Blog

December 9, 2023 Leave a Comment

Reframing Retirement – Celebrating Longevity

Globally, the population is ageing. In New Zealand, it is predicted a fifth of us will be over 65 years of age by 2034. Traditionally, when we reached 65, it was the magic age when many of us made the transition into what we call ‘Retirement’, as it’s the age at which we are entitled to universal superannuation. It’s an old model. The practice of exiting the workplace after reaching a certain age and entering the life stage we call ‘Retirement’ was introduced in the 18^th Century and was more widely adopted in the 19^th and 20^th Century.

Nowadays, there is no compulsory ‘Retirement Age’ in Aotearoa. In the 21st Century ‘Retirement’, or ‘Semi-Retirement’ as a life stage, means different things to different people. While some remain in paid work on either a full or part-time basis, many look forward to exiting the workplace and giving up the daily commute. ‘Retirement’ commences immediately after leaving the workplace. Initially we may look forward to taking a well-earned rest and spending more time with the important people in our lives. Travel may be planned, new routines are established, and we begin to focus time and energy on the activities we enjoy.

However, over time this old concept of ‘Retirement’ may not meet everyone’s expectations, intensified with the impact of the COVID pandemic. We may experience disappointment, uncertainty, a lack of purpose, poor health, financial insecurity, loneliness and/or sadness – maybe through loss of a loved one. It’s vital that if we find ourselves in this situation we shift out of this phase, develop an attitude of gratitude, and take control of our wellbeing in later life. Expressing a sense of gratitude enhances positive emotions and increases self-esteem. Give it a go. Make a long list of all the things you are grateful for and add to this list daily. Savour your experiences, life’s lessons, the people you have met along the way, and boost overall wellbeing.

It’s time to ‘Reframe Retirement’ and celebrate longevity by reminding ourselves that chronological age is just a number, not an impediment. It’s our functional age that matters. How we feel about ageing, impacts on how we age. We have so many choices on how we spend our time and a duty to ourselves to age as well as we can. We can meet new people, try new activities, visit, or invite old friends around for a meal, learn new skills, share our experiences, document our memories or family history, volunteer or take on a significant project at any age. It’s up to each of us to make the most of our extended lifespans. After all, life is a gift for us to enjoy, and later life can be even more fulfilling than what has gone before.

Go well and enjoy the adventure.

Dr. Angela Robertson is the author of six books, an inspirational speaker, and workshop facilitator with a wealth of experience in maximising individual and collective potential. Through her writing and speaking engagements she encourages people, regardless of their age and stage, to continually expand their horizons, leverage their strengths, and channel their energy into activities that matter. Her books are available from online stores in paperback, e-book and kindle formats.

https://books2read.com/Embracing-Life-On-Our-Own-Terms

November 18, 2023 Leave a Comment

Emotional Wellbeing: Unlocking Joy Through Your Story

Did you know that it’s possible to unleash the power of joy and strengthen your wellbeing by embarking on a ‘Write Your Story’ project? Your life is a tapestry of emotions—joyful moments, triumphs, and challenges overcome. Writing your story allows you to revisit and celebrate the positive emotions that have coloured your journey. Reflecting on and capturing your happy memories, family history, career/business story, travel adventures or spiritual journey brings both joy and a sense of meaning and fulfillment.

Documenting your story also provides the opportunity to strengthen relationships with family, friends and the wider community that will be cherished for a lifetime. Your narrative can be a source of inspiration, reminding you, and others, of the happiness you’ve experienced and fosters positive emotional wellbeing.

Writing has therapeutic benefits for your physical wellbeing. It’s not just an intellectual exercise; it’s a way to express and release emotions, reduce stress and promote overall wellness. As you embark on your ‘Write Your Story’ project, consider the physical wellbeing advantages—a healthier mind contributing to a healthier body.

