The Retirement Wisdom Podcast

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Planning for retirement? You’ll need more than a vision for a great retirement. Start by honing your version of the good life. And you don’t need to wait until you retire. Start living your version of the good life now. Emily Austin, Professor of Philosophy at Wake Forest, shares her insights on what we can learn from Ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus about living with pleasure today, while planning prudently for the future. Her book poses the question: If we want happiness and pleasure so much, then why aren’t we good at getting it yet? Get smarter on how you can prepare to retire happy and live with more joy now with this discussion of Epicurean philosophy.

Emily Austin joins us from North Carolina.

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Emily A. Austin is Professor of Philosophy at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. Her scholarly work focuses on Ancient Greek theories of complex emotions, including the fear of death, grief, patriotism, and comedic malice. Austin grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, and earned her doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis in 2009.

In Living for Pleasure: An Epicurean Guide to Life, Emily Austin offers a lively, jargon-free tour of Epicurean strategies for diminishing anxiety, achieving satisfaction, and relishing joys.

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For More on Emily Austin, PhD

Living for Pleasure: An Epicurean Guide to Life (Guides to the Good Life Series)

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Resolutions not working? Don’t give up on your goals. Get on track with a smarter way:

Tiny Habits.

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

Retire Happy – Dr. Catherine Sanderson

Happier Hour – Cassie Holmes, PhD

Live Life in Crescendo – Cynthia Covey Haller

Chatter & Your Inner Voice – Ethan Kross

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Wise Quotes

On Lessons from Ancient Greek Philosophy & The Good Life

“…I chose to write the book because I think ancient philosophy has stuff to offer people. And I think Epicureanism, in particular, hasn’t received the attention it deserves – and it has a lot going for it. But one of the things about Ancient Greek philosophy is the reason people go back to it is that their central question was happiness. What is the good life? And Epicurus himself said philosophy is worthless unless it helps people live a good life. All this other stuff is useless unless it quiets the mind. And so, it’s a timeless question and they have timeless answers. Sometimes it’s just comforting to know that the answers are old. But they were also very counter-cultural. They really liked to shake things up. Greek philosophers were not just your normal people. They challenged people. And I think that even if you end up deciding, Oh, this isn’t for me, they’re asking such important questions about living that you have to figure out the answers. And so I think they’re challenging the standard narratives – and people need that. They need to be kind of shaken up even if they think, Oh, that’s not for me.”

On Not Delaying Joy

“And Epictetus is often associated with this phrase, Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die. And though he never said that, he does say why delay joy? We only get one life. And so even if you don’t have a lot of time for joy now, it’s really important to pursue it now and to get good at it. Whether that’s in very small amounts of time or, or larger amounts of time, I think some  people who kind of take their retirement as they go in a certain way and that has a little bit to do with what they take to be the good life. A lot of the joy we find is in simple things in everyday activities, in being with one another. And it doesn’t take anything flashier. It doesn’t really cost a lot of money. And so I think he would focus on joy now and practicing living. Don’t delay it,  because we only have one life. But he also is a big fan of prudence and long-term planning. So, I think that he actually is kind of an ideal philosopher for thinking about how to live well now and live well in the future.”

On Tranquility, Joy & Anxiety

“So he thinks that, in order to really experience joy, we need a kind of bedrock tranquility, a kind of security, and that security includes a kind of material security. So unlike his competitors, the Stoics, he thought, No, we really do need money and food and and friends – and we need an understanding of the world. And so there are these things we need and that gives us this bedrock security. It’s kind of a starting base for the other things. And we often get distracted from meeting those needs, and that’s a source of a lot of our anxiety. And once we have those needs met and we have them met confidently, then we can pursue all of these other assorted joys that give our lives meaning. And those joys won’t give us anxiety. So in some sense, he thinks you should clear out the background noise of anxiety and you get a kind of tranquility. But that tranquility opens up all of these opportunities for joy. So start with the tranquility and then pursue the things that give you life satisfaction and memories…”

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About Retirement Wisdom

Retirement is about so much more than money.

Why delay your joy? Start living well now and practice for your next phase of life after you graduate from full-time work.

Schedule a call to discuss how my Designing Your New Life in Retirement, Tiny Habits and Mental Fitness coaching programs can help you gain clarity and direction.

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About Your Podcast Host

Joe Casey is an executive coach who also helps people design their next life after their primary career. He created his own next chapter after a twenty-six-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking.

He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy.

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Sometimes it’s a good idea to get back to basics. A good place is start is sleep. That’s because better sleep has a myriad of positive benefits. But there are a lot of things these days that can get in the way of better sleep. Dr. Frank Lipman has answers.

Dr. Frank Lipman joins us from New York.

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Resolutions not working? Don’t give up on your goals. Get on track with a smarter way: Tiny Habits.

