The seeds of a satisfying retirement are planted before it begins. And the disruption of the last two years have underscored the importance of several things that perhaps we took for granted. Our guest today, Dr.Maggie Mulqueen, shares her insights on how to navigate the transition to retirement well in challenging times.

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Bio

Maggie Mulqueen, Ph.D., is a writer, commentator, and psychologist in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Dr. Mulqueen graduated from Northwestern University with a bachelor’s of science degree and then went onto the University of Pennsylvania where she received her doctorate in Counseling Psychology and the Phi Delta Kappa award for dissertation of the year.

She has been an adjunct faculty member of Lesley University, Boston College, and the Norman E. Zinberg Center for Addiction Studies at Harvard Medical School and the Cambridge Hospital.

A licensed psychologist, she maintains a private practice in Brookline, Massachusetts. She and her husband live in the Boston suburbs, where they raised their three sons.

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For More on Maggie Mulqueen, Ph.D

Website 

Covid has changed retirement — and canceled the celebrations that usually mark it  - NBC News

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

Everyday Vitality – Dr. Samantha Boardman

The Skill Set for Life’s Transitions – Bruce Feiler

Think Big – Dr. Grace Lordan

The Second Curve of Life – Arthur C. Brooks

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Wise Quotes

On Transitioning to Retirement

"...The other thing about this is to really understand that it is a chapter. It's a transition, it's not a moment in time. Some people could be retired as long as their work life. Just like in developmental theory, there probably is an early middle and late retirement. It's not one thing. A retired 60 year old is real different than a retired 80 year old. And there's a difference about seeing it as a transition versus a cliff. And I think for those people, for whom retirement is a cliff, it's very, very hard. They go into anonymity. They feel that society doesn't value their wisdom, their input, and they feel really sidelined. And I think for people who can transition, who have the physical, mental, and financial resources, to make this a rich time, to reinvent themselves, whether that be volunteer work or different kinds of paid employment, they have a much easier time of it. It comes back to having a cohort group, a community of people who support you in going through a transition. We need to understand it's not: One day I was working the next day, I'm retired. It's really: I'm transitioning."

On Getting Your House In Order

"It's something to plan for and to think about. Is it something you want to stop cold turkey? Or do you want to see if you can negotiate some kind of part-time transition, so that you can kind of put your toe in the water or begin to think about how you will restructure your life when the structure is up to you? I would say another deficit, frankly, for many Americans is because we are so work-identity-focused. Many people don't invest in extracurriculars, hobbies, relationships, and so they don't naturally have other things to do, even though they might say, Oh, I've always been interested in X. If you haven't invested the time, I would spend a year before retirement trying some of those things out and seeing, is that really true? Does it hold my interest as much as I think it might? Or could I start to volunteer someplace and, and create some other relationships, so when I lose my work colleagues, there are other people who know me and whom I know and care about and have in my life?

In this third installment of The Retirement Roundtable, previous guests Michelle Pannor Silver (author of Retirement and Its Discontents, Ted Kaufman, and Bruce Hiland (co-authors of Retiring? Your Next Chapter Is about Much More Than Money) return to discuss the challenges of retirement - and the work it takes to prepare well to overcome them and create a fulfilling next chapter.

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Bios

Dr. Michelle Pannor Silver 

Michelle Pannor Silver is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto and author of numerous studies on retirement and aging. Her book, Retirement and Its Discontents, draws from in-depth interviews she conducted with people whose departure from their life’s work meant losing a core and fundamental component of their personal identity. Her work calls attention to ageism and societal loss associated with retirement while highlighting the personal struggles that can be arise when there is a mismatch between one’s idealized retirement and the reality of giving up identity, income, and status. Michelle received her PhD from the University of Chicago in 2010 and did her undergraduate and masters studies at the University of California Berkeley.

Ted Kaufman & Bruce Hiland - Co-authors of Retiring?: Your Next Chapter Is about Much More Than Money

Ted Kaufman is the former U S Senator from Delaware succeeding Senator Joseph Biden. He was Biden’s Chief of Staff for 19 years and headed up his 2020 Presidential Transition. He retired in 1995 and over the next 22 years taught courses at Duke University in the Law School, Fuqua School of Business, and Sanford School of Public Policy. At eighty-three, he and his wife, Lynne, celebrate their sixty-third anniversary this year.

