Carol Orsborn: 23 Top Illusions Busted by Age. Twenty-five years ago, when I was in my late 30s, "The New York Times" wrote an article about the organization I founded. Superwomen's Anonymous was a club for baby boomer women who were tired of trying to have, do and be it all. Attracting tens of thousands of equally exhausted women, Superwomen's Anonymous was accurately hailed by the national media as "the harbinger of things to come" -- part of the pioneering work our generation contributed to the then-revolutionary notion of life -- balance, simplicity and the search for meaning.
The phone rang off the hook and I found myself with lucrative speaking engagements, media appearances and a book deal with a major publisher. In fact, it was just after meeting with my publisher for the first time that I recall standing on Fifth Avenue, deeply breathing in the heady sense that I had secured my destiny: that through this book, I had been tapped by the gods as immortal. 23 Top Illusions Aging Has Dispelled 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Lindsey Graham’s ‘bankruptcy’ trifecta. “I think we’re going over the cliff. It’s pretty clear to me they made a political calculation. This offer doesn’t remotely deal with entitlement reform in a way to save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security from imminent bankruptcy.
It raises $1.6 trillion on job creators that will destroy the economy and there are no spending controls.” — Sen. In dismissing the administration’s offer to resolve the so-called “fiscal cliff,” Sen. We have warned before that politicians in both parties are guilty of misusing such phrases as “bankruptcy” or “broke” when talking about Medicare.
The Facts Medicare is an old-age health-care program, while Medicaid delivers health care for the poor. But as we have explained before, there are four parts to Medicare: Part A (hospital insurance), Part B (medical insurance), Part C (Medicare Advantage — private plans for parts A and B), and Part D (prescription drug plans). Moreover, though the fund would be “depleted,” it would not be “bankrupt.” Three Pinocchios. Robots and Robber Barons. Wait — are we really back to talking about capital versus labor? Isn’t that an old-fashioned, almost Marxist sort of discussion, out of date in our modern information economy? Well, that’s what many people thought; for the past generation discussions of inequality have focused overwhelmingly not on capital versus labor but on distributional issues between workers, either on the gap between more- and less-educated workers or on the soaring incomes of a handful of superstars in finance and other fields.
But that may be yesterday’s story. More specifically, while it’s true that the finance guys are still making out like bandits — in part because, as we now know, some of them actually are bandits — the wage gap between workers with a college education and those without, which grew a lot in the 1980s and early 1990s, hasn’t changed much since then. Indeed, recent college graduates had stagnant incomes even before the financial crisis struck. Why is this happening? What about robber barons?
Avoiding "I'll know it when I see it" This is a waste for the buyer and the seller. When you have a business or individual waiting for you to bring them custom work, it can lead to an endless cycle of, "hmmmm not quite right. " If the architectural drawings, high-heeled shoes or ad campaign doesn't meet their unstated standards, you're back to doing it again. Sometimes you can make a handsome profit on all the fees you charge to redo things that indulge the ego of the customer, but more likely than not, your time is wasted until they're happy.
If you have a client who feels the same way, you can work together to save time and money by being clear with each other about what's wanted. I think helping a client say what they want before they see it is a worthy endeavor. Do it on purpose. When engaging with a new client, intentionally create an environment where personal taste is described in advance, and as much boundary-building as possible is done when it's cheap to iterate, not at the end when it's expensive.Demand benchmarks.
The Purpose of a Business. How to Create an Internal Recovery Plan. Is the Work You Do Worthwhile? William K. Zinke: Who Will Be Supporting Retired Workers In 2020? In 1950 there were 16.5 workers for every retired worker. In 2012 the ratio was reduced to 3.3 to 1. By 2020 that ratio is projected at 2.2 to 1 and to almost 2 to 1 by 2030. Is anyone considering these projections and their implications for the U.S. economy? Actually, there is good news. Thirty years were added to longevity in the 20th century; Gary Becker, an economics professor at the University of Chicago and Pulitzer Prize winner has called this the greatest gift of the 20th century.
The U.S. has moved from an industrial to a knowledge-based economy; in fact, only 11 percent of the civilian workforce is employed in industrial companies and 84 percent in service companies. And we have a large and growing talent pool of Baby Boomers, 80 percent of whom, according to a 2011 survey conducted by AARP, indicate their intent to continue working after retirement.
