Grandma Moses, renowned folk artist, started painting at 78 because her fingers were too stiff to continue with embroidery.

Pablo Picasso’s 90th birthday was celebrated with an exhibition at Louvre in 1971- first time a living artist had ever shown there.

5.AARP reports that 80% of boomers plan to work during retirement. Hurray, people are recognizing that we have to be active with a degree of risk to be healthy and stay healthy.

People who have had a great deal of stress at work have a shock when they retire. It is like taking a fine sports car, like a Ferrari and sitting it in a parking lot, in park, with a weight on gas pedal so that it revs without a load. Soon it self-destructs. So do we.

An example: This spring we met Don, a retired IBM executive who retired 4 years ago. Don handles his retirement by consulting part time and traveling in a motor coach with his wife, Sue. Don shared that 2/3 of his peers died within 2 years of their retirement.

Alan, another retiree described how three of them retired same day, and his 2 colleagues cleaned out their desks and sat there by their phone hoping someone would call and cancel their retirement. Both had heart attacks within 6 months of retiring. Alan chose to part time consult and travel.

For many men, it was not work that killed them but emptiness of retirement. Golfing, fishing and visiting children are not enough.

6.Many retirees are looking for personal growth, activity, purpose. In 2000, University of Arizona conducted a study of what baby boomers wanted in housing.

Large numbers had moved away from retirement community concept to integrated communities involving families, seniors together. They wanted an active lifestyle and a sense of community, where they could give to others, volunteering and sharing.

7.Connecting to what makes you passionate and purposeful brings greatest degree of joy, health and life satisfaction.

Don, when an airline pilot in his 50’s was grounded. “I was lost, devastated. That incident helped me to see that I needed a purpose in retirement too,” he stated. He loved people, and on his holidays often walked around looking at houses. He combined two by selling real estate. He has been successful too, and enjoys mentoring new real estate agents.

Most people find fulfillment by doing what they’re good at. By evaluating your skills, interests, strengths and desires you will be able to see a connection between what it is that you value and what you excel at. These are building blocks that you can turn into a new career.

While your new career is still in planning stages, you can gain valuable information by: -Attending professional meetings and informal gatherings. -Networking. -Joining an online career discussion group. -Asking questions.

You are likely to need some additional education in order to begin a successful new career, start by improving skills you already have. Sometimes, learning a few new software programs is simply all it will require. Should you choose to return to college, learning new skills is much easier when you are motivated to begin a new life.

Once you have chosen kind of work you wish to pursue and acquired necessary education, be sure to edit your resume to reflect your strengths and skills in this area.

Don’t be surprised if your job search lasts a little longer than usual. Concentrate on companies that are seeking people with your reworked skill set and eventually you’ll find an employer who will value knowledge and experience you gained from your previous career(s).

It is vital today, more than ever, to remain versatile to stay employed. A successful career will evolve over a lifetime if you are continuously open to new possibilities. You must constantly seek opportunities for self-improvement and professional growth in order to be prepared for your next reinvention.

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