According to a recent research
report produced by a financial services company in the
USA, 60% of Americans are planning a gradual transition
into retirement by downshifting into part time employment
or a less demanding full time job. A simple google search
reveals that similar trends are also being reported in
Europe, Australasia and Japan. Some are choosing this
route of voluntary simplicity in order to reap the benefits
of a downshifted lifestyle, while others feel forced
into downshifting rather than complete retirement due
to adverse financial circumstances.
Those of you who have been subscribing to this newsletter
for a while will be well aware of the many benefits of
downshifting in terms of stress reduction and improved
quality of life. What if downshifting fills you with
dread because you were looking forward to stopping work
altogether and now you find you will have to carry on
earning for a while?
Did you have other plans?
Maybe you’re in a job you love and you can simply
reduce your weekly working hours as you near retirement.
If you’re in a job that you are desperate to leave
then just switching to part-time working is unlikely
to fill you with enthusiasm. Now could be a good time
to consider other, more enjoyable and fulfilling options.
It will probably help you to look for the positives in
your situation. Keeping active, having a fulfilling vocation
and focus can help to keep you young and healthy. Perhaps
this is your chance to work at a less stressful, more
meaningful job, maybe hobby related? What would you be
doing with your time if you knew you didn’t have
to earn money? How can you turn that into an income generator?
Are you fit for work?
Perhaps you were looking forward
to total retirement because you have an ongoing health
problem and you believe
that continued work will aggravate your condition. This
is where it’s even more important to use this opportunity
as a way to reduce the stress in your working life. In
what way does your current job threaten your health?
If reducing your working hours alone will not be sufficient
to alleviate this negative effect on your health, in
what ways would your job need to be different in order
for it to benefit your health?
Are you ready to slow down?
Perhaps your drive and ambition
are changing; you had envisaged that stopping work
would enable you to slow
down and lead a more leisurely, simple existence. If
this is you, then you’re not alone. Many people
imagine that that they will have to wait until retirement
before they can have more leisure time. Then, when full
retirement is delayed for some reason, they assume that
the new, more enjoyable way of life will have to be put
on hold too. Yet most people can achieve this simpler,
less stressful form of existence at any time in their
working lives simply by reassessing their goals in life
and what’s important to them. If you don’t
believe me, then do make a point of reading the guest
articles that appear in this newsletter each month as
they are inspiring examples of real life downshifting
stories.
The good news is that it is possible
to do both i.e. slow down and simplify one’s
life, whilst at the same time earning a living. This
is what downshifting
is all about.
Are you worried by financial difficulties?
The prospect of living longer and not being able to
cover medical expenses, fuel bills, home maintenance
costs etc is a serious one.
My previous article “How will I cope?: The financial
implications of downshifting” may well help you
here. If you are seeking an alternative to your current
employment in order to downshift, where are you going
to look?
Talk to others, whoever you can think of who will be
knowledgeable in the arena in which you would prefer
to work and stay open to unusual opportunities emerging.
It is worth searching on the internet too. Employers
and Government agencies are wising up to the fact that
a combination of an ageing demographic with ageist practices
could deprive companies of a wealth of talent, experience
and insight, so they are keen to persuade companies of
the benefits of recruiting mature employees.
What about opportunities for self-employment
doing what you most love to do? If being self-employed
does not
appeal to you because you do not want to shoulder that
level of responsibility, are there friends who you could
team up with to run a joint venture? Maybe you could
create a business that would be worth selling in 5-10
years’ times and that would provide a supplement
to your current pension or other financial provision
for retirement.
Whatever situation you are starting from when you consider
downshifting into retirement, the key to a happy, simpler
and low stress lifestyle will be in giving yourself time
to re-evaluate your priorities in all areas of your life
and to act in accordance with them.
2.
EcoSherpa: The Journey Towards Sustainable Living.
By Bentley Christie.
Seven months ago
I started a blog called EcoSherpa with my good friend
Steve. Both of us, while certainly environmentally-conscious
and supportive of the green movement, have never been
overly active in the pursuit of a ‘green’ lifestyle.
In all honesty, I think it’s fair to say that
we both had a bad taste in our mouths when it came to
traditional environmentalism. We know how important the
issues are, but we also know (from personal experience)
that ‘doom and gloom’ and guilt-based tactics
are not always the best way to inspire people to change.
It was from this idea, and a growing
desire to live more sustainably ourselves that EcoSherpa
was born. Our
goal has always been to offer a ‘realistic’,
honest perspective for anyone interested in living in
a more earth-friendly manner. It is our hope that by
documenting our own journey, and celebrating our small ‘eco-victories’ along
the way, we will show people that a green lifestyle is
not only fun & rewarding, but also well within anyone’s
reach.
Like our own ‘journey towards sustainable living’,
our approach with EcoSherpa has been one of slow and
steady growth. The results thus far have been nothing
short of amazing. We’ve made many new friends;
we’ve received a lot of positive feedback about
the site, and we’ve learned a great deal in the
process.
Researching and writing for the
blog has been both educational and inspirational. We’ve
learned first-hand that even tiny green steps - when
taken consistently - can
lead to much bigger and better things.
Start small and dream big – that’s
the EcoSherpa way. I now know that the green path is
the right path,
and a life lived with passion and enthusiasm is the only
life I want to live!
© Bentley Christie 2007 www.EcoSherpa.com