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For Dr. Frank Lipman, health is more than just the absence of disease: it is a total state of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social wellbeing. Dr. Lipman is a widely recognized trailblazer and leader in functional and integrative medicine, and he is a New York Times best-selling author of five books, How to Be Well, The New Health Rules, Young and Slim for Life, Revive and Total Renewal.

After his initial medical training in his native South Africa, Lipman spent 18 months working at clinics in the bush. He became familiar with the local traditional healers, called sangomas, which kindled his interest in non-Western healing modalities

In 1984, Lipman immigrated to the United States, where he became the chief medical resident at Lincoln Hospital in Bronx, NY. While there, he became fascinated by the hospital’s addiction clinic, which used acupuncture and Chinese medicine making him even more aware of the potential of implementing non-Western medicine to promote holistic wellbeing.

He began studying nutrition, acupuncture, Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, functional medicine, biofeedback, meditation, and yoga. Lipman founded the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in 1992, where he combines the best of Western medicine and cutting edge nutritional science with age-old healing techniques from the East. As his patient, chef Seamus Mullen, told The New York Times, “If antibiotics are right, he’ll try it. If it’s an anti-inflammatory diet, he’ll do that. He’s looking at the body as a system rather than looking at isolated things.”

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For More on Dr. Frank Lipman

Website

Better Sleep, Better You: Your No-Stress Guide for Getting the Sleep You Need and the Life You Want

The New Rules of Aging Well: A Simple Program for Immune Resilience, Strength, and Vitality

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Mentioned in this Episode

Oura Ring

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

Breaking the Age Code – Dr. Becca Levy

Take Charge of Your Well-Being – John La Puma, MD

The Mind-Body Connection and The Rabbit Effect – Kelli Harding

Tiny Habits Can Lead to Big Changes – BJ Fogg

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Wise Quotes

On What Affects Sleep

“It’s also important to understand with sleep, it’s not only about what you do at night before you go to sleep, it’s also about what happens during the day that’s going to affect your sleep. And it’s important to realize it’s one of the important pillars of health.  We talk about diet, exercise, and stress, but sleep is up there. And the last thing I’d like to say, especially with your audience and with our age group, alcohol is not your friend. It’s not your friend with anything, but particularly when it comes to sleep. A lot of people drink alcohol because it sort of calms them down and they think it makes them fall asleep, but it really disrupts your sleep.”

On Melatonin

“We’ve always thought of melatonin as something for sleep. But lately I’ve been exploring a lot of the research using or seeing melatonin as one of the primary anti-aging hormones. So as we get older, our melatonin levels decrease, and that may be why we find it harder to sleep, but melatonin doesn’t just affect your sleep. Melatonin affects your immune system, your heart, it affects  metabolism, sugar control and your weight. It affects your gut. It affects a huge swath of our physiology. So melatonin is now in – in certain circles – and I’m one of those people who’ve become obsessed with melatonin. It’s probably because it affects so many of the factors that are affected by aging. For instance, as we age, we tend to get more inflammation as we age. I’m starting to use melatonin as an anti-aging hormone, but I’m finding my sleep is much deeper and much better too. So it’s quite interesting. I think the idea that melatonin is an anti-aging hormone, there’s something there because melatonin decreases as we age. And now that you need more melatonin and especially when it’s functions sort of counteract many of the factors that occur with aging, I think it’s almost like a no-brainer to use melatonin, as an anti-aging supplement because it’s a hormone, but we can get it as a supplement.”

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About Retirement Wisdom

Living well is the best revenge.

Design a Retirement Your Boss Will Envy.

Take charge of your future.

Schedule a call to find how how the Designing Your Life process (created by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans at Stanford) can help you unlock a new direction – on your own terms.

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About Your Podcast Host

Joe Casey is an executive coach who also helps people design their next life after their primary career. He created his own next chapter after a twenty-six-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking.

He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy.

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The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Retirement Wisdom Podcast are solely those of the guests and do not reflect the opinion of the host or Retirement Wisdom, LLC. The Retirement Wisdom Podcast primarily covers the non-financial aspects of retirement. From time to time we may invite guests who discuss other aspects of life and retirement planning, solely for educational purposes. Listeners are advised to consult qualified financial and/or medical professionals on those matters.

When I talk with new clients about their hopes for their retirement, many say “I just want to retire happy.” But when we explore what that means and what it will take to retire happy, it becomes clear that it’s quite different for everyone. For some, it seems that escaping from full-time work will do the trick. But for many people, it’s not that simple. Guests on my retirement podcast have offered useful insights on how you can indeed retire happy. And the answers may not be what you’re expecting.

Listen to the full conversations by clicking the links below:

Ready to ROAR? – Michael Clinton

Retire Happy – Dr. Catherine Sanderson

The Power of Fun – Catherine Price

The Keys to a Happy Retirement – Carol Colburn

Learning is a Lifetime Sport – Tom Vanderbilt

Happier Hour – Cassie Holmes, PhD

Why Settle for Happiness in Your Retirement? – Emily Esfahani Smith

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About Retirement Wisdom

Living well is the best revenge.

