“You lucky Boomers!” she calls all those born between 1946 and 1964, and who are now between 44 and 62 years old. “The economic opportunities you face are unprecedented,” the author cheers. “Beginning now, and continuing for the rest of your lives, the gap between the number of people who will be available to work and the demand for workers, particularly those with skills and experience, will continue to widen.”

You will almost certainly want to ‘work’ — whether for pay, in barter, or in service to others — because you will have so much time to do so, she assures. “You will be the first generation to enjoy a dramatically new life stage — a significant period of healthy, active non-childrearing adult life.”

Great news is that the long lives of boomers will be blessed by an unexpected dividend: “Your children love you like no generation has ever loved their parents before,” declares Erickson.

This is, therefore, the time to explore the possibilities, she guides. Thirty years, say from 55 to 85, is a long time, and you shouldn’t be wasting that time doing things you’ve already discovered you don’t enjoy, the author advises. “Today far too many Boomers find themselves with their current employers in body, but long gone in spirit,” she rues.

Thankfully, however, you can reinvent yourself using three core practices discussed in the book. One, explore; that is, experiencing new people and new ideas in ways that will uncover new possibilities.

“Put yourself in interesting places — in contact with interesting people — and experience the energising shifts in behaviour and attitudes under way in the world around us,” encourages Erickson.

Staying only within intimate circles of close friends and family may not present a full palette of alternatives, she cautions. For, “these relationships tend to preserve stability and offer familiarity.”

The second practice she prescribes is to experiment, to sample, to probe new possibilities. “Try something new, evaluate how well it really fits with your needs and preferences, and take another step.”

The key is to take action, the author urges. “Failure is an acceptable outcome of iteration. The point, of course, is to move some things off your list — to find the things you don’t want to do more of or at least not build a second career around.”

And, the third core practice is to strengthen your edge, by avoiding complacency. Watch out, your best knowledge, skills, or capabilities today will become commodities tomorrow, observes Erickson. As ‘one participant in a global knowledge evolution,’ think of your most differentiated and valuable skills today, and decide what you need to learn to make sure that you continue to have that edge in the future.

“Renew any relevant certifications or licences; do not allow them to lapse. One of the outcomes of increasing cyclic work will be the growing demand for certification… as part of a process of validation for executive readiness.”

Also, develop a ‘product development’ strategy for investments in yourself, the author counsels. “Develop a disciplined schedule. Arrange a home office or other suitable work space.”

Energetic read that can make you give up all plans of retirement for now!

D. MURALI

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