comfort zone. Brain games and crossword puzzles aren’t enough. Learn a new language, pick up a musical instrument you haven’t played in years or always wanted to learn and become proficient at it, take an art class and paint, or learn to code. Pick an activity that makes your brain hurt a little.
Exercise, exercise, exercise. If you’re just beginning an exercise routine or looking to step it up, be sure to talk with your doctor to determine what’s appropriate for you. Find an activity that you enjoy and work your way up to a level of intensity where you can’t talk easily while you’re working out. Doing this for 20 – 40 minutes, three to five days per week, is recommended.
Stay the course. It can be frustrating to try new things. We are wired to avoid change. Yet there are great benefits that come from sticking with a challenge and mastering it over time. So, whether it’s the instrument you’re practicing or the length of time you walk, be patient with yourself and keep at it. Soon, you’ll be able to do things you might never have thought possible while helping to sustain your mental capability.

In the coming years, science will continue to reveal more of what will improve your odds of becoming a super-ager. For now, no matter what your age, you can begin to put these tips into practice to improve the quality of your life currently and into the future.

About the Author: Sherry Dutra is a Talent Development, Career and Retirement Coach and Facilitator who believes we each have far more potential than we typically tap in to. She helps you learn how to step into your full potential so you can create consistent, optimal performance for yourself and your team with less stress and more enjoyment. If you would like to uncover and address hidden challenges that may be sabotaging your success, leverage your strengths, and accelerate your progress toward the results you desire, contact Sherry for a complimentary consultation.

Building A Truly Meaningful Retirement

October 25, 2018 By Sherry Dutra Leave a Comment

A retirement coach began her workshop by holding up a $20 bill and asking the group, “Who would like to have this money?”

As audience members raised their hands, the coach said, “I’m going to give this money to one of you,” but then began to crumple the bill up. “Who still wants it?” she asked. All the hands remained in the air.

“Well,” she continued, “what if I do this?” She dropped the bill on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with her shoe. She picked up the bill, now crumpled and dirty, and asked again, “Anyone still want it?” All the hands went back into the air.

“So, why do you still want it?” she asked the audience. One participant responded, “Because it’s still worth $20.”

The coach continued, “That’s exactly it! This simple activity offers new and future retirees a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was never worth less than $20.”

“In retirement, losing the career identity you spent a lifetime creating, and facing new and unknown circumstances, can at times make you feel crumpled up or ground into the dirt. But work is what you do, not who you are. Therefore, leaving it all behind doesn’t affect your true value.”

In order to avoid feeling lost or broken-hearted in retirement, ask yourself:
•Who am I when I’m not at work?
•What aspects of work are going to be the most difficult for me to replace?
•If I was suddenly faced with a financial hardship or troubling medical condition, who would I turn to? Who would get the first phone call? Who has been there in the past?

The worth of our lives comes not from what we do or what we have, but in who we are!

Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are always priceless … especially to those who love you for who you are and what you stand for.

It’s a simple reminder that a truly meaningful retirement is built by not only preparing financially, but also by planning for the mental and emotional aspects as well.

Time for a Career Change? 5 Sure Signs

August 20, 2018 By Sherry Dutra Leave a Comment

Jan’s Story

Jan* was facing a dilemma. She had just turned 40 and had been with her current organization for over five years and was feeling discontented, frustrated, and stressed. At the request of her Vice President, Jan had laterally transferred about a year earlier to take on the challenge of a newly created management role. Though the function she would be managing was not her first choice of next steps, Jan felt that the opportunity would add positively to her resume and she accepted the position. After much hard work, late hours, and tight deadlines, the first major initiative in this role was successfully completed. Awesome, right? Well, though pleased with the results, Jan recognized that she didn’t enjoy the work, dreaded the end of the weekend, and was feeling constant stress.

The company was in the process of several acquisitions. As each one came on board, Jan needed to roll out the same initiative to each acquired company. With each new project, Jan could feel her dissatisfaction growing. She knew she didn’t like her work and the company was having difficulties. Yet, the job paid well, the benefits were good, and it was close to home. Also, she enjoyed the people she worked with. Despite that, Jan struggled each day with whether she should look for a new opportunity or just stick it out.

Maybe this sounds like you. Or, your story of career dissatisfaction may have a different back story but the undeniable bottom line question is still the same – “should I stay or should I go?”

How do you decide whether it’s time for a career change?

5 Sure Signs

The money and benefits are the primary reason you’re still there.