Completing your life story is a significant accomplishment. It’s not just words on a page; it’s a testament to your resilience, growth, and the legacy you’re leaving behind. In the first instance, all you need is an open mind, a notebook and pen, and a commitment to your project. Make a list of the topics you’d like to include, then pick the one that appeals the most to you and start writing. Don’t be tempted to edit your work, just write. Don’t let perfection get in the way of getting the job done. You can revise, polish and format your script at a later date.

Documenting your life story needn’t be a solitary endeavor; it can be an opportunity to strengthen your social connections. In my popular series of ‘Write Your Story’ community workshops, men and women meet weekly in a supportive fun environment. As part of the learning experience, I guide participants through every step of the writing journey, from concept to completion, and everyone is encouraged to share their stories. By sharing your experiences, you create bridges to others who may have similar stories to tell. In this way a ‘Write Your Story’ project becomes a catalyst for community engagement, fostering a sense of belonging and enhancing social wellbeing. For those that prefer to work on their own, I also offer professional one-on-one support and encouragement.

It’s never too late to begin documenting your incredible life journey. Your story deserves to shine, and it makes the perfect gift for the special people in your life. Why not start your legacy project today, celebrate your journey, and leave a lasting impact.

Reach out if you need a hand, I’d be happy to help.

August 2, 2023 Leave a Comment

10 Good Reasons To Write Your Story

Why is it important to write your story? Answer: Because everyone’s life is unique and worthwhile, and everyone has a story to tell, including you. Let’s face it, you’ve been sharing snippets of your life in conversations with family and friends for most of your life. Storytelling has been an integral way of connecting with others for generations. Documenting your memories, vignettes of defining moments in your life, elements of your family history, your career/business journey, your travel adventures, a spiritual experience, or hobbies you are passionate about, is such a rewarding and fulfilling personal experience. It’s also the greatest legacy you can leave your family and friends, and a treasure for future generations.

In a nutshell: –

Writing your personal story evokes memories of the important people in your lives, your experiences, achievements, your hopes, and dreams. You get to taste life twice – in the moment and in retrospect.
The process is enjoyable and liberating. It can also be cathartic (healing).
It will help guide you on your search for family roots – tracing lineage, social history, which may help to create a sense of identity with your predecessors.
Wisdom. Reflecting on your story, you’ll gain perspective and learn from your experience.
It’s a great way to connect with grandchildren, as they love stories. The process may reconnect you with more distant family members.
You get to choose what’s included.
You’ll create a living legacy with no regrets (e.g., I wish I had my parent’s story ………….but now it’s too late……)
It’s a fabulous gift for the special people in your life.
Your life, work experience, and your involvement in the community contributes to our cultural and social heritage.
If you don’t write it, who will?

Where and how to start documenting your story?

Be selective. Choose your topic for example, Childhood memories, How I met your mother/father, Memories of my mother/father. Focus on one essential area of your life or family history at a time. Ask yourself, “which story is the most important one to tell? What excites me the most?” Contain your story to avoid becoming overwhelmed with the size of your project. Think about the reader, what do you think would interest them the most about your life or family history? Draw a timeline and tease out a structure for your writing project(s). List the major events and the important characters you’d like to include in relation to the topic you have chosen. Use lists and bullet points to ‘sketch’ out the parts of your story in a notebook, and document your ideas, thoughts and feelings as you go. Once you have a plan, it makes it easier to flesh out your lists of bullet points and ideas and transform them into sentences. Be authentic, use your own voice, your own words to tell the story in your own way. Finally, resist the urge to perfect what you’ve written. Remember, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’.

Maintaining momentum with your writing project

Wishing will not accomplish your goals. Actions will. Commit to your writing project and make it a priority. Set intermediate goals to maintain your interest. Ask yourself, “what will I write by (date), to give to (name).” Schedule your writing time as you do other appointments, stick to it, and monitor your progress. Alternatively, consider joining a community group of like-minded people who: –

Meet regularly to work on non-fiction writing projects.
Create an encouraging, respectful, fun environment.
Listen, and are prepared to give and receive constructive feedback and support.