Design a Retirement Your Boss Will Envy.

Take charge of your future.

Schedule a call to find how how the Designing Your Life process (created by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans at Stanford) can help you unlock a new direction – on your own terms.

___________________________

About Your Podcast Host

Joe Casey is an executive coach who also helps people design their next life after their primary career. He created his own next chapter after a twenty-six-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking.

He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy.

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The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 brings sweeping changes to retirement savings plans, with benefits for people planning and investing for retirement – and for retirees as well. Pam Krueger, CEO of Wealthramp explains, and also offers her take on what you should be looking for – and looking out for – in a financial advisor.

Pam Krueger joins us from Northern California.

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Pam Krueger is a recognized investor advocate and award-winning personal finance journalist and author. She is the founder and CEO of Wealthramp, an advisor matching platform that connects consumers with rigorously vetted and qualified fee-only financial advisors. It is the only service that gives people full control over when and how they talk to their referred advisors.

Pam is also the creator & co-host of MoneyTrack and Friends Talk Money podcast. MoneyTrack aired on 250+ public stations on PBS from 2005-2019 and was funded by the Investor Protection Trust.

With more than 25 years in investor advocacy, Pam is one of the leading voices on financial literacy and financial empowerment. She’s been the recipient of two Gracie Awards for educating the public about personal investing and received the 2021 NAPFA Special Achievement Award for her work educating individuals about the value of fee-only financial advice.

Her perspectives on personal finance regularly appear in Marketwatch, Worth Magazine, PBS Next Avenue, and she is a frequent speaker on fiduciary financial advice. In addition, Pam is an active volunteer member of the Retirement Income Committee at the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA), a non-profit dedicated to enhancing the retirement security of America’s workers. She has also served on the California Jump$tart Coalition, an organization dedicated to increasing financial literacy among children and teens, where she created one of their most successful curricula available for K-12 teachers called, Investing Pays Off For Kids.

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For More on Pam Krueger

Wealthramp

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

The Unretirement Life – Richard Eisenberg

Lifestyle and Financial Decisions As We Age – Marjorie Fox, JD, CFP®

The Key Decisions for Retirement Success – Wade Pfau

Ways to Retire on Less – Harriet Edleson

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Wise Quotes

On The New Legislation

“The 155 pages of this legislation, that has been described as massive, helps retirement savers of all ages. I’m blown away because I look at this and I see that for the first time in a really long time, in my memory anyway, every stage of career is helped in some way by this legislation. It is passed. It is real. It’s happening. It’s going into effect. So, just look at some of the benefits and how it helps people overall, I see more ways to save, more ways to expand your savings and to do it in much smarter tax planning ways. Some of these laws allow us to save more like in a Roth environment versus just a traditional IRA or traditional 401k and allows you to put more away in a single year. So, there’s something here for everybody.”

On Why Humility is an Asset in a Financial Advisor

“So for me, humility is a huge X-factor because I had so many people coming to me from our show, and women many times, and they would say, Pam, I’m working with this advisor, I don’t even like him. He makes me feel so small, makes me feel like I’m so lucky if I get an answer. He talks way up here and speaks in jargon. That doesn’t fly. So Joe, when someone points me to a fiduciary-feeling advisor who looks on paper squeaky clean, I’m excited. And then I can tell, this is why I do the interviews with them. When they’re talking to me and if they’re making me feel that they just are really wanting to lecture, you know that you’re going to be entering into a relationship with an advisor who everybody thinks is the best thing since sliced bread. I can’t tell you how much people get mad at me, especially here in San Francisco. Why don’t I have this firm? Why don’t I have that firm? They’re so good. They’re so great. Well, because they know they’re so great and when they talk with their clients, they have a culture that really does feel like you will bask in the glow of my expertise and that is not a relationship that’s going to last. So it is a very big deal.”

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About Retirement Wisdom

Living well is the best revenge.

Design a Retirement Your Boss Will Envy.

Take charge of your future.

Schedule a call to find how how the Designing Your Life process (created by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans at Stanford) can help you unlock a new direction – on your own terms.

___________________________

About Your Podcast Host

Joe Casey is an executive coach who also helps people design their next life after their primary career. He created his own next chapter after a twenty-six-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking.

He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy.

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The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Retirement Wisdom Podcast are solely those of the guests and do not reflect the opinion of the host or Retirement Wisdom, LLC. The Retirement Wisdom Podcast primarily covers the non-financial aspects of retirement. From time to time we may invite guests who discuss other aspects of retirement planning, solely for educational purposes. Listeners are advised to consult qualified financial and/or medical professionals on those matters.

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There’s a trap many people discover when they transition to retirement: saying yes to0 soon or too often. The problem? Your hard-earned freedom can be squeezed by commitments to other people’s needs, not your true priorities. Natalie Lue discusses her new book The Joy of Saying No and the specific challenges faced by people pleasers. She’s found that there are five distinct types, and each one comes with it’s own challenges. What boundaries might be wise to set in 2023? Listen in to my conversation with Natalie Lue for sound advice.