We all have financial responsibilities and no one is suggesting that money and benefits aren’t important. However, we often talk ourselves into believing that moving into a position that fuels our passion and brings meaning to our lives will automatically pay less than our current role. Additionally, even if it does pay less initially, it’s likely that more money will follow when you are able to bring your best self to work that you love. And, if needed, I’ll bet there are some things you could adjust in your budget to accommodate bringing joy back into your life.

Your body is feeling the effects.

Even if your mind hasn’t caught up with the notion that you need to pursue something different, your body is likely giving you clues. Are you having trouble sleeping at night? Like Jan, do you experience anxiety as Sunday night approaches and you’re dreading the start of a new week? Have you noticed a significant gain or loss in your weight for no apparent reason? Do you find yourself feeling ill more frequently? Are you experiencing a constant feeling of stress or exhaustion? While there may be other reasons for these symptoms and seeing your doctor is highly recommended, many have to look no further than their job to find the source of their discomfort.

Something just feels like it’s missing.

Often, we fail to recognize that aligning our needs and values with our career is critical to a feeling of well-being. As we progress in our careers, it’s important to check in periodically and reflect on what’s most important to us. While many of our needs and values remain constant, some may evolve and shift as we move through various stages in our lives. What adjustments to your role, manager or environment might be able to be made to shift you back into alignment again? If this isn’t possible, it’s time to find a career or role that fits with who you are today.

You’re constantly complaining about your job.

We all have bad days even in the best of jobs. Yet, if you notice that your primary topic of conversation with your family and friends tends to be complaints about your work, it’s time to pay attention. What were you like when you were in a position that you really enjoyed? What would it take to reignite that part of you again? Who is the person you’d like to be?

You’ve lost your energy and drive.

If you find, that once in a great while, you experience moments of feeling a little bored or not overly excited about your work, that’s completely natural. Over time, there are very few jobs that keep you excited and energized every moment. If, on the other hand, you notice that you’re finding it difficult to get motivated about most anything, it may be time for a change. Find a place where you can use your strengths each day; where you are energized and inspired by the work and the people around you.

Your Call to Action

While there are certainly other signs that a career change might be in order, these are the ones that I’ve seen most frequently with clients. As the fall season approaches, it’s a great time to start thinking about what you want to create in the coming year so that you can hit the ground running in January. If you recognize any of the 5 signs in yourself, I invite you to step back and do some self-reflection. Discover where your passions lie, set a new direction, and take action toward a happier and more fulfilling career.

*Name and details changed to protect confidentiality.

Ready or Not, Here It Comes…Your Retirement

July 3, 2018 By Sherry Dutra Leave a Comment

Retirement, or what I prefer to call ReIgnitement™, requires planning. And, while many have focused attention on financial planning for retirement, few have considered the non-financial aspects of this life transition. Transitions of any type can create stress in your life, even if the change is something that you have been looking forward to. When that transition arrives, you can react to the changes that arise such as loss of identity, work relationships, or purpose. Or, by taking a planful approach, you can prepare yourself to respond effectively to the transition and ease the way.

In this third of a series of three blogs focused on retirement, I want to provide you with a simple tool to help you gauge your readiness for this transition. If you’re roughly 5 – 7 years from retirement, or know someone who is, please use this tool or share it with another to get a quick read on your readiness. If you’re already retired, you can use this tool to pinpoint those areas that might need some attention.

Click here for the Retirement Readiness Wheel. The 8 sections you’ll address include the following:

Clarity of Identity, Purpose
Health
Leisure/Travel
Home/Residence, Location
Marriage/Significant Other
Work/Business, Volunteering
Financial Resources
Optimism About Aging

As you review and rate each section, take a moment to determine what that section means to you. Then, to determine your readiness, circle your level of satisfaction with each of the 8 sections on a scale of 1 – 7 (1 = least satisfied, 7 = most satisfied). Go with the first response that comes to mind as you review each part of the wheel. That tends to be the one that is most indicative of the way you truly feel.

Once you’ve rated each section, draw a line connecting each of the numbers around the circle. What kind of wheel do you have? How smooth and balanced does it feel? How bumpy might a ride on that wheel be?

If you discover that one or more areas of your ReIgnitement™ could use some tweaking and you’re not sure where to begin, a coach can help. I invite you to explore my profile as well as those of my colleagues on the Retirement Coaches Association website to find a coach who is right for you. We help our clients think about and prepare for retirement like never before.

If you haven’t already downloaded the Retirement Readiness Wheel, click on the link to do so.

About the Author: Sherry Dutra is a Talent Development and Career Coach and Facilitator who believes we each have far more potential than we typically tap in to. She helps you learn how to step into your full potential so you can create consistent, optimal performance for yourself and your team with less stress and more enjoyment. If you would like to uncover and address hidden challenges that may be sabotaging your success, leverage your strengths, and accelerate your progress toward the results you desire, contact Sherry for a complimentary consultation.

