Face it, retirement is not a great idea, especially when you are 60+. In fact, retirement as we know it today is a relic from a time and a world that have long passed. In the context of our modern age conventional stories about retirement are not only inappropriate but they are counterproductive.
We are subjected daily to messages that pummel our brains with warnings that we should save more if we hope to leap off the economic cliff known as the retirement age. And many of us have been convinced that we want to jump off that cliff earlier – if possible, much earlier.
But do we really want to quit working? Sadly, because so many people are working in jobs, industries, and offices they hate, they have convinced themselves that the answer is the end of their working days (retirement). But the fact remains that they wouldn’t be obsessed with the idea of quitting if they were doing what they wanted with their life in the first place.
Many people think that the answer is to quit working altogether, because they don’t like the working circumstances they find themselves stuck in. This is akin to getting a frontal lobotomy simply because of a headache. Many others want to quit what they are doing now to be able to do something else; they need or want a change but are convinced that they need a mountain of money to make the switch. So they decide to postpone their dreams, assuming that when they finally acquire the required substance, they will have the drive and the desire necessary to follow their dreams.
People in these circumstances – and there are many – should stop to contemplate the psychologically sobering fact that as they drive themselves in a career they despise, they are running on tires with a slow leak. The ride often gets rougher and tougher until they find their aspirations in the ditch and little energy left to a new journey.
The same could be said for those who have a lukewarm approach to their work. Such a tepid approach results in a lack of growth, a lack of incentive and mental application, and compromised energy levels. When this lukewarm approach becomes our status quo, we are well on our way to a life and career of underachievement.
Practical Info
The price of this three day Hero’s Journey is Euro 2.850 excluding VAT per person. There are special prices when you want to attend with two or more people.
You can reach Peter for questions about dates and the program by mailing him at theherojourneyquestionnaires@gmail.com
TIMETABLE
09.40 Tea & Coffee on arrival
10.00 Morning Session
13.00 Lunch Break
14.00 Afternoon Session
17.00 Drinks
DATES
Read on for a detailed breakdown of the “The New Retirement Story” itinerary.
What Can I Expect?
Here’s an outline of the “The New Retirement Story”
Journey Outline
PART I OLD RETIREMENT MYTHS
- Times are Changing
- Old Messages, New Realities
- Illusions, Desillusions & Hype
- The Artificial Finish Line
- Retiring Old Stories About Retirement
- The Fatal Flaw
- Not My Parent’s Retirement
- 65 is old
- Retirement is Only about Money
- To Retire = Not Working
- A Life of Ease is the Ultimate Retirement Goal
- Remove Artificial Finish Lines
PART II PASSION NEVER RETIRES
- Re-inventing Retirement – New Pathways
- Passion Never Retires Works
- The Real Meaning of Work
- Brain at Work
- Testdrive Your Dreamjob
- Invest in Who You Are
- Collecting a Play Check
- Bridging the Gap between Means and Meaning
- The Seven Intangibles
- Return on Life
- Your Portfolio Life
- The Money/Life Puzzle
- Collecting Income for Life
- Maslow meets Money (Safety Money, Freedom Money, Money to Give, Dream Money)
- The Financial Freedom to Have a Creative Life
PART III. YOUR NEW STORY
- The Premise of your Story. The Purpose of your Life and Art
- The words on your tombstone
- Your ultimate mission, out loud
- Your Story about Working Longer
- Your Story about Living Longer
- The Seven Great Plots
- The Twelve Archetypal Heroines
- The One Great Story
- Purpose is Never Forgettable
- Questioning the Premise
- Lining up
- Flawed Alignment, Tragic Ending
- The Three Rules in Storytelling
- Write Your New Story
- Turning your story into action
- The Story Effect
- Story Ritualizing
- The Storyteller and the art of story
- The Power of Your Story
- Storyboarding
PART IV LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER
- Staying in the Zone
- Trust the Force
- The Power of Flow
- From Success to Purpose
- Meaningful Pursuits
- Your Next 100.000 Miles
- From Aging to S- Aging
About Peter de Kuster
Peter de Kuster is the founder of The Heroine’s Journey & Hero’s Journey project, a storyteller which helps professionals to create careers and lives based on whatever story is most integral to their lives and careers (values, traits, skills and experiences). Peter’s approach combines in-depth storytelling and marketing expertise, and for over 20 years clients have found it effective with a wide range of creative business issues.
Peter is writer of the series The Heroine’s Journey and Hero’s Journey books, he has an MBA in Marketing, MBA in Financial Economics and graduated at university in Sociology and Communication Sciences.
To book your place in the “The New Retirement Story” mail peter at theherojourneyquestionnaires@gmail.com