Natalie Lue joins us from Surrey, England.

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Natalie is the author of  the hugely popular relationship and self-esteem blog, Baggage Reclaim (baggagereclaim.com) along with five books, including The Joy of Saying No (HarperCollins/Harper Horizon) and Mr Unavailable and the Fallback Girl. She also hosts The Baggage Reclaim Sessions podcast, which has over 3 million downloads. For nearly two decades, she’s shared the journey of her transition from toxic relationships to love, care, trust and respect. Her work has been mentioned and featured in the likes of The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, BBC, The Sunday Times Magazine, and USA Today.

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For More on Natalie Lue

The Joy of Saying No: A Simple Plan to Stop People Pleasing, Reclaim Boundaries, and Say Yes to the Life You Want 

Website

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Is your bank account better prepared for retirement than you are?

Take our free quiz and see how you can balance your retirement planning.

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Podcast Episodes You May Enjoy

Chatter & Your Inner Voice – Ethan Kross

Everyday Vitality – Dr. Samantha Boardman

Plays Well with Others – Eric Barker

The Emotional Side of Retiring – Kate Schroeder

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Wise Quotes

On Why We Say Yes – When We Really Want to Say No

“I think a lot of the time we say yes because we are on some level afraid of what will happen if we say no. And that might be a very conscious thought in that moment, but often it’s more of a feeling that we have that we just almost automatically respond to it by saying yes.We like to make people feel good, and that means different things to different people. But in that moment, even though we might already know, I really, really don’t want to do that, we make that person feel good by letting them believe that that’s what we want to do. We like that. We like being thought of as nice and helpful and as unselfish and good. And these prompt us to say one thing on the outside and have a totally different thing going on internally. I think it is a habit.”

On Boundaries

“I wrote this book because I genuinely had discovered the healing and transformative power of saying no and having boundaries. And I make a point of saying that because I think that people see boundaries as saying no and telling people what to do. And a big thing that I learned about having boundaries was boundaries are about being more of who you really are. Because then we’re operating from a place of integrity, authenticity, and honesty.”

On Your People Pleaser Entourage

“What people discover when they start saying no is that they possibly have a people pleaser entourage, certain people in their life who benefit from them not saying no. Celebrities sometimes have that group of hanger-ons. And even though they’re blowing all their money none of these hanger-ons point that out because they don’t want to stop the gravy train. So a lot of people pleasers discover there are certain people who are really reliant on you just going along with things and that can feel very uncomfortable initially. What they also discover though is that a lot of the things that they were nervous about saying no to aren’t really that big of a deal.”

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About Retirement Wisdom

Living well is the best revenge.

Design a Retirement Your Boss Will Envy.

Take charge of your future.

Schedule a call to find how how the Designing Your Life process (created by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans at Stanford) can help you unlock a new direction – on your own terms.

__________________________

About Your Podcast Host

Joe Casey is an executive coach who also helps people design their next life after their primary career. He created his own next chapter after a twenty-six-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking.

He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy.

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Many people are planning on aging in place. But is aging in place an adequate strategy as your needs evolve? Lisa Cini believes you can think bigger and design your living space to enable you to be thriving in place. Leveraging emerging technology allows your living environment to adapt to you – instead of the other way around.

Lisa Cini joins us from Columbus, Ohio.

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Lisa M. Cini is known as the leading Alzheimer’s and long-term care design expert in the United States and has been widely recognized for her contributions in the field. Lisa continues to design award-winning spaces for seniors as Founder and CEO of Mosaic Design Studio, as well as design for the hospitality industry. Her clients have included the National Hockey League, the United States military, Brio Bravo restaurants, PGA Tour Country Clubs, and various hotels. Cini is the author of Boom: The Baby Boomers’ Guide to Preserving Your Freedom and Thriving as You Age in Place, The Future is Here: Senior Living Reimagined, and Hive: The Simple Guide to Multigenerational Living, How our Family Makes It Work.

Lisa Cini has received over 37 awards, including 16 ASID Design awards and a Distinguished Service Medal for Outstanding Meritorious Service by the Governor of Indiana.

A sought-after speaker, Lisa Cini has been featured on radio and CNN, CBS, FOX, and NBC. She also appeared on Today in America with Terry Bradshaw and is quoted frequently in The New York Times.