Is Your Organization Ready for This Seismic Shift?

May 24, 2018 By Sherry Dutra Leave a Comment

On average, 10,000 of these events will happen per day in the United States through the year 2030. What are they?

According to the Insured Retirement Institute, 10,000 baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) are expected to retire, on average, each day in the United States through 2030. This is excellent news for those getting ready to enter the next chapter of their lives and an opportunity for younger workers to step into new roles. Yet, what will be the impact of that lost knowledge and expertise on your organization?

Based on research conducted by the authors of Critical Knowledge Transfer, one company reported that in the next anticipated wave of nearly 700 retirements, they would experience a loss of 27,000 years of experience. If that’s not enough to have you sit up and take notice, I’m not sure what will. That said, not every vacated position is created equal. Some will certainly be easier to fill than others. Perhaps the appropriate level of expertise and skill is readily available on the job market or you have done the work to ensure that someone within your organization is ready to take on the role. Unfortunately, this is the exception rather than the rule.

Taking a Proactive Stanch – 4 Key Tips

Knowing the average age of your employee population is not enough. That still keeps the potential problem at hand difficult to define. Take a closer look at the specific roles held by long-term employees and seasoned managers who are within a few years of retirement age. Which positions require critical skills and experience that are not easy to find on the open market? Long term employees across and at all levels of the organization often hold critical, hands-on experience of how to get things done through their comprehensive knowledge of processes, company historical information, clients and customers. Without a proactive approach, your organization runs the risk of realizing, too late, that you have a critical skill shortage that is adversely impacting your business performance.
Consider implementing a mentoring program that effectively engages both older and younger workers in accelerating development and bridging the knowledge gap. Providing training for both mentors and mentees can help to ensure that a mutually beneficial mentoring relationship is created and both parties find the experience a valuable one.
Utilize knowledge capture methods to gather critical expertise and make it available across a wide range of people. There are many ways to store and manage institutional knowledge including online forums, podcasts, webinars, and videos, to name a few.
Pay attention to employee engagement. Younger members of the workforce have an average job stay of roughly four years. Ensure the right managers are in place who truly care about their employees’ success. Robin Reilly, a Senior Consultant at Gallup has written that such managers “seek to understand each person’s strengths and provide employees with every opportunity to use their strengths in their role. Great managers empower their employees, recognize and value their contributions, and actively seek their ideas and opinions.” Increasing employee engagement will assist in keeping younger workers from jumping ship.

The time has come to proactively address the seismic shift that has already begun in terms of talent shortages in the workplace. These are just a few of the tips that can help you to mitigate your risk. Don’t wait another day to identify where your organization is most vulnerable and take the steps now to ensure a smoother transition.

The Retirement Plans That Few Consider

April 23, 2018 By Sherry Dutra Leave a Comment

Most people spend more time planning their annual vacation than they spend planning for the non-financial components of their retirement. Now that increased longevity has extended the lifespan of the average North American, people can anticipate living 20 – 30 years beyond the typical retirement age of 62 or 65. Since this is becoming known as a “second adulthood”, it deserves your time and attention to ensure that this time in your life is filled with meaning and purpose, health and well-being, and social engagement in addition to financial stability. It’s never too early to begin giving consideration to how you’d like to craft this part of your life. Here are three key tips I’d like to share that can help set you on the path to an easeful retirement transition.

Create a plan well in advance

Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” It is an abrupt change from working full-time to having the expanse of 24 hours a day at your fingertips. Once the glow of an extended vacation wears off, you may find yourself clamoring to find another job, if you haven’t decided in advance how you’d like to spend your time. While working in some capacity may be a part of that plan, let that be a conscious choice rather than a reaction to feeling at loose ends. What would the perfect day or week look like for you in retirement? Creating some level of structure goes a long way toward staying engaged. Spend less time thinking about what you’re retiring from and more time considering what you’re retiring to.

Think holistically

Financial security is a critical factor in retirement preparedness. Yet, it is far from the only thing to take into consideration. As you create your plan, look at all aspects of your life. What is important to you? What are the values and beliefs that provide meaning in your life? How will you sustain your mental and physical capabilities? Where will there be opportunities for connection to others? What hobbies might you want to pursue? How will you continue your personal development? How important is it to you to give back in some way?

Communicate

Be sure to include your spouse or partner in your retirement planning. Do they work as well? When do you both want to be retired? What do you each want out of retirement? How can you work collaboratively to create a shared vision? What activities will you do together and where will you explore your interests on your own? How will you divide home related chores? How often will you see your children and grandchildren? What expectations do family members have of one another? Having these conversations in advance and getting on the same page will relieve a potential stressor down the road.

