Retirement: The Importance of Work Reorientation
George Eastman, founder of Eastman-Kodak Company, ended his life just two months after his retirement. He left a note that read: "My work is done, why wait!"

Work Reorientation is one of 15 factors which have been found to be critical for a successful retirement.

Work Reorientation is the degree to which you have emotionally distanced yourself from taking your personal identity from your work.

Simply stated, we must shift our view of ourselves by redefining WHO we are -- and not see ourselves as what we do. It's a shift from "WHAT am I?" to "WHO am I?"

Some of us have "become our jobs." We have let our jobs become the primary defining issue of our lives.

That's one reason so many retirees return to work. It's also a primary reason men over 65 suffer higher levels of clinical depression than other age groups.

The challenge is "How do I redefine myself in a unique way when I am no longer actively engaged in my former work?"

The Retirement Success Profile can help you understand how strongly you currently identify yourself with your work and whether this is an area you need to be giving some serious effort. Call or email me to take the RSP.


Leadership: EVERY Situation is an Encouragement Opportunity
John Madden, in one of his recent radio spots, talked about what baseball managers say when they go to the mound to remove a pitcher.

His example was Roger Craig, who managed the San Francisco Giants for many years. In one game, the pitcher was having a horrible time, and Craig walked to the mound. Craig was known for always saying something positive during these visits. This time Craig said, "Son, you did a good job backing up the bases today!"

Their own failures are painfully clear to the people you lead. They don't need you to tell them the obvious. They need your encouragement. They need your help in overcoming their failures and putting their failures behind them so that they perform well in the future.

Spend your time and energy finding sincere ways to encourage the people you lead, whether they're your employees, your congregation, or your children.

Your leadership will grow, their followership will increase, and greater success will follow!

Coaching: Helping People Do What They Don't Want to Do
The question I am asked most often is “What is it you do as a life coach?”

Tom Landry, famous coach of the Dallas Cowboys, gave probably the best definition of coaching I’ve seen: “The job of a football coach is to make men do what they don’t want to do, in order to achieve what they’ve always wanted to be.”

As a life coach, I help people do the things they don’t want to do so that they can achieve their goals and dreams.

Most of us if asked can tell someone what our goals and dreams are, although for transitions like midlife career changes and retirement, we may have avoided really thinking about them. And most of us have a pretty good idea of what it will take to achieve them.

Where we fall short is in the execution. Some of what we have to do in order to achieve our goals requires stretching and changing and just aren’t comfortable. The path of least resistance – maintaining the status quo – wins out.

We need someone who believes in us, who will stretch us, encourage us, keep us focused on moving forward, and who will hold us accountable – a coach.

If you know someone who has goals and dreams that are important to them yet are eluding them, I’d appreciate the opportunity to visit with them. They can either call or email to set up a time to visit, or I’d be happy to give them a call.

I love helping people succeed!


Between Jobs: You Need a Regular Schedule
When we're between jobs, possibly the most important thing we can do is adopt an interim structure to replace the old patterns of work. This is even more important than our job search activities because it keeps us fit and upbeat.

There are five benefits/needs work provides that we need to replace immediately when we're between jobs:

1. Time Management -- Our work gives our life structure; it manages our time. Develop a schedule for your week while between jobs. Be sure to include physical exercise.

2. Utility -- our work gives us a sense of utility or purpose. While between jobs, take on volunteer activities or chores you normally might not have time for. Accept temporary or contract positions.

3. Status -- our work, our role in society, gives us a certain status. Create a new or enlarge a current social role in society through volunteerism or temporary or contract work to help fill the gap between jobs.

4. Socialization -- our work brings us in very close, if not constant, contact with many other people. Schedule lunches with friends and associates. Attend group functions. Get off the couch and out of the house. Visit businesses you would like to work for to learn more about them.

5. Remuneration -- money may not be everything, but it is important. While between jobs, most people need to focus even more attention on money management. Often, it's also important to find ways to generate income through temporary or contract positions while searching for your next regular position.

I provide career change coaching. Sometimes, just a few coaching sessions can make a big difference. Call or email to visit about your situation.


From Career to Ministry: A Matchmaking Service!
Wouldn't it be great if there was a Monster.com for people who are retiring and want to devote part of their lives to missions?

There is! It's called New Horizons and the web site is www.newhorizoners.com.

It's a work led by Ira and June Hill and the Westover Hills Church of Christ in Austin.

Retirees can post their resumes to the website. Mission groups and churches can post job descriptions.