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For More on Lisa Cini

Website

InfiniteLiving.org

Documentary Series: Infinite Living Secrets of The Werner House

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

The Age Tech Revolution – Keren Etkin

Where to Retire – Silvia Ascarelli

Where Will You Live Next? – Ryan Frederick

The Future You – Brian David Johnson

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Wise Quotes

On Thriving in Place

“A lot of people think of aging in place as staying in place, but it’s not thriving in place. And I think there’s a difference. I talk a lot about, and have looked at, technology. Our cars adjust to us. So, I’m 4-11, my husband’s thinks he’s six foot, but he is not. He’s like 5-9 or something like that. But our seats are very different. How my mirrors adjust to me, how my seat is heated or cooled. The passenger side has different adjustments where I can plug things in and it can help me control my speed, not to get too close to somebody, and even self-park. And we spend a lot less time in our cars than we do in our homes. Yet our homes, in general, don’t adjust to us, especially as we age. So when we’re talking about aging in place, we’re talking about thriving as we choose where we want to live. And that could be living part of the year in a different area. It could be you’re traveling around the country. It could be that you’re in senior living or you’re staying in your home that you bought when you’re in your twenties and you’ve been there your whole life. So the point is, how do we get that environment to adjust to us, to allow us to feel safe and free and have confidence as we age?”

On Technology

“There’s a lot of technology that we use every day that people don’t think is technology. Like my glass is  technology. Hearing aids are technology. A pacemaker is technology. A glucose monitor that’s on nonstop 14 days at a time is technology. Being able to monitor ourselves, Like you can do with an Aura ring or the Fitbit or even your phones. Hearing aids really can monitor your health very, very well. With data mining, you can predict a stroke or a heart attack about five days before it’s gonna happen. You can see that sleep patterns are interrupted and someone might be able to help you avoid that or having your medications all screwed up. So all those preemptive things are going to be a huge thing. And wearables will probably move more into clothing or something that we have that we put on all the time. So it’s interesting, there’s a place called Dream Scape that is a virtual reality movie theater. And you go and you’re literally in a room about 15 by 15, but you feel like you’re walking around the entire world once you put these goggles on. And I said, do we have to use our glasses with these? And they said, Oh no, it automatically adjusts to your prescription and you can see perfectly. And I’m like, well that’s an interesting thing, right? You can imagine wearing something that is consistently automatically adjusting to what you need. Whether it’s hearing, whether it’s seeing, whether it’s giving you voice, text or being able to translate. I think those things are going to happen like you wouldn’t believe.”

On Robots

“I am really looking forward to trying some new companion robots. Some of them get a little creepy and some don’t do well rolling around. There are some that are security oriented. Some are a little bit too childlike, in my mind. There’s some stationary ones that are very, very good. But I’d like to have something that moves with me – and they’ve got the suitcases that are doing it already. They’ve got other things, like Pepper. But can I get something that kind of moves around with me or helps me? I’ve got a brand new cat that, with artificial intelligence, really reads you, eyes open and closed, and reacts to you. I think the companion devices that can help reduce loneliness and make us a little bit safer and maybe help clean are great. We’ve had the Roombas, the robots that clean the floor for a long time. And now they’ve moved into a security robot that roams around at night and will call the police if anything comes up. But I’m looking for something that combines all of those together. And there’s some very recent ones that have come out that we may be trialing soon.”

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About Retirement Wisdom

I help people design your retirement and take charge of your future.

Schedule a call to find how how the Designing Your Life process (developed by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans at Stanford) can help you unlock a new direction – on your own terms.

Join our Design Your Retirement small group coaching program starting in January.

Groups start on January 20th and January 26th.

Enrollment ends soon.

Learn more here

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About Your Podcast Host

Joe Casey is an executive coach who also helps people design their next life after their primary career. He created his own next chapter after a twenty-six-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking.

He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy.

The second half of life presents a crucial choice. Will you live in Crescendo – or it’s opposite Diminuendo? Cynthia Covey Haller joins us to discuss the new book she co-authored with her father, the late Stephen Covey – Live Life in Crescendo: Your Most Important Work Is Always Ahead of You. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey is an international bestseller, with over 40 million copies sold. It’s principles have stood the test of time. Now, Covey’s eldest child brings his final work to life with a valuable mindset that can help you make the second half of life full of purpose, meaning and contribution.

Cynthia Covey Haller joins us from her home in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Cynthia Covey Haller is an author, teacher, speaker, and an active participant in her community. She has contributed to the writing of several books and articles, notably The 3rd  Alternative by Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make, both by Sean Covey. Cynthia has held multiple leadership positions in women’s organizations, served as a PTSA president, an organizer for refugee aid and food pantry volunteer, and she is currently working with her husband, Kameron, as a service volunteer helping with employment needs. She graduated from Brigham Young University and lives with her family in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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For More on Cynthia Covey Haller 

Live Life in Crescendo: Your Most Important Work Is Always Ahead of You

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Mentioned in This Podcast Episode

The 8th Habit

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

The Vintage Years – Dr. Francine Toder

The Second Curve of Life – Arthur C. Brooks

Breaking the Age Code – Dr. Becca Levy

How to Live a Values Based Life – Harry Kraemer

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Wise Quotes

On the Purpose of Living in Crescendo

“My mission is what his mission was for this book: to bring hope to people at any age and stage of life that they, despite past failures and successes, still have important things to accomplish and great contributions to make in life. And so we’re hoping to give hope and inspiration to people that you still have great things ahead of you. And despite what setbacks and challenges you’ve gone through, keep at it and recreate yourself. Do what you need to do to become the person you want to be.”

