One-E-Anna Notes - Issue #047 - March, 2007

A monthly newsletter to conduct you on the way to successful performance and harmony in your work and personal life. Every issue brings you tips for interviews, resumes, networking, and strategies for career advancement. Brought to you by E. Anna Watkins, MM, MBA, CPCC, CPT - Career & Life Coach Welcome! Welcome to all new and continuing subscribers! I am thankful for your support in reading, sending me your comments, and passing the newsletter to others. Please forward it today and help us increase our circulation to include even more friends. www.one-e-anna.com/newsletters.htm (Read past issues while you are there.) Thank you! Life in New Mexico After an unusually cold winter, we have returned to more typical New Mexico weather. Daffodils, crocuses, and flowering shrubs are in bloom. I can walk outside without a jacket or coat, and I am enjoying the blue skies and sunshine. And yes, my lovely cat Sabrina is basking in the sun every chance she gets. Life is good! What's in this issue? Lead Article - A New Look at Retirement Career Tip - Benefits of Volunteering Class Schedule Information on Coaching Services Resources 1. A New Look at Retiremen! Retirement at sixty-five is ridiculous. When I was sixty-five, I still had pimples. - George Burns Some interesting statistics: About 10, 000 people in the U.S. and another 1,000 in Canada retire every day Average age of retirement is 57 In the last century, longevity in western cultures has increased by 30 years If you maintain an active lifestyle and benefit from the medical advances in our time, you can be 'retired' for more than 30 years! This has me thinking about the choices we all can make on how to spend that phase of life. With the large number of baby boomers (including me) now heading into those years, the model of retirement is changing. One choice is to follow the old model of retirement by focusing on the financial aspects, the 'maintenance' mode. This typically means planning how much money you will need to pay your bills including medical expenses and still have some leisure such as regular golf or bridge games or a bit of travel. However, the idea of retirement is going through a transformation. There are even new names for it. One of my favorites is RENEWAL.   Some of us want to continue working, and some need to keep working. If this is your choice, think about how you can make the transition to part-time work in your current field. You might consider being a consultant so that you can work at your convenience. There is no substitute for experience, and your knowledge will be valuable to others. Serving as a mentor or tutor could be an ideal role for you. My grandmother, a former schoolteacher, still tutored children when she was in her 80s! This could be the perfect time to try something new. My parents continued to substitute teach after they retired. Then they began a new business targeted for the senior market, giving bus tours around the country. My father especially enjoyed the learning that went with this new venture. As he learned the travel business, he acquired computer skills to do research on their travel locations via the Internet and to use email to communicate. They showed us how to add life to your years. Are you ready for your own personal renewal plan? Here is your assignment. Start planning now if you haven't already done so. Go beyond financial aspects of retirement.   Choose your focus. How do you picture this period in your life? You may want to find pictures from magazines or elsewhere of people enjoying the lifestyle you want. Do research by reading books and magazines, searching the Internet, and talking to other people. "Dip your toe in the water." Get involved in your planned pursuits for retirement. For example, volunteer for a favorite cause. Check out special deals for seniors on courses and trips through Elderhostel and your local colleges and universities. Get on mailing lists for this information. Think about how you want to make an impact and carry out your values. Look for role models you can use for inspiration. Whether it's Peter Drucker still lecturing and writing books at 95 or Paul Newman launching a food business that contributes its proceeds to charity, you can find active seniors who have made a significant difference in the world. Go to my website Resources section http://www.one-e-anna.com/resources.htm and order "It's Only Too Late If You Don't Start Now" by Barbara Sher and "The Fountain of Age" by Betty Friedan. Take the first step, however small, to carry out your plan. The time of RENEWAL can be very exciting! Retirement holds up a light for us so we can see a wider horizon where we can become more interesting even to ourselves; more alive, more personal, and certainly find deepened meaning in life as never before. - Richard P. Johnson, author of The New Retirement: Discovering Your Dreams 2. Career Tip - Benefits of Volunteering Some people are skeptical about the value of volunteering and can't see it as a good career move. But - what do these skeptics fail to consider? Number 1 - the people you meet as a volunteer! You never know what useful connections you can make as a volunteer. This is a great opportunity to build relationships for long-lasting friendships and possible business allies. You have the chance to meet other volunteers, members of the organization's board, employees, and clients served by the organization. If you are all working for the same cause, you will immediately have something in common and can find other ways to build rapport from there. Skills you can acquire from volunteering: Computer skills Construction skills Planning and organizing Working with a variety of people Improved writing skills Knowledge: Facts about particular fields or industries How an organization works Best (and not so good) practices Connections with other organizations and the community in general Rules & regulations pertinent to specific organizations And most important - fulfillment of your desire to contribute! 