Retirement: Different by Design: Six Building Blocks Fundamentally Changing How Life After Work is Viewed, Planned For, and Lived

Redefining the Retirement Experience

My name is Dr. Rick author of Retirement: Different by Design. I wrote the book because I failed; and, I hate to fail at anything. Indeed, I "failed" to accept what retirement offered, a second chance, a mulligan, life's one and only do-over. I, like many of us, expected retirement to appear fully formed just turn the work switch off and the retirement switch on. But I was wrong, really wrong!

Retirement--A Different Way of Life

Work for many of us was who we were and what we did--it's how we defined ourselves. But retirement changes everything--what's so hard about "doing nothing" we think and truly believe. Oh my friends, that's when it all can go wrong. You see, retirement is more than the absence of work--it's a different way of life requiring new vision, new purpose and new life perspectives. Retirement, disconnects us from our familiar daily routines and what structured our lives, our social networks, our paychecks and our reason for getting up every morning.

Who Should Read this Book?

• The soon-to-be retired wanting to know what retirement "can" be like for them; and, if they are really ready to retire
• Reluctant retirees fearful of what they will find on the "other side of work"
• The already retired who are flirting with failing retirements wanting to know how to turn them around

Providing Answers, Not More Questions

Trained as a journalist and educated as a Social Psychologist I decided to find out what "retirement" is all about--to understand why some retirements thrive while others descend into boredom, dull routine and dysfunctional and unhealthy behaviors. It quickly became apparent that I had to challenge and replace commonly accepted retirement and age myths and misinformation with new integrated models Retirement's Six Fundamental Building Blocks and Retirement's Ages and Stages redefining the retirement experience.

It's Not Always about the Money

We all can live socially rich, emotionally balanced, intellectually nourishing, healthful and physically active retirements no matter the size of our bank accounts because retirement isn't about how much money we have in the bank, but how much "richness and joy" we have in our lives.