On Choices in the Second Half of Life

“And so the challenge in this book is to adopt a Crescendo Mentality, meaning that despite what you’ve done in the past, what are you going to do next? Are you going to live in Crescendo? Are you going to  keep contributing? Are you going to keep doing things in other areas? Even if you don’t hold a 9 to 5 job, what are you going to contribute? How do you keep living in Crescendo as opposed to living in Diminuendo, which means you basically are shutting down and getting ready to not give anymore – and what a state that is. So, one of the things that you need to do is find purpose while you age and while you live.”

On Contributing

“This was his personal mission statement: Live Life in Crescendo. And he adopted that because people were asking him – and second guessing –  why he was still working and still speaking. But he would say that there is no greater time than right now. [Look at] what people have in the second half of life. Just think about it. Here are some of the advantages. The truth is you have more time, more wisdom, more experience, probably more money, more resources, more networking, and more connections to offer than you ever have in your entire life. And so what are you going to lend that to? Someone who would retire and do very little when they’ve been running a company or they’ve been contributing, they’ve been responding to needs, and then they stop after that. What a waste of great talent and opportunity to bless others. My father always liked to quote, Dr. (Hans) Selye, who talked about eustress, and he said eustress is fundamental as we age. And he said we need that in our life, which is a purpose to get out of bed, a cause or something we’re involved in, so our our thoughts are occupied outside ourself rather than our ailments and things that we can’t do. We’re focusing on what contributions can I make. And a little stress in our life is good for us and motivates us to move and to get out and to contribute. And he would say don’t retire from making contributions…it causes a domino effect.”

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About Retirement Wisdom

Design Your Retirement and take charge of your future.

Schedule a call to find how how the Designing Your Life process (developed by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans at Stanford) can help you unlock a new direction – on your own terms

Join our Design Your Retirement small group coaching program starting in January. Groups start on January 20th and January 26th.

Enrollment ends soon.

Learn more here

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About Your Podcast Host

Joe Casey is an executive coach who also helps people design their next life after their primary career. He created his own next chapter after a twenty-six-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking.

He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy.

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I’ve been discussing with my clients recently what they’d like to do more of and less of in this year. A common theme?  More fun. Sometimes our work persona can dull our sense of play and fun. Mike Rucker, PhD joins us to discuss his new book The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life and how you can renew your sense of fun and retire happy.

Mike Rucker joins us from North Carolina.

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In no particular order, Mike Rucker is a: Author. Father. Husband. Organizational psychologist and behavioral scientist. Recovering entrepreneur. Fitness enthusiast with mechanical parts. VW Bus aficionado. Seeker. Traveler. Future astronaut.

The story he tells in his book The Fun Habit starts in 2016 when the tools he knew as a student of positive psychology suddenly failed him during one of his life’s most difficult stretches. Finding himself unhappy, a bit lonely, and burnt out, he began to critically evaluate modern approaches to happiness. He quickly realized how much misinformation is out there about happiness. Years of research coalesced as The Fun Habit—an action-based approach that helps you critically examine your pursuit of happiness and make adjustments using evidence-based practices to invite more fun and joy in your life.

Every story has many beginnings. A major commitment to fun as an intentional way of life came in 2007 when Mike announced the Live Life Love project, where he publicly committed himself to 25 years of documented self-development and self-discovery. After a long stint as an entrepreneur, he was heading back to Corporate America, and wanted to make sure that he continued to experience and contribute to this collaborative effort we all call “Life.”

The rules of the project are straightforward. From 2007 to 2032, Mike has committed to interviewing two thought leaders each quarter, or 200 in total. He has also committed to experiencing something new each quarter by way of an interesting life event, activity, or trip, ensuring that by the end of 2032, he will have 100 unique experiences to relish when the project concludes. Finally, Mike has committed to contributing a year’s salary and a year’s work hours to charity.

The project officially kicked off in 2007, but its spark was lit in 2005 when he took an early interest in peak performance and positive psychology. Through good fortune, he was introduced to an early mentor, Dr. Mike Gervais, and was also invited to be one of the first charter members of the International Positive Psychology Association. During this period, he was a sponge, soaking up knowledge from these emerging fields of psychology and using what he learned to personally thrive.

So that’s how it started. How’s it going? 

In 2020, he reached the project’s halfway point. 