Be proactive and make this significant transition a rewarding and fulfilling next chapter in your life.

Beat the Trend and Enjoy the Satisfying Retirement You Deserve

September 23, 2016 By Sherry Dutra 1 Comment

I recently read that less than half of retirees, aged 50 and over, describe their retirement as “very satisfying”.¹ Additionally, this number is trending downward. In 1998, 60.5% of respondents reported “very satisfying” retirements. In 2012 that number dropped to 48.6%. This truly saddened me, as I believe that this stage of life offers incredible opportunity for meaning and fulfillment. Additional research is needed to more deeply explore the reasons behind this trend. In the meantime, I wanted to share three key tips that can help you to beat this trend.

Create a plan well in advance

Think holistically

Financial security is a critical factor in retirement preparedness. Yet, it is far from the only thing to take into consideration. As you create your plan, look at all aspects of your life. What is important to you? What provides meaning in your life? Where will there be opportunities for connection to others? How will you sustain your physical and mental capabilities? What hobbies might you want to pursue? How will you continue your personal development? How important is it to you to give back in some way?

Communicate

Be proactive and make this significant transition a rewarding and fulfilling next chapter in your life.

¹ Banerjee,S. (2016). Trends in retirement satisfaction in the United States: Fewer having a great time. EBRI Notes, 37(4), 1-16.

About the Author: Sherry Dutra is a Talent Development and Career Coach and Facilitator who helps you create consistent, optimal performance using all your capacity and potential in both your work and life. If you would like to uncover and address hidden challenges that may be sabotaging your success, leverage your strengths, and accelerate your progress toward the results you desire, contact Sherry for a complimentary consultation.

Tips to ReIgnite Your Life – Part 2

March 30, 2016 By Sherry Dutra Leave a Comment

In Tips to ReIgnite Your Life – Part 1, we explored 3 of the 6 key arenas to prepare for in order to create your ideal second adulthood. If you haven’t already reviewed and answered the questions in the first blog, please click here to access.

Below, I’ve outlined the remaining 3 arenas that are instrumental to discover, plan and live your ReIgnitement™ dream.

Family and Relationships:

What plans do you have in place to build and nurture new relationships as well as existing ones?
What responsibilities do you have to help or support aging parents, adult children and/or grandchildren?

Leisure and Social:

What do you love to do for fun?
Where will you live during these years?
What type of travel might you have in mind?

Personal Development:

What will bring meaning and a sense of purpose to your days?
How will you continue a pursuit of life-long learning?
What role might volunteer activities play?

In many cases, we spend more time planning a vacation than we do planning for this significant transition in our lives. If we give ourselves the gift of dreaming and planning, we have the opportunity to design a transition that flows seamlessly and effortlessly. With the rising likelihood of living eight decades or beyond, planning all aspects of this time will increase our chances of a healthy, happy, vital, secure and meaningful life.

Tips to ReIgnite Your Life – Part 1

February 29, 2016 By Sherry Dutra 1 Comment

How do you want to spend your second adulthood? What does that even mean? Well, according to 2014 data gathered by the National Center for Health Statistics, 65 year olds can anticipate a life expectancy of another 20 years. Woohoo! 85! Given that about 75 years ago, 65 was the typical end of life, we’ve come a long way. And yet, we often neglect to create a clear vision of how we want that chapter of our lives to unfold. We have an unprecedented opportunity to live full, vibrant lives. To make the most of our time, we must have a comprehensive vision. While being prepared financially is what most people think about, we all know that isn’t the only facet of life.

Below, I’ve introduced 3 of the 6 key arenas in which to paint the picture of your ideal second adulthood and reignite your life. It doesn’t matter what your age is today, it’s never too early to start dreaming.

Career and Work:
• How interested are you in continuing to work in some capacity?
• What dream career might you now want to pursue?
• How can you create better alignment between your values and desires and the work that you engage in?

Health and Wellness:
• How well do your health practices support your physical well-being?
• How well do you live to the fullest, regardless of the conditions that arise?
• What are your attitudes and beliefs about maturing in age?

Finances and Insurance:
• How well are your attitudes and information about money serving you?
• Are you working with a trusted financial planner to develop a truly workable plan?
• How confident are you that your financial plan will sustain you and your family for this stage of life?

Take a few moments and imagine what you’d like to create in each of these life arenas for the second half of your adult life. With proper planning, you can make this transition a meaningful and fulfilling one.

Stay tuned for my next blog which will cover the remaining 3 key arenas to explore.