Bruce Hiland's entire career - Brown University, Navy officer, Wharton MBA, McKinsey, CAO at Time Inc., 20 years of CEO-level consulting, four startups and considerable community service - focused on the challenges and opportunities people experienced in their work life. With that history, focusing on the challenges of succeeding at retirement came naturally. Now eighty-one, he and Ginny, his wife/partner of fifty-eight years, enjoy their family, deal with aging and are harvesting the fruits of their labor.

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For More on the Guests

Michelle Pannor Silver website

Retirement and Its Discontents: Why We Won't Stop Working, Even If We Can

Retiring? website Retiring?: Your Next Chapter Is about Much More Than Money

(100% of proceeds are donated to charity)

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

Retire Happy – Dr. Catherine Sanderson

A Tapas Life – Andy Robin

When Will You Flip the Switch? – Dr. Barbara O’Neill

What Are The Keys To A Successful Retirement? Fritz Gilbert

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Wise Quotes

On the Challenges of Retirement

"There's these great, airbrushed images that we see of retirees relaxing on the beach enjoying life to the fullest, finally having the free time to sit on a park bench and enjoy cruises, right? These are the very common images we see and the idea that we just have tons of leisure time to spend and do all these exciting things. And I think there's a real disconnect that people often feel, particularly when and the work that they've dedicated their lives to suddenly is not part of their daily routine. And so the sense of reality that my days are no longer structured or are no longer connected to what gave me a sense of worth, whether that was a paycheck or the work that one was doing, or the sense of accomplishment and the sense of acknowledgement for the work that you did, those dissipate.

It's wise to look back before you go forward. William Damon, one of the world’s leading developmental psychologists, shares insights from an unexpected life review sparked by information on the father he never knew. His new book A Round of Golf with My Father: The New Psychology of Exploring Your Past to Make Peace with Your Present illustrates how a life review can shape your future and sense of purpose.

William Damon joins us from California.

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Bio

William Damon is the director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence, a professor of education at Stanford University, and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.

Damon's research explores how people develop integrity and purpose in their work, family, and civic life. Damon's current work focuses on vocational, civic and entrepreneurial purpose among the young and on purpose in families and schools. He examines how young Americans can be educated to become devoted citizens and successful entrepreneurs. Damon's work has been used in professional training programs in fields such as journalism, law, and business and in character and civic education programs in grades K–12.

Damon’s recent books include Failing Liberty 101; The Path to Purpose: How Young People Find Their Calling in Life (2008) and Taking Philanthropy Seriously (2006); Damon’s earlier books include Bringing in a New Era in Character Education (Hoover Press, 2002); Greater Expectations: Overcoming the Culture of Indulgence in Our Homes and Schools (1995); and The Moral Child (1992).

Damon is editor in chief of The Handbook of Child Psychology, fifth and sixth editions (1998 and 2006). He is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Education and a fellow of the American Educational Research Association.

Damon has received awards and grants from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Andrew Mellon Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Thrive Foundation for Youth, and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Before coming to Stanford in 1997, Damon was University Professor and director of the Center on the Study of Human Development at Brown University. From 1973 to 1989, Damon served in several academic and administrative positions at Clark University. In 1988, he was Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Puerto Rico, and in 1994–95 he was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.

Damon received his bachelor's degree from Harvard College and his PhD in developmental psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. He is married and has three children.

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For More on William Damon

A Round of Golf with My Father: The New Psychology of Exploring Your Past to Make Peace with Your Present

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

Retire Happy – Dr. Catherine Sanderson

The Second Curve of Life – Arthur C. Brooks

The Future You – Brian David Johnson

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

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Wise Quotes

On Purpose versus Meaning

"...purpose is more than meaning. It goes beyond meaning. You have a goal, you have something you're trying to accomplish. It's a commitment to do something that makes a difference in the world. And even more than that, there's a bit of a beyond the self aspect to purpose, almost like a transcendent quality. If I have a purpose in life, it's something I'm dedicated to that I care about so much, because I think it will leave something to the world at large, the world beyond the self.

What's the bigger picture context for your retirement? Demographics and scientific advancements in longevity are changing the way we live. Demographic futurist Bradley Schurman, author of The Super Age, joins us to talk about what these megatrends mean for your retirement.

We discuss:

His  journey in writing The Super Age book

The two megatrends creating The Super Age– the science of longevity and demographics and how they're changing the world we live in.

How to "Make Home and Community Gray Again."

The major upsides of the Super Age.

The biggest challenges that will need be solved by governments - and by individuals.

The cost of doing nothing.

The lessons we can learn from Japan.

How “retirement” will look in the future.

Two different paths  for people who want to work longer .

