"The Senior Years Master Plan" is an Excellent Guidebook for Later Life

Many of us try to block out the fact that we are aging. As we approach our 50s and 60s, we may become even more determined to ignore the reality facing us. One reason is that we can become simply overwhelmed by all the different issues we have to consider.  Where should we live? How much money will we need?  How can we generate income which will last the rest of our lives? How can we manage our health, our illnesses and, ultimately, our deaths? There are so many things to think about, it can seem easier to procrastinate about doing anything.

 

As a result, I was curious when the author of "The Senior Years Master Plan", Ralph Mroz, contacted me about his book. (Ad) After reading it, I was impressed by the comprehensive way it brought up virtually every issue people need to consider, ideally before they actually retire.  However, even if you have already retired, there are some great suggestions in this book which you will find helpful.  I appreciated the detailed description of the different types of financial advisors and I loved the suggestion that we all put together an Index of where to find our important documents and everything else our heirs will need, if something should happen to us.  It will save our family a lot of frustration and confusion. I also liked the suggestion that we all assemble a "team" of reliable people we can count on as we age ... doctors, lawyers, financial planners, and wellness experts.

 

When the author contacted me about his book, he also provided a very complete description of what I could expect to find in the book.  I asked if I could use his description in this blog post, since he knows the book better than anyone.  After I read the book, I realized that his description was quite accurate.  Below is the information he provided.

Author's Summary of "The Senior Years Master Plan" (Ad)

 

"As I watched my parents' generation suffer in old age from lack of choices, or poor choices made decades earlier, the question in my mind was, 'So what do we need to do now to plan for the best outcome in our old age?'

There are thousands of books and websites on the subject of aging and its various elements.  But there isn’t a single, concise, overall guide to all of the practical aspects of aging that require planning and 

action, often years in advance.  This book’s audience is mostly Baby Boomers, and their children.

Here is a list of the major chapters:

•    The principles of aging

•    You will diminish

•    Housing and care options

•    Aging in place

•    Keeping busy

•    Pets

•    Stopping driving

•    Your team: doctors

•    Your team: financial planner

•    Your team: elder law attorney

•    Your team: the gym and trainer

•    Your team: maintenance people

•    Your team: a trusted sounding board

•    Your team: nutritionist

•    Your team: care manager

•    Psychological wellness

•    The last act: your funeral

The book is concise and stresses the need for practical action.  Each chapter lays out the spectrum of options, and de-confuses the plethora of perplexing terms that describe them.  Each chapter presents some hard truths, and stresses the need for planning.  Most chapters lay out the need for professional help.  However, no chapter tells the reader what they should do, but rather how to evaluate the options or how to engage an appropriate professional."

 

I highly recommend "The Senior Years Master Plan" (Ad) to the readers of the Baby-Boomer-Retirement blog. It could help everyone have a comprehensive, flexible plan for their senior years which will reduce their anxiety, save them time, and help them prepare for the inevitable.  I also suggest you browse back through the book every year or two, to make sure your plan is still up-to-date and reflects your needs and desires.

 

About the Book's Author

 

With a career spanning the private sector (high-tech and management consulting), public sector (police officer and law enforcement trainer), and the non-profit sector, Ralph Mroz brings a uniquely well-rounded perspective to his analysis. He has been a prolific writer and video presenter.

In the law enforcement arena, he's regarded as one of the leading critical thinkers regarding training.
In the management arena, he's the co-author (with Mitch Gooze) of Value Acceleration, (Ad) the book which introduced the structured strategic marketing system known as the Customer Manufacturing Process.  He's been appointed to two gubernatorial commissions (one concerning economic development, the other related to law enforcement).

As a Baby Boomer, he researched many aspects of aging in order to plan effectively for the upcoming decades.  Now retired, he volunteers at his local dog shelter and is involved with a police reform organization in his home state of Massachusetts. 

 

If you are interested in learning more about saving money, financial planning, Social Security, Medicare, where to retire, common medical issues as you age, travel and more, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional helpful articles.

Disclosure: This blog may contain affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase from an Amazon ad, I'll make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credits: author via Amazon

'Retirement by Design' is a Helpful Workbook for Retirees and Those Planning Retirement

Do you wish you had someone to walk you through the complexities of planning your ideal retirement, especially if your original plans need revising because of stock market losses or an unexpected career change?  Are you confused by all the choices and opportunities you will have during the last phase of your life?  Are you worried you may not be able to afford to retire?  If so, you are not alone.  Many people ask themselves where they can afford to live after they stop working, what they should do with their time, how to deal with a reduced retirement account, and when would be the best time for them to retire. 

The helpful workbook, "Retirement by Design," (Ad) was written  by Ida Abbott, who has been a lawyer and legal consultant for over four decades.  She has helped mentor people through their professional careers from the start of their practice through retirement.  She brings design thinking to the process of retirement planning, and her insights will be very helpful to you.