3. Class Schedule for Anna Watkins New Master Mind Groups Are you in a master mind group? I am collecting interested (and interesting) people who want to join a new master mind group. To learn more about this, contact me at info@one-e-anna.com Watch for other classes in future issues of Notes. Use These Links To Register for My Teleclasses For Teleclass.com classes - http://www.teleclass.com/classsearch.lasso Use keyword Watkins For Seminar Announcer registration - www.seminarannouncer.com Scroll to find class Reminder - Amazon Associate! I have recently become an Amazon Associate. That means that my website visitors can order books from my website. So - if you have been meaning to get specific books that I mention in the course of my newsletters or coaching sessions, please go to the Resource Links on my website and buy a book. www.one-e-anna.com. By the way, once you have arrived at the Amazon site, you can order any books you like - not just the ones I have listed. Thank you and happy reading! 4. Career Coaching Sessions I coach people who are looking to enjoy their work, whether that means moving up in a current job or building a new career. It doesn't matter where you live - I can coach you by phone. Want to find out more? You can easily arrange this. Please contact me at info@one-e-anna.com and I will follow up with you to schedule a free consultation - no strings attached! I am now focusing on group coaching via Master Mind Groups - a great way to have multiple "coaches" in a supportive atmosphere and at lower cost than individual coaching sessions. Please contact me with your interest in joining a group or to suggest a type of group you would like. 5. Great Resources Thinking about retirement? Check into the great resources and coaching available with Laurie Geary, Certified Retirement Coach at http://www.ingearcoaching.com Laurie also offers coaching for people in transition of all kinds. A Map for Joy by Teri Johnson contains lessons and exercises that truly lead you to a joyful life. Go to www.intrepid-communications.com to purchase your copy A terrific site for business owners - Maria Marsala, former Wall Street trader and now business consultant, coach, and trainer has classes and other resources that are well worth the visit to www.coachmaria.com/ Increase your personal productivity and get more time and balance for your personal life Subscribe now for your free "Timely Time Management Tips".  Go to: www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement and click "subscribe" or send your email to: timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com Attention, Trainers! Many of our readers are in the training profession, so I am happy to tell you about a new ezine for you. Please visit the website of Ellen Dowling and subscribe to her monthly newsletter, "The Standup Trainer." www.standuptrainer.com/ Every issue will provide you with valuable training tips and a dose of Ellen's signature sense of humor. Enjoy! I recommend Jay Block Presents "Any Idiot Can Make It Through a Good Day" - a set of two CDS with Jay's program on how to think positive in difficult times. Learn the proven techniques of emotional channeling and the 10 Principles of Success. Go to www.jayblock.com for more information and to order. Tips Booklets Online Too many heavy books cluttering up your house or office? Paulette Ensign offers a vast array of tips booklets online for only $4.77 each! When you order an online book, it often arrives in your e-mail within minutes! No waiting for the mail to arrive every day and watching for that book you wanted. And - you won't have to search for it on bookshelves if you save it into a folder on your computer. Check out her website at www.tipsbooklets.com and peruse the titles there. Examples: 101 Travel Tips for Women, 113 Ideas To Secure Your Financial Future, and Presenting Your Message Like You Mean It My booklet 64 Tips for Informational Interviews is available in the Careers category. You can get it today! http://tipsbooklets.com/new/index.php?p=235&s=interviews Subscriber Note You may absolutely share the One-E-Anna Notes with anyone you think will enjoy it. When sharing, please forward it in its entirety, including contact and copyright information. Each time you receive an issue, forward it to two friends (or more!), and - please send comments that will help me to make it better. Click on the link here to read past issues of the newsletter at www.one-e-anna.com/newsletters.htm THANK YOU!