Why the scientific advances aren't enough.

The challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community with retirement – and how might things evolve in the Super Age.

How the policies, programs and practices of companies will need to evolve to attract, develop, and retain a more age diverse workforce.

The key messages he'd like readers to take away from The Super Age.

Bradley joins us from Washington, D.C.

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Bio

Bradley Schurman is a demographic futurist and opinion maker on all things dealing with the business of longevity. You might know him as the founder of The Super Age - a global collective of change-makers that offers information and professional business consulting services geared to help organizations respond to demographic change, as well as harness the opportunities of an increasingly older and generationally diverse population, or for the groundbreaking AARP Aging Readiness and Competitiveness Report. Bradley is a social connector that has built his reputation by helping leading organizations understand our increasingly older and generational diverse world. He explains how shifting demographics and the collision of the megatrends of decreased birthrates and increased longevity are remaking social and economic norms in the United States and around the world.

Prior to launching The Super Age, Schurman was Co-Founder and Managing Partner of EconomyFour, where he led business development in Asia and Europe. He also served AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) – the world’s largest organization dedicated to improving the lives of older people – where he was Director of Global Partnerships and Engagements. Schurman got his start at LeadingAge (formerly the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging) – the non-profit trade association representing non-profit providers of long-term care, housing, and support services.

Schurman was instrumental in securing the topics of aging and longevity as focus areas at both the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and World Economic Forum (WEF). He was also responsible for visioning and executing the Aging Readiness and Competitiveness Report – a groundbreaking collaborative research project between AARP and Foreign Policy Group.

Schurman has been featured on NBC's TODAY Show and CHEDDER, and has been quoted in the New York Times, HuffingtonPost, and USA Today, as well as in local and national media outlets around the world. He speaks regularly at thought leader forums and corporate retreats, and has advised national leaders and corporate executives on their longevity strategies.

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For More on Bradley Schurman

The Super Age: Decoding Our Demographic Destiny

The Super Age (company website)

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

The Second Curve of Life – Arthur C. Brooks

Are you thinking big enough about your retirement? The traditional one-size-fits-all retirement isn't the right fit for many people today. You can create a version that's best for you. Dr. Grace Lordan, author of Think Big, Take Small Steps and Build the Future You Want explains how findings from behavioral science can help you do just that, by overcoming cognitive biases and other obstacles. Many of my favorite books for retirement aren't about retirement, but the principles can give you an edge in thinking big and building your future.

We discuss:

Her idea of ME+ in Think Big

How the concept of Your Future Self can help you think big

Why new can narratives help us

When the “stories we tell ourselves” get in our way

How cognitive biases present obstacles

A cognitive bias many people aren’t aware of – but should be

The dangers of all or nothing thinking

Why identifying and managing your Time Sinkers can be a game changer

How small, positive actions done regularly drive make progress 

Why being compassionate toward others matters

Grace Lordan joins us from London.

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Bio

Dr Grace Lordan is the Founding Director of The Inclusion Initiative and an Associate Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Grace is an economist and her research is focused on quantifying the benefits of inclusion within and across firms, as well as designing interventions that level the playing field for under-represented talent within firms.

Grace is an expert advisor to the UK government sitting on their skills and productivity board, is a member of the UK government’s BEIS social mobility taskforce and is on the Women in Finance Charter’s advisory board.

Her academic writings have been published in top international journals and she has written for the Financial Times and Harvard Business Review. Grace is a regular speaker and advisor to blue chip finance and technology firms.

Think Big, Take Small Steps and Build the Future You Want, is her first book.

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For More on Grace Lordan

Think Big, Take Small Steps and Build the Future You Want

Website

SMILE in 2022 - London School of Economics Business Review (a 3 minute read on six life lessons from behavioral science you can put to good use this year)

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

How to Begin – Michael Bungay Stanier

The Future You – Brian David Johnson

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 Visualizing Your Future Self

"In behavioral science one of the things we know for sure is that people who visualize their future self in the present are much more likely to invest in themselves. There's lots of things that are going on that can distract us from investing in our future selves. So, it's really bringing the idea of yourself, not just the kind of vision and the lifestyle the person will actually have, but what they will actually be doing on a Monday to Friday [basis] in life is really what gets you there -  through imagination. I can't reiterate enough how well visualization works  to bring the future to life. But it also works to bring the future into the present day, which is really when you needed to get motivated to take these small steps that will get you there."