Everyone has a story to convey. The good news is that if others can document their story, so can you. Reach out if you need a hand, I’d be happy to help. I facilitate ‘Write Your Story’ community workshops, seminars, and one-on-one coaching support for individuals on request.

May 19, 2023 Leave a Comment

New Zealand – A Nation of Small Businesses

New Zealand is a nation of small and micro businesses. They represent an incredible 97% of the total number of businesses, that have fewer than 20 employees. Of these approximately 76% are managed and operated by the self-employed (solo entrepreneurs) that account for 28% of the nation’s employment and contribute to in excess of 25% of NZ’s gross domestic product. Approximately 45% of these self-starters, let’s call them ‘Entrepreneurs’, are over the age of 50, and what’s more, these numbers are expected to grow! They are an integral part of Aotearoa’s thriving economy and an asset to our community. Who are these people? Why did they start these business – what is their motivation? And what kind of business are they in? I asked myself these questions and set out to find the answers.

In my book ‘Changing Gears: Entrepreneurs @ 50+‘ I’ll introduce you to 33 awesome entrepreneurs. These are real people, from all walks of life, who have taken a risk in later life, and established a business in NZ, from which, they are creating a stream of income. This is not an academic book with detailed references and financial statements. It’s a collection of cameo short stories about everyday people, just like you and me, who became a single or multi business owner operators – some unexpectedly. The nature and size of their businesses vary; some service the domestic market, others are operating on a global scale. Most of these individuals had never thought of themselves as entrepreneurs – but they are. With a sense of renewal and enthusiasm, they are living the dream, generating an income while crafting a life of independence and purpose.

Every year, thousands of people around the globe embark on a similar journey. They navigate their own route to re-ignite their lives, explore and develop their interests, re-charge their batteries and focus on what matters. They search for opportunities, find other ways of leveraging their talents, and earn a living. There is a huge segment of the population, who in later life, have the potential to fulfill their passions, utilise their skills and experience to create a stream of income. And by doing so they also contribute to the greater good of their communities in all kinds of ways. What they need is support and encouragement.

Whenever we take up a new pursuit, it requires significant effort, persistence and momentum to make things happen. Yes, of course there will be challenges – some are predictable, others take us by surprise. Examples of these trials and tribulations are discussed in the book, along with fundamental tips and techniques for managing them. There are also opportunities to pick up ideas and lessons learned from others who have embarked on this path. The entrepreneurs showcased in this book, are living examples of what can be achieved. It is possible to generate an income while crafting a life of independence and purpose….if you want to.

‘Changing Gears: Entrepreneurs @ 50+’ is available in Kindle and paperback formats from your favourite online bookstores e.g., Amazon, Fishpond.NZ, Barnes and Noble, and Book Despository.UK. Paperback copies can be purchased from Books & Co, Ōtaki, Paiges bookstore, Whanganui, and directly from the author (Kiaora@angelarobertson.nz). Copies are also available on request in libraries. #entrepreneurs #smallbusinesssuccess #selfactualisation #encorecareers

February 6, 2023 Leave a Comment

What does it take to become an entrepreneur?

It takes courage, fortitude, and a tolerance for risk to become an entrepreneur at any age. Whilst most of us want flexibility and autonomy in our work, setting up and operating a business requires a high degree of confidence and enthusiasm, a wide range of skills, is time consuming, and is generally harder than working for someone else. Nevertheless, there is an emerging trend for people to start a business for the first time in later life, and this has increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. And, according to the New Zealand Office for Seniors, self-employment income for older people is projected to significantly increase in the future.

Why do individuals in the second half of life choose to change gears, and go down this route? What is the trigger? What motivates them? What is the nature of the businesses they establish, and how do they go about it? Want to know more? Check out ‘Changing Gears: Entrepreneurs@50+’. In this book you’ll meet 33 later life entrepreneurs, who share a snapshot of their business ideas, their challenges and how they overcame them, and their aspirations for the future. This easy-to-read book also offers lots of tips, and useful websites for anyone who is considering going down this route and has received excellent reviews from readers.

