4 books that will fire up your post-retirement dreams

 

Right now, retirement is so far away on the horizon that it seems a waste of time even to think about it, leave alone planning for it. Retirement for many spells aging, loneliness and a sense of being obsolete in a changing world. However, as we step into the third decade of the millennium, nothing could be further than the truth. As singer Bruce Springsteen wrote in his 2016 memoir Born to Run, "Aging is scary but fascinating. And great talent morphs in strange and often enlightening ways." The more common term for 'morphing' these days is re-invention.

More people are re-inventing themselves after hanging up their boots after a lifelong career and this reinvention isn't about just staying alive; it's about making the extra years count. It could take the form of living your dream of paragliding or abseiling, it could be turning to blogging or gardening or it could be your passion to start designing jewellery.

Reams are being written on just how you can go about fulfilling these dreams after you turn 50 and more. We have curated a list of four books that will help you visualise your future and set you on the path of re-inventing yourself for that glorious second half of life.

# Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life

When you're in the second half of life, everything looks different, and your career is no exception. Career design expert Marc Miller helps you repurpose your old career, using the experience you've gained so far to make practical pivots into a new career. He teaches you to identify what you, uniquely, need for a happy work life in the long term. He gives specific advice on knowing yourself, building a tribe, networking strategically, using social media and interviewing successfully.

# What Color Is Your Parachute? for Retirement, Second Edition: Planning a Prosperous, Healthy, and Happy Future

More than a guide on where to live, how to stay active, or which investments to choose, What Color Is Your Parachute? for Retirement helps you develop a detailed picture of your ideal retirement, so that, whether you're planning retirement or are there already, you can take a comprehensive approach to make the most of these vital years. It helps you plan for a future that's filled with health and happiness, and is a guide to how you can use the freedom and potential of the 50+ plus years to your advantage. Oh, it also has a one-of-a-kind resource for organizing the sea of information on finances and mental and physical health: the Retirement Well-Being Profile!

# Retirement Reinvention: Make Your Next Act Your Best Act

In Retirement Reinvention, Robin Ryan shatters the myths of retirement. Full of practical advice, this thought-provoking guide offers readers a path for reinventing their own retirements, including step-by-step instructions for: Leaving an old career behind, pinpointing interests and skills, exploring different places to live, defining new, satisfying opportunities, finding meaningful ways to give back to your community, and striking the right balance between work and leisure.

From starting a dream business to shifting to the non-profit sector to volunteering, Ryan navigates you to help create a plan and pivot toward a future as vital as it is truly rewarding.

# Boomer Reinvention: How to Create Your Dream Career Over 50

Career coach John Tarnoff is convinced that the future is promising for those hitting a golden jubilee if they are willing to engage with the "new" economy in a new way. In this book, targeted at the 'baby boomer' generation of America but relevant to everyone in the current age, Tarnoff lays out a proven methodology of 5 key steps and 23 actionable strategies to give boomers the resources and confidence they need to pivot to a sustainable second act, encore career - one that can be not only financially successful, but personally fulfilling as well.

Tarnoff shares the secrets to turning his own setbacks into successes, and interviews seven other boomers who reinvented their own careers. For those who both want to keep working beyond traditional retirement, Tarnoff's practical strategies offer flexible DIY solutions that help you understand what to expect after retirement and how to get ahead of the curve.

But no matter how you choose to spend your time in retirement, you need to be sure that you can afford to pay for your life now and well into the future. Planning a life post the 50s or 60s does not mean you scrimp and save for an unknown future while sacrificing all pleasures today. The trick is to strike a balance between fulfilling your desires now and those in the future. To start with, you need to take stock of how much money you have and how much you will need. A good way to know for sure is by examining your lifestyle and using a tool, such as the HDFC Life's Retirement Calculator.

Figure out how much you will need to realise your dreams when you will no longer have a regular pay packet coming in. Go in for a sound investment plan like HDFC Life Pension Guaranteed Plan that helps you with options of immediate and deferred annuity, helps you stay protected while you chase your dreams and continues to give you a steady income all along your retirement years.

So, read up all you can to figure out how you plan to spend those golden years chasing dreams you thought you had stashed away for good. With a partner like HDFC Life, you can stash away those worries and start planning for a great second innings.

ARN: ED/08/20/20085