On Small Steps and a New Narrative

"I think fundamentally the stories that we tell ourselves define our actions. So if you believe that you don't deserve something, you're probably never going to get it.

How are you approaching the second half of life? There are inevitable declines to deal with. But there are gifts that emerge that, if you're attuned to them, can create greater meaning, renewed purpose, and happiness as you retire. Arthur Brooks, Harvard Professor and happiness columnist in The Atlantic, joins us to discuss his new book From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life. Are you ready for The Second Curve?

Arthur Brooks joins us from Massachusetts.

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Bio

Arthur C. Brooks is the Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and Professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Business School. Before joining the Harvard faculty in July of 2019, he served for ten years as president of the Washington, D.C.-based American Enterprise Institute (AEI), one of the world’s leading think tanks.

He is also a columnist for The Atlantic, host of the podcast “How to Build a Happy Life with Arthur Brooks,” and subject of the 2019 documentary film “The Pursuit.”Arthur has written 12 books, including the national bestsellers “Love Your Enemies” and “The Conservative Heart.” His most recent book is “From Strength to Strength,” available on February 15, 2022.

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For More on Arthur Brooks

Order From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life

Website: arthurbrooks.com

Twitter: @arthurbrooks

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Episodes You May Like

Everyday Vitality – Dr. Samantha Boardman

Successful Aging – Daniel Levitin

Retire Happy – Dr. Catherine Sanderson

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

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Mentioned in This Episode

HOW TO WANT LESS: The secret to satisfaction has nothing to do with achievement, money, or stuff. (The Atlantic)

Your Professional Decline Is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think: Here's How to Make the Most of It. (The Atlantic)

Falling Upward by Richard Rohr

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Wise Quotes

On The First & Second Curves

"I noticed that analysis and innovation get harder as we get older and and I started looking into why that was. And there's a whole body of research that shows that there's something called fluid intelligence.

Fluid intelligence is what makes you good at what you're good at. So you were a Wall Street (HR) guy and and what made you good at your job was that you were able to answer other people's questions and solve other people's problems faster than anybody else. That's what makes you really good in the knowledge business and the ideas business. And that gets easier, and better, through your 20s and and into your 30s. And then in your late 30s, according to the research, that fluid intelligence, the ability to do that actually starts to decline, and is really in free fall in your 40s. That's why certain things for people who are in perfectly good health and have high levels of skill, find their job getting harder and just more challenging than it used to be. That's why lawyers find that in their 40s they're not as sharp as they were in their 30s and surgeons find the same thing - whether they're willing to admit it or not.

But here's the good news. Actually the research shows that's not your only intelligence. The first intelligence curve goes up and comes back down - but there's another intelligence curve behind it called the crystallized intelligence curve, which makes it much easier for you not to answer somebody else's questions, but to ask the right questions.

Your expectations and beliefs matter. Science journalist David Robson, author of The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World highlights research showing how negative views on aging impact how someone actually ages, and other ways expectations influence you.

We discuss:

How attitudes about aging influence the aging process

Ways in which expectations & beliefs affect our health, happiness and well-being

How expectations color what we see – literally and figuratively

The role that the expectations of other people plays in your life

How contagious toxic beliefs can be, but how the Framingham Heart Study shows the flip side

The research that surprised him the most

The benefits of multigenerational relationships versus age segregation

The pros and cons of approaching life with low expectations so you won't be disappointed

Practical ways to harness the power of expectations – and avoid the downsides

David Robson joins us from London.

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Bio

David Robson is an award-winning science writer specialising in the extremes of the human brain, body and behaviour.

After graduating with a degree in mathematics from Cambridge University, he worked as a features editor at New Scientist for five years, before moving to BBC Future, where he was a senior journalist for five years. His writing has also appeared in the Guardian, the Atlantic, Aeon, Men’s Health and many more outlets. In 2021, David received awards from the Association of British Science Writers and the UK Medical Journalists’ Association for his writing on misinformation and risk communication during the COVID pandemic.

David’s first book, The Intelligence Trap, was published in 2019, and received worldwide media attention. His second book The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Life, will be published in the USA and Canada on 15 February 2022. It is “a journey through the cutting-edge science of how our mindset shapes every facet of our lives, revealing how your brain holds the keys to unlocking a better you”.