‘Changing Gears: Entrepreneurs @ 50+’ is available in Kindle and paperback formats from your favourite online bookstores e.g., Amazon, Fishpond.NZ, Barnes and Noble and Books & Co, in Ōtaki

Various events, including workshops about the book are being scheduled (for details see Workshops and Events scheduled 2023 Workshops / Events (angelarobertson.nz) If you are interested in hosting an event in your district, email Angela kiaora@angelarobertson.nz

#self-actualisation #fulfillment #encore careers #entrepreneurs in later life

January 3, 2023 2 Comments

Entrepreneurs@ 50+

Yes, you can generate an income while crafting a life of independence and purpose ……. if you want to.

At last, the long-awaited book, ‘Changing Gears: Entrepreneurs @ 50+’ has now been published on Amazon.com A big ‘Thank You’ to the awesome entrepreneurs who feature in it. In addition to sharing their experience, they also share some of the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. These individuals create their own reality and show us it’s never too late to change direction. If you have that nagging feeling of ‘What’s next for me’, this book is for you. Inspired by their example, you might like to give it a go too. Watch this space for details of the official book launch which will be held in Kāpiti in February 2023.

**Available in e.Book and paperback formats https://www.amazon.com/author/angelarobertson**

If you purchase this book, I’d really appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to provide a review. Nga mihinui, Angela R.

December 4, 2022 Leave a Comment

Changing Direction in Later Life

While ageing is inevitable, the second half of life is an opportunity to revision and re-ignite our lives. We can:

Change gears – if we choose to
Scale back, change direction, start a business, exit the workplace, revitalize our lifestyle, re-train
Refocus our time and energy on things that matter
Make conscious choices about how we spend our time and who we spend our time with
Seek new opportunities and challenges
Channel our energy into activities that matter.

Transitioning into a new period of active life offers:

New perspectives
An opportunity to step outside our comfort zone
The chance to recharge our batteries
An opportunity to build and develop our inner resources and navigate and plan a more balanced and rewarding lifestyle.

The choice is over to us.

Depending on your mindset, this phase of life can potentially be even more fulfilling than what has gone before, but can be daunting.

If you are ready to shape this new phase in your life and enter a new stage of renewal and personal growth, contact me, I can help.

Kiaora@angelarobertson.nz

Mobile 027 633 2821

May 23, 2022 Leave a Comment

Changing Gears – What’s next for you?

Have you reached the stage where you want to:

Change direction in your career and/or lifestyle?
Release the brakes and step up in your career?
Scale back; reduce your hours/responsibilities?
Exit the workplace?
Start a business?
Consider new options, possibilities, and adventures?
Revitalise your lifestyle?

Regardless of your age and stage, it can be scary to step outside your comfort zone. But you can take control of your destiny, create your future, and live the life you want. This workshop is for those who are ready to stop waiting and make things happen. After all, the best investment you can make is in yourself.

Where: The Mahi Space, Bath Street, Levin

When: Thursday 2^nd June, 12noon-1.30pm

Facilitator: Angela Robertson

Contact me if you’d like to host this, or a similar workshop in your area Kiaora@angelarobertson.nz www.angelarobertson.nz

May 15, 2022 Leave a Comment

Life After Work

As our paid working life comes to an end, most of us plan to enjoy many years in what we traditionally call ‘retirement’. In today’s world, the population is ageing, which means that we are probably going to have far more time in this phase of life, than any previous generation – maybe even decades! Whilst we all age differently and have no way of knowing how long we are going to live, the potential to live longer, healthier, and enjoyable lives provide a golden opportunity to: –

Change our lifestyle and routines
Pursue new activities
Fulfil long-nurtured ambitions
Strengthen our relationships family and friends
Focus on our health and wellbeing
Meet new people
Reconnect with the community we live in, and
Grow in ways that were not possible when our lives focused on paying the mortgage, raising the family, doing the daily commute, and eons of workday stresses and cares.