Let's talk about the definition of retirement because we need a new word. There is one more piece of good news. Loading Slideshow. Center for Productive Longevity Wraps Up Successful Series of Baby Boomer Entrepreneurship Meetings. BOULDER, CO--(Marketwire - Nov 20, 2012) - The Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), which serves as the bridge between people 55 and older and opportunities that enable them to continue in productive activities, recently wrapped up its last meeting in the "Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers" series. These meetings attracted more than 400 participants 50 and older to the four meetings in Kansas City, Mo., Boston, Chicago and Denver. There are 78 million Baby Boomers (one-quarter of the total U.S. population) reaching the traditional retirement age of 65 at the rate of 4.2 million each year from 2011 through 2029. With unemployment high and economic growth low for the foreseeable future, new-business creation is a bright spot on a gloomy employment horizon for older people.
A survey sponsored by AARP in 2011 indicated that 80 percent of the Baby Boomers surveyed intend to continue working after leaving their regular career jobs. "This is what built America! The decline of fascination and the rise in ennui. A generation ago, a clever idea could run and run. We talked about Space Food Sticks and Tang and Gilligan's Island and the Batmobile for years, even though there certainly wasn't a lot of depth. Hit movies and books stayed on the bestseller lists for months or even years (!) Today, an internet video or an investment philosophy or a political moment might last for weeks or even a few days. It's not unusual for a movie or a book or even a TV series to come and go before most people notice it.
The result is that there's an increasing desire, almost a panic, for something new. When that need can't be filled (which is not surprising, if you think about it) then we're inclined to declare that it's the end, the end of new ideas, the end of progress, the end of everything that's interesting. If you're in the business of making a new thing, this churn may be an opportunity, because it's easier now than ever to send a hit up the pop charts, whatever sort of pop you make.
12 Most Self-Defeating Phrases to Toss Out, For Good. It’s hard to curb the tendency many of us have to criticize ourselves. Just today, I missed a turn I take several times a week, and I had to go about 20 blocks out of my way and make three right turns to get back on track. “Becky!” Scolded that voice in my head, adding a few other things I can’t include here and keep it suitable for general audiences. I actually caught myself and changed my response to this: “It’s okay. People make mistakes. Here’s a dozen to strike from the list, for good!
1. Just move on to the solution. 2. More likely it was a bit clumsy, imperfect, unpolished or just wrong. 3. When you tell yourself this, you’ve lost the race before the gun even goes off. 4. Fear lurks here — as long as you let it. 5. Tall? 6. Of course you do. 7. And, if you tell yourself this, you never will. 8. You’ve got to rise above that worry when seeking to make change, progress or big goals. 9. Well, sure it is. 10. The progression of “it’s too hard.” 11. 12. It always matters. Becky Gaylord. EXAMPLE. How I broke my nose (for the second time) The first time was youthful bravery--I was playing hockey with people far better than I (not older, merely better) and they slammed me into the boards. That's something almost heroic, at least when you're twelve. No, the second time was two days ago. I finished a delightful breakfast with a friend and as I walked out of the restaurant, I focused on the door to the street and the weather outside--and completely ignored the interior plate glass door, slamming right into it at full speed.
The important lesson: while it matters a lot that you have a goal, a vision and an arc to get there, it matters even more that you don't skip the preliminary steps in your hurry to get to the future. Early steps might bore you, but miss even one and you might not get the chance to execute on the later ones. My nose is fine, thanks, better every day, but the reminder was a worthwhile one. To protect and serve. Young workers’ retirement hopes grow bleaker amid economic downturn. As Washington turns in the coming weeks from the presidential election to the long-term debt issues facing the nation, the discussions will center on whether the country can afford programs such as Social Security and Medicare in their current form. So far, these debates have focused little on how potential cuts in federal benefits may affect retirement for younger generations of workers who already are seeing employers shrink their safety nets.
The confluence of events is creating a dichotomy in the nation’s workforce and a massive burden for the country that will not be fully evident until the next generation approaches retirement. “We have a looming retirement-income crisis in this country,” said Diane Oakley, executive director of the National Institute on Retirement Security. “The problem is we won’t see the ultimate brunt of it until 30 years down the road when it is too late to do something about it.”
“How the hell do I get ahead?” Late starts ‘A new world’ And it’s not just her. Bob Pozen, Master Of Extreme Productivity, Shares His 3 Most Effective Career Tips. "No matter what your career aspirations are," writes Robert Pozen in Extreme Productivity, "you should begin by thinking carefully about why you are engaging in any activity and what you can expect to get out of it.
" For Pozen, marrying an understanding of the big picture (how to form and place your goals) to the small picture (how to bring them to bear on your schedule), is the essence of productivity. Given that he once simultaneously served as president of Fidelity Management & Research Company and a full-time lecturer at Harvard Business School (while dashing off articles for Harvard Business Review on the side--read his enviable CV here if you dare), it's clear everyone could learn a thing or two from Pozen about how to work well, and not become overwhelmed.