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For More on David Robson

Website

The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World

Follow on Twitter

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

Everyday Vitality – Dr. Samantha Boardman

Chatter & Your Inner Voice – Ethan Kross

Can You Grow Younger? – Marta Zaraska

The Power of Fun – Catherine Price

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Wise Quotes 

On the Impact of Negative Beliefs About Aging

"This research was so compelling to me - it's actually the reason I wrote the book. I've been looking into the expectation effect for a while and then I came across these studies on on the implications for aging and it just felt like it was something that deserved a whole book rather than a magazine feature article. And just to give some background, the expectation effect concerns how our beliefs become self-fulfilling prophecies through changes to our behavior and our physiology. And the research on aging really demonstrates this beautifully. So that's shown that people who have a negative belief about aging - who associate aging with a kind of inevitable decline with disability and with a lack of independence - that they actually age much more quickly. Their actual biological aging is accelerated. And this can be seen right down to the cellular level. So the length of the protective caps at the ends of the chromosomes for example, these telomeres,

It's easy to take for granted how much we count on technology. Can you imagine life in the pandemic without it? But what does the future hold for technology that will make life easier for older adults? Keren Etkin, author of The Age Tech Revolution, previews what's coming and why Age Tech should be part of your planning, especially if aging in place is your goal.

We discuss:

What AgeTech is about

What a Gerontechnologist does - and what led her to that field

The two trends that are colliding and accelerating the development of new technology that will help older adults

The 6 areas where technology can enhance the capabilities of older adults

Myths about older adults and technology

How older adults will use technology in our daily lives 10 years from now

The Longevity Explorers and what we can learn from them

Why retirement is ripe for disruption

How reinvention and re-skilling are alternatives to traditional retirement

The role robots will be playing with older adults in the future

How planning for technology should be on your list if you're planning to age in place

The coolest technology for older adults she’d like to see developed

Keren Etkin joins us from Israel.

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Bio

Keren Etkin is the author of The Age Tech Revolution - a book about the intersection of technology and aging, founder of TheGerontechnologist.com, a media platform that covers the global agetech ecosystem and offers online courses through the AgeTech Academy, and the founder/director of AgeLabIL at Shenkar college in Israel, an interdisciplinary R&D center focusing on agetech.

Named one of the most influential people in aging, Etkin is a sought-after public speaker and advisor for agetech startups, investors in the longevity economy, care providers and organizations who work on innovation in aging.

Previously, Etkin was the first employee at Intuition Robotics, maker of ElliQ, a pioneering social robot designed with and for older adults, and co-founder & VP of Product at Sensi.ai, a startup that developed the first artificial intelligence solution for remote care monitoring.

She holds an M.A. in Gerontology and a B.Sc. in Life Sciences from Ben-Gurion University.

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For More on Keren Etkin

The Age Tech Revolution on Amazon

Website: TheGerontechnologist.com

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

Smarter Tomorrow – Elizabeth Ricker

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

Who Will Take Care of You When You Are Older? – Joy Loverde

Successful Aging – Daniel Levitin

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Mentioned in This Episode

Apple’s iOS 15 Has a Fall-Prevention Feature Everyone Should Use

The Longevity Explorers

Stay Hydrated: There are a number of Water Bottles with sensors on Amazon - here's an example

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Wise Quotes

On Older Adults & Technology

"The facts are that older adults are adopting technology at increasingly growing numbers in the past decade and that this trend of of tech adoption has been around since before Covid. And the pandemic has definitely accelerated it. It accelerated tech adoption and tech usage for everyone, and that is also true for older adults. They bought tech devices they adopted more video chat than ever before, not just to to chat with their children and grandchildren but also also to consume healthcare care services and to use telehealth, and to chat with their friends. And their their book club steadily was online rather than in person.

You leave many things behind when you head off to retirement. But some surprising things tag along, including stress. And there will be new stressors to deal with in your new life. Psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Boardman, author of Everyday Vitality: Turning Stress into Strength, shares her insights from scientific research in positive psychology and her clinical experience, on how you can bolster your vitality and enhance your well-being.

We discuss:

Why she went went back to school to become a positive psychiatrist

How she defines Vitality

How two types of people – Teflon and Velcro -  react to stress

Emodiversity

Why old dogs can indeed learn new tricks

How you can create Uplifts in your day

The stories we tell ourselves - and the power of a new narrative

The benefits of expanding your horizons

How discomfort gives us valuable data

Why you should want some “desirable difficulty” in your life

Steps to have more Everyday Vitality

Dr. Boardman joins us from New York.