Of course, there is always a period of adjustment when we make big life changes, but this stage offers an exciting opportunity – a chance to reflect, re-vison and re-ignite our lives.

It takes skill and planning to ensure that our post-paid work years are happy, healthy, and secure, rather than drift into aimless, mind-numbing, monotonous leisure (doing nothing) – a luxury that can quickly fade into disenchantment.

The goal in retirement is not to give up, let go and stagnate. You still have a life to live. To get the best out of later life, plan for the transition and the foreseeable future. After all, life is a continuous adventure and it’s up to each of us to make the most of it.

Dr. Angela Robertson is an inspirational author, speaker, facilitator, and coach with a wealth of experience in maximising individual and collective potential. Through her coaching, writing, and speaking engagements she encourages people, regardless of their age and stage, to continually expand their horizons, leverage their strengths, and channel their energy into activities that matter.

**E.mail Angela for more information** **kiaora@angelarobertson.nz**

March 19, 2022 Leave a Comment

What does later life look like?

What does later life look like for you? Looking ahead to what we may traditionally call ‘our retirement years’, we’ll have potentially only lived for two-thirds of our lives. Accepting that we all age differently, given the gift of healthier, extended lifespan, these years can be the best years of our lives – depending on our mindset.

As life is a continuous adventure, our chronological age becomes less and less relevant. Our functional age is far more important. As Adlai Stevenson once said,

“It’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years that count”

I believe later life offers so many possibilities for personal growth and fulfilment. We can change gears, change direction, and expand our horizons if we want to. This phase of adult life provides us with the opportunity to channel our time and energy into the activities that we enjoy and the relationships that really matter. Ageing is inevitable, so it makes sense to embrace the ageing process, take good care of ourselves, enjoy life’s pleasures, and make the most of the additional years later life offers.

What thoughts come to mind when you think ahead?

Are you looking forward with excitement or apprehension?

Storytelling is a wonderful way to explore and learn from other people’s experience. A huge debt of gratitude is due to the awesome men and women who generously shared their stories with me. From diverse backgrounds, these individuals’ range in age from their mid-50’s to 100 years. They all live in New Zealand for at least part of the year and have reached a stage in life where it is possible to both look back and forward. With their permission a lifetime of wildly different experiences has been condensed into the four collections of inspirational cameo short stories in the ’Older and Bolder’ series of books.

Despite the unique set of circumstances and the challenges these men and women have encountered, they appreciate that their experiences, and the lessons they learned along the way, have shaped who they are and the choices they make. Each has responded to new opportunities ahead, despite their different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Their attitudes to life and their perspective on ageing is insightful and uplifting. They embrace life and all that it offers on their own terms, and inspired by their example, so can we.

Along the way we learn that it’s never too late to change direction, start something new, live in a different place, make bold decisions, take on significant projects, and invest in meaningful relationships. It’s up to each one of us to make the most of our extended lifespans. After all, life is a gift for us to enjoy, and as Marty Rubin wisely said,

“Everything is irrelevant but this:

To embrace life.

To feel it.

To savour it.

To love it”.

‘Embracing Life On Our Own Terms’, the third collection of stories in the ‘Older and Bolder’ series, features 17 stories cameo life stories of 7 women, 6 men, and 4 couples.

Embracing Life On Our Own Terms Fascinating life stories of awesome individuals thriving in later life.

Paperback copies can be purchased directly from the author at Kiaora@angelarobertson.nz ($30 postage free in NZ), or from the following online bookstores Dr Angela Robertson Books: Buy Online from Fishpond.co.nz

Amazon.com: Angela Robertson: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

www.kobo.com/nz/en/search?query=Embracing+Life+On+Our+Own+Terms

Dr. Angela Robertson is an inspirational author, speaker, facilitator, and coach with a wealth of experience in maximising individual and collective potential. Through her writing and speaking engagements she encourages people, regardless of their age and stage, to continually expand their horizons, leverage their strengths, and channel their energy into activities that matter.