This is the first in a series of blogs about how to disrupt aging and find ways to live fully in the nearly 20 years the average person now lives beyond age 60. This “Boomer” generation is different than their parents. Most want to be contributors to society. Half of those over 60 are still working full time, and half of those expect to work part time after they “retire” at either 65 or 66. Many will choose to work from home or a new location, as 40% already have high-speed internet. Today’s “young old”, those from age 65-74, exercise twice as often as previous generations, and travel more. LeRoy Hanneman, CEO of Del Webb, calls the group over age 60 the “zoomers” since they are not content to sit at home. They want to be in college towns, on beaches, and in the mountains where the action is.
A way to begin aging disruption is to discern a new purpose during this life phase. I came across this Venn diagram recently, credited to Oscar Ledezma Jr. It can give food for thought :
If you were to print this and write in the circles some notes about what you love, your talents, world needs, and payment, where does YOUR love and talent intersect with the world’s needs and the ability to be paid?
If you have the funds, could you re-draw the diagram so you don’t even need to be paid and your purpose is the intersection of what you love and are talented at with what the world needs?
I hope you know that you have a choice if you are in this demographic. You can move beyond the idea of “graceful and sedentary aging” after six weeks of vacation at the end of your career. You can disrupt “aging in place” in your recliner with your remote, Facebook games, or crosswords in hand. You can find new purpose and feel more alive and happy than ever before. What do you say?
Warmly,
Jeanne Erikson , PhD,PCC, BCC