During all this, Mike also became a peer-reviewed and widely published author, including his new book The Fun Habit. For many years he served as the Health Tech expert for About, Inc’s Verywell Health. He is currently on sabbatical from being an executive for Active Wellness. Mike has been published in the academic journals International Journal of Workplace Health Management and Nutrition Research, and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Fast Company, Psychology Today, Forbes, Vox, Thrive Global, Mindful, mindbodygreen, and elsewhere. In all, he has earned five advanced degrees, including a Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology and an MBA from the University of Southern California. He’s a member of the American Psychological Association, International Positive Psychology Association, and an accredited member of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Somewhere along the way, Mike also met his better half, Anna, and produced two tenacious kids while still finding some space for civic engagement and social contribution, resulting in various accolades, including a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Senate and a Congressional Commendation from the U.S. House of Representatives. Not bad for someone whose name first appeared on the Internet as the guy who swept the floors on Baywatch. 

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For More on Mike Rucker

The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life

Website

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

The Power of Fun – Catherine Price

Happier Hour – Cassie Holmes, PhD

Tiny Habits Can Lead to Big Changes – BJ Fogg

The Joy of Movement – Kelly McGonigal

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Wise Quotes

On Creating an Upward Spiral

“… you realize that you have a lot more control than you initially thought about in how you engage in activities and once that starts to create this upward spiral. Because once you get playful about that again, if you’re going through some big change, like I mentioned, or going through divorce or I know for your listeners are thinking about retirement, which is a big change in itself, it can feel overwhelming. But you can go into these things realizing that you do have more control than you initially thought, especially if you’ve let your life get habituated, which so many of us have.”

On Rethinking How We Spend Time 

“And so if we’re not deliberate about how we spend our time, we’re really giving all of our time away. And if we’re not deliberate about leisure, a lot of times we end the day with not enough vitality to do anything. And so it really requires a re-architecture of how we’re spending our time. Joe, I know that’s what you do with a lot of folks in your own practice. Look at those rhythms of life that kind of have gone astray and understand that it’s not a selfish act to take some time off the table for yourself. If you have that purview of you’re really doing stuff from a sense of duty, realize that enjoying a little bit of your week for yourself allows you to show up to be the best version of yourself when you are there for your loved ones.”

On Learning from Children

“..a little bit of original research that I did for the upcoming book, The Fun Habit was I went to children’s museums. I was really there for a different reason, but I got fascinated about how adults kind of lose the ability to play. And then I realized that the research I was doing was actually replicated. And there are good reasons for that. As adults, we really become linear in our thinking. We want to understand what is asked of us and then we do the thing, right? And that’s really unfortunate because that stifles creativity. And so what we can learn from kids is just watch how they play. They don’t need rules. There’s this concept in science that the map is not the territory. And where we get hung up as adults is we really need a map to explore the territory where the kids don’t care when they go to a playground, they just take it all in. Especially young kids like the awe and wonder they see in a new environment. And we’ve just lost that lust for life. And so if you can get in a playful mindset, and really act like a kid again, that reminds you of all of the curiosity and creativity you once had. And oftentimes that’s all it takes to really enjoy yourself again… It becomes magical for most people.”

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About Your Podcast Host

Joe Casey is an executive coach who also helps people design their next life after their primary career. He created his own next chapter after a twenty-six-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking.

He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy.

Learn more about how to retire smarter at retirementwisdom.com

Retire like your neighbor? Didn’t think so. Why not Design Your Retirement?

Group programs start January 20th | Early Bird Pricing ends December 31 | Learn more here

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What should be on your retirement planning list for the new year ahead?

Joe Allaria, CFP joins us to share his retirement planning insights.

We discuss:

Joe Allaria, CFP joins us from Illinois.

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As a Partner and Wealth Advisor for CarsonAllaria Wealth Management, Joe’s primary responsibilities are to work directly with clients as the leader of their financial plan, while also creating and implementing the strategic vision for the firm. Joe brings an analytical, yet creative approach in finding solutions for our clients.

For his numerous articles, Joe has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today.com, Yahoo Finance, Nasdaq.com, and Investopedia. Joe is committed to educating his clients and the general public about the important issues surrounding financial planning and wealth management.

Joe earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation in 2015. The CFP® marks identify those individuals who have met the rigorous experience and ethical requirements of the CFP Board, have successfully completed financial planning coursework and have passed the CFP® Certification Examination covering the following areas:  the financial planning process, risk management, investments, tax planning and management, retirement planning, and estate planning. Joe also holds a Life & Health Insurance License and a Series 65 Security License.

Joe was born and raised in Edwardsville, Illinois, where he graduated from high school and received a Division I football scholarship to Southern Illinois University Carbondale. There, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and met his wife, Jacki. Joe played football throughout his college career and was named a 1st Team ESPN Academic All-American, while also being honored as an SIU Top 25 Distinguished Senior, of which honorees are selected university-wide. He later earned an MBA from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Joe, Jacki, and their two sons, Brooks and Bennett, enjoy living in the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon community. They enjoy traveling as a family, hiking in the Pacific Northwest, being outdoors, listening to and playing music, and spending time with family and friends.