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Bio

Dr. Samantha Boardman is Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry and Attending Psychiatrist at Weill Cornell Medical College. She is also the founder of PositivePrescription.com, a website that combines her training from medical school and psychiatry with her work and training in the field of positive psychology. Her weekly newsletter, the popular Weekly Dose, shares actionable, productive and digestible advice with her devoted readers.  Samantha received her B.A. from Harvard University, an M.A. in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Medical Degree from Cornell University Medical College where she was awarded the Oskar Diethelm Prize for Excellence in Psychiatry. Dr. Boardman has published papers in journals including Translational Neuroscience, The American Journal of Psychiatry and The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

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For More on Dr. Samantha Boardman

Everyday Vitality: Turning Stress into Strength 

Website

Newsletter: The Weekly Dose

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

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

Chatter & Your Inner Voice – Ethan Kross

Retire Happy – Dr. Catherine Sanderson

How to Live a Values Based Life – Harry Kraemer

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Wise Quotes

On Becoming

"We get so stuck in this idea of who we are and the story we tell about ourselves. I am a morning person. I don't watch football. I can't stand this. And often, it's really preferences people have or habits about who they are. I think it's Dan Ariely, who spoke about how we're all sort of in the process of becoming. We can all look back and see how much we've changed, but we have such a hard time imagining how much we will change moving forward. And we're all in the process of becoming - no matter what age we are."

On Noticing

"Her advice was always look for three things every day that are different about your partner. Notice how different they look in that shirt. Notice the way that they are maybe doing something different. Notice when they tell you something. Maybe it's something they've never told you before. Prime yourself to be noticing nuance. This is the essence of mindfulness. It's not meditating. It's just noticing what's different - and what's new. For instance, if you ask people who are playing in an orchestra and they play the same thing every night, play it just a little bit differently. Not that anyone else would notice, but just for you so that there's more nuance in it."

On Values, Actions,

What are your goals and plans for this year - and beyond? Each year offers fresh opportunities for new pursuits, new goals and often big transitions. The fun part is the goal-setting, envisioning your future and how things can unfold. But how do you begin? How do you start to move forward on your big goals in a way that works, especially when you're pursuing something meaningful that really matters to you? My guest, Michael Bungay Stanier has answers in his new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something That Matters.

His full bio is below, but you should know that Michael Bungay Stanier has been named named #1 Thought Leader in Coaching. I've learned a ton from following his work over the past 12 years - and you'll come away with useful takeaways from this conversation and his book.

We discuss:

What makes something a Worthy Goal

What gets in the way of people starting to do things that matter

How to craft and thoughtfully sharpen Worthy Goals

What we can get wrong about resistance

Action verbs that resonate with him now

The value of doing hard things

His involvement in Malaria No More

Lessons he's learned about transitioning well

The key benefits of How To Begin: Start Doing Something That Matters

Michael Bungay Stanier joins us from Toronto.

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Bio

Michael Bungay Stanier helps people be a force for change. His latest book is How to Begin: Start Doing Something That Matters. He’s best known for his book The Coaching Habit which has sold close to a million copies and has thousands of 5-star reviews online, and The Advice Trap focuses on what it takes to tame your Advice Monster.

He founded Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that helps organizations move from advice-driven to curiosity-led. They’ve trained hundreds of thousands of managers to be more coach-like and their clients range from Microsoft to Gucci.

He left Australia about 30 years ago to be a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University … where his only significant achievement was falling in love with a Canadian …which is why he now lives in Toronto, having spent time in London and Boston.

Balancing out these moments of success, he was banned from his high school graduation for “the balloon incident” … was sued by one of his Law School professors for defamation … and his first published piece of writing was a Harlequin Romance-esque story involving a misdelivered letter … and called The Male Delivery.

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For More on Michael Bungay Stanier

How to Begin: Start Doing Something That Matters (Amazon)

Website: mbs.works

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Mentioned in this episode:

Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life by Richard Rohr

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Podcast Episodes You May Like

Tiny Habits Can Lead to Big Changes – BJ Fogg

Smarter Tomorrow – Elizabeth Ricker

Learning is a Lifetime Sport – Tom Vanderbilt

The Power of Fun – Catherine Price

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Wise Quotes

On Worthy Goals

"This is such a crossroad, isn't it? What David Brooks would call: are you ready to climb the second mountain? Because you've climbed the first mountain of your career and you've had success and you've got status and you're now resourced and experienced, and you've got, as they call it Nordic highlights. You've done great. You got all of that. and you are 50 or 55 or 60 or 65. And you're thinking to yourself, I've got 20 good years left. At least I don't want to play golf the whole time. What am I going to do? And so this book is written because I'm 50 something, 53 or something.