The "hubris" of career planning Pozen went to Harvard for undergrad, then Yale for law school, and soon started teaching at Georgetown and NYU. Supply and demand To make these goals happen, you need to operationalize them. Ten Signs You're Depressed But Don't Know It. Five Ways To Overcome The Fear Of Chasing Your Dream. New Services Help Boomers Max Out Social Security. WASHINGTON – It is no surprise that as the baby boom approaches its Social Security years, it is turning the decision about when to start collecting benefits from an automatic move into a major planning and research opportunity. Having intensively looked into car seats and college admissions for their kids and tried to map out careers and 401(k) plans, boomers now will focus attention on squeezing Social Security for all it is worth. "Baby boomers are the first generation that isn't going to put up with crappy advice," says William Meyer, chief executive officer of Social Security Solutions Inc (), one of a number of new companies selling Social Security strategic planning to future recipients.
"They are the generation that demands more. " Meyers and his business partner, William Reichenstein, a chartered financial analyst and Baylor University professor, have spent several years writing technical papers for financial advisers about how their clients can optimize retirement benefits. "Take your ideas seriously. I nervously sat in front of the sheet of paper.
What was I suppsed to do? I spent a mere thirty minutes scribbling a few notes. It was too early and I was too rushed. There was no way I should take these ideas seriously. If I did, they would change everything. Let me back up. After I graduated college, I took a job working with middle school and high school students.
We spent our days working at full time jobs and our evenings exploring those ideas and connecting great people along the way. I had to learn more. Business school seemed like the next best route; but after taking the GMAT and looking into MBA programs, I realized that the prices and the options just didn’t fit. In the spring of 2011, I took my students on a volunteer trip to a camp in Northern Wisconsin. Once I returned, my mind began racing about the future. The following months were some of the most difficult: researching, resigning, praying, preparing, interviewing, creating, building, failing, and celebrating.
8 Signs You've Found Your Life's Work. This month marks the nine-month anniversary of the most natural and obvious, most joyful and energizing decision of my life: to fully commit 100% to my life's work. I've spent every day falling more madly in love with how I live my life and spend my time, the contributions I'm making to society, and the discomfort and growth that I feel each day. My journey getting here was both arduous and enthralling. It was not at all straightforward. I had numerous experiences that collectively brought me here, teaching me what I'm capable of and showing me what does and does not resonate. Though I've known for many years that my purpose is to unlock human potential, it took me some time to fully embrace my intuition, to figure out how to actualize this vision, and to build the courage to lean into my fears.
(And it's still, and always will be, an ongoing learning process.) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. What Successful People Do With The First Hour Of Their Work Day. Remember when you used to have a period at the beginning of every day to think about your schedule, catch up with friends, maybe knock out a few tasks? It was called home room, and it went away after high school. But many successful people schedule themselves a kind of grown-up home room every day. You should too. The first hour of the workday goes a bit differently for Craig Newmark of Craigslist, David Karp of Tumblr, motivational speaker Tony Robbins, career writer (and Fast Company blogger) Brian Tracy, and others, and they’ll tell you it makes a big difference.
Here are the first items on their daily to-do list. Don’t Check Your Email for the First Hour. Tumblr founder David Karp will "try hard" not to check his email until 9:30 or 10 a.m., according to an Inc. profile of him. If you need to make sure the most important messages from select people come through instantly, AwayFind can monitor your inbox and get your attention when something notable arrives. Choose Your Frog. RICH. Www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p70-132.pdf. Tracking the Work-From-Home Trend : Managing. Four powerful steps to dissolve fears that hold you back. How to Be Happier at Work: 10 Tips. Reduce Stress: 20 Things Post 50s Say They No Longer Lose Sleep Over.
7 Fascinating Facts About Baby Boomer Marketing. How A Senior Care Business Can Use Social Media. JVS Creative Maturity Expo in Whippany on Nov. 4. More Americans Worry about Financing Retirement. STRESS. Introducing The Commitment Engine - Making Work Worth It - Making Work Worth It. Why Baby Boomers are turning into golden entrepreneurs - MyBusiness. Free range. Africa: On World Mental Health Day, Ban Calls Depression Under-Appreciated Global Health Crisis. Are You Living Out Your Dreams?
What are you waiting for? Owning A Business. Stop Working & Start Living: Five Tips for Financial Freedom in Retirement. The Solution. MAKING CENTS: Getting through future retirement roadblocks.