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For More on Joe Allaria

CarsonAllaria Wealth Management

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

The Key Decisions for Retirement Success – Wade Pfau

The Vintage Years – Francine Toder

Are You Ready for The New Long Life? – Andrew Scott

Happier Hour – Cassie Holmes

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Browse all podcast conversations across five seasons here.

It’s a free retirement school.

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Wise Quotes

On Being Prepared

“…let’s just take an inventory, and you can keep doing your own thing, but someone should know what’s going on. And so for those that don’t want to hire an advisor because they handle it themselves, no problem. But you should have your own succession plan, so to speak – that’s what the experts, so-called experts tell us. As advisors, we should have a succession plan. If we get hit by the proverbial bus, our clients need to be taken care of. And Do It Yourself investors need to view that the same way. So the same goes here – get your estate documents in order, make sure your wills, your powers of attorney are in order. Have a plan for long-term care. If you go into a long-term care facility and you can’t manage your finances or your spouse goes in, it’s very expensive. Just think about all those potential things that could happen, especially if you’re trying to manage all this yourself.”

On Investing Time Wisely

“Some folks I’ve talked to, they don’t even like using the word retirement because it has this negative connotation that it’s all downhill from here. But just because we stop working, doing what you’ve done for the past 30 years, doesn’t mean you have to slow down. There’s still a lot of time to get stuff done. And I think the second thing that the happiest people do is they do not listen to the news, watch the news. They don’t open their stock app every day. They don’t pay attention to the media, the financial media. At least they don’t look at their accounts every day.”

On Assessing If You Can Retire Financially

“And the sad thing is, Joe, I’ve seen where people have come in, they have been stressed, they’ve been working away. Let’s say they’re 67, 68 years old and they just didn’t know they could retire. And we do a financial plan and we know they could have retired five years ago. But that’s typically the worst outcome – when people have worked longer than they really needed to in a job they really don’t like.”

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About Retirement Wisdom

This retirement podcast is about the non-financial side of preparing for retirement  – and living life on your own terms.

Planning for retirement goes well beyond your 401k or IRA. How will you invest your time after your full-time working years?

You’ll need another portfolio.

I help people create an active multipurpose retirement, with the right mix of interests, activities and pursuits to invest your time wisely. And for many, like me, it includes a new version of work – redefined on your own terms.

Schedule a call to see if a 1-on-1 program or a small group Designing Your New Life program can give you an edge in your next chapter.

Visit retirementwisdom.com for tools and resources to help you retire smarter.

__________________________

About Your Podcast Host

Joe Casey is an executive coach who also helps people design their next life after their primary career. He created his own next chapter after a twenty-six-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking.

He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy.

Intro and Outro voiceovers by Ross Huguet.

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The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Retirement Wisdom Podcast are solely those of the guests and do not reflect the opinion of the host or Retirement Wisdom, LLC. The Retirement Wisdom Podcast primarily covers the non-financial aspects of retirement. From time to time we may invite guests who discuss other aspects of retirement planning, solely for educational purposes. Listeners are advised to consult qualified financial and/or medical professionals on those matters.

Wishing everyone Happy Holidays and a happy and healthy New Year.

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Retire like your neighbor? Not for you. Why not Design Your Retirement?

Group programs start January 20th | Early Bird Pricing ends December 31 | Learn more here

________________________

Freedom is a wonderful thing. It gives you the space to do more, explore more and be yourself more. We were blessed with many great guests who shared their insights with us on my retirement podcast this year.

Here are some highlights from the very best podcast conversations of the year.

Click on the links below to listen to the full conversations:

Becca Levy – Breaking the Age Code

Richard Eisenberg – The Unretirement Life

Sylvia Ascarelli – Where to Retire

Matt Paxton – Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff

Kate Schroeder – The Emotional Side of Retiring

John P. Weiss – An Artful Life

Marjorie Fox – Lifestyle and Financial Decisions As We Age

Arthur C. Brooks – The Second Curve of Life

Francine Toder – The Vintage Years

 Steve Lopez – Independence Day

Interested in more? Browse all conversations across five seasons here.

It’s a free retirement school.

_________________________

About Retirement Wisdom

This retirement podcast is about the non-financial side of preparing for retirement  – and living life on your own terms.

Planning for retirement goes well beyond your 401k or IRA. How will you invest your time after your full-time working years?

You’ll need another portfolio.

I help people create an active multipurpose retirement, with the right mix of interests, activities and pursuits to invest your time wisely. And for many, like me, it includes a new version of work – redefined on your own terms.

Schedule a call to see if a 1-on-1 program or a small group Designing Your New Life program can give you an edge in your next chapter.

Visit retirementwisdom.com for tools and resources to help you retire smarter.

__________________________

About Your Podcast Host

Joe Casey is an executive coach who also helps people design their next life after their primary career. He created his own next chapter after a twenty-six-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking.

He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy.

Intro and Outro voiceovers by Ross Huguet.