Topics To Help You Design Your Retirement

A successful, satisfying retirement rarely happens accidentally.  This workbook walks you through a range of thought-provoking topics you should consider as you plan your retirement.  Among the topics you will find are:

What Do We Mean by Retirement Today?
Choosing a Personal Advisory Team
Exploring Your Attitudes and Feelings about Retirement
Starting Your Transition in Retirement
Knowing Who You Are and How You Got Here
The Impact of Retirement on Your Relationships
Potential Financial and Health Constraints
Getting Your Legal and Medical Arrangements in Order
Envisioning Your Future Life in Retirement
Organizing, Prioritizing, and Exploring Retirement Possibilities
Putting Together the Pieces: Designing Your Retirement Plan

How to Get the Most from this Workbook

"Retirement by Design" (Ad) is a book which would ideally be used by someone who is a few years away from retirement, although it is also helpful for people who have already retired and now find themselves feeling confused and struggling to get their retirement plan organized.  Whether you are just beginning to think about your future, or you are trying to reorganize the retirement you have already started, this workbook will be very helpful.

Each chapter asks relevant questions which are designed to help you clarify your thinking about what you want to do.  There are plenty of blank lines and charts following the questions, so you can jot your thoughts down in the book!  It will even help you transition out of a business you own, while guiding you to think about how to transfer your leadership roles and clients, and who you should tell about your transition plans.

This book will also guide your thinking about your past experiences and assist you in evaluating your risk tolerance.  You can list your favorite skills and consider how you may put them to use in the future.

Chapter 6 may be one of the most important, because it asks you to consider the impact of retirement on your relationships.  Is your spouse retiring at the same time?  Do you have a home-based spouse who works from a home office or is a homemaker?  How much togetherness do you want?  How much do they want?  This chapter also covers issues such as whether or not you should move to be near your children and grandchildren.  Are you willing to be a caregiver for your grandchildren? What if you have living, elderly parents?  How will your retirement affect them?  There are a lot of issues to consider in this chapter.

"Retirement by Design" (Ad) will also help you evaluate your Social Security and Medicare benefits, estate planning, medical directives and many of the legal issues you need to consider.

Finally, the book will guide you in discovering how you want to spend your free time during the final decades of your life.  Where do you want to live?  What hobbies would you like to pursue?  Do you need to earn extra income?  Would you like to volunteer?  Do you have a travel bucket list?

Retirement by Design was released in February 2020 by Ulysees Press. In it, the author utilizes the design thinking principles of empathy, definition, ideating, prototyping, and testing to help formulate what this season of life could look like for every individual. These innovative business principles will help you have a more fulfilling and meaningful retirement.  They will guide you in making decisions about location, finances, engagement in organizations, activities and interpersonal relationships.

Although retirement comes with many fears, Ida believes that the best way to deal with those fears is to acknowledge that they exist and take control of them. You've heard it a million times:  There's no right time to retire.  However, there are steps a person can take to set themselves up to achieve the dreams they have for the next phase of life.  This workbook will lessen the burden and help you design and live a life of purpose, enjoyment, and fulfillment.

By the time you have worked your way through this book, you will have a much clearer idea about the right retirement plan for you, and how to put it into action.  The book is available as both a paperback workbook, as well as on Kindle.  The paperback workbook is just a few dollars more than the Kindle version and I recommend it, because you can write your thoughts directly in the book and have everything in one place.

 More about Ida Abbott:

She is a former attorney and current professional consultant focusing on the power of mentoring relationships to guide, support, and transform professional careers from the beginning of practice through retirement.  She has long been a leader in the field of talent management, particularly mentoring, sponsorship, and the advancement of women into leadership. Over more than four decades as a lawyer and legal consultant, and recognition of a lifetime of achievement, Abbott has held leadership positions in numerous bar associations, women's organizations, and professional organizations in the U.S. and internationally. She was a co-founder of the Hastings Leadership Academy for Women and the Professional Development Consortium, and is now a sought-after speaker and the author of several books, including The Lawyer's Guide to Mentoring, 2nd Edition, (Ad) and Sponsoring Women: What Men Need to Know. (Ad)

Successful Retirement requires Serenity, Courage, and Wisdom.  This heart-shaped pendant is a constant reminder of that fact.  If you would like to purchase one of our pendants, in steel, gold, or rose gold finishes, check out our shops at:

12Step-Jewelry.com (Ad)

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To learn more about common retirement planning issues, Medicare, Social Security, health problems, financial planning, where to retire and more, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional helpful articles.

Disclosure: This blog may contain affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase from an Amazon ad, I'll make a small commission to support this blog, at no extra cost to you.

You are reading form the blog:  https://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo of book cover taken by author