Planning for a meaningful retirement: Thoughts from the Cares Committee
Planning for a meaningful retirement
One way to decide how you will spend your retirement is to think of it as a question of the meaning of life. Think back on your life and what made it meaningful. Make a list of your values and your options for retirement and then brainstorm. Write down goals and likely scenarios of what might happen after your retirement, and what life will be like in five, ten, or twenty years.
Looking to the future
As you look ahead, two important scenarios to consider are that someday (1) you might need a caregiver to help you deal with the normal tasks of living, and (2) someone you love may need you to be a caregiver.
Are you ready to be a caregiver?
How can you best plan for the possibility of entering a life of care giving or care receiving? One route would be to spend time with couples you already know who are in a caregiving/receiving relationship and help them out as needed. Another good way is to join the UMRA Cares Committee. You will learn a lot while offering to help others when the need arises.
In our committee work, we especially need people to help with workshop planning. This year we hope to establish connections with the Wilder Foundation Caregiving Program to provide more support for our UMRA members who are caregivers.
In my opinion, being a caregiver in some way is the most meaningful way to use your time in retirement. Helping others offers more reward and appreciation than just about anything else you can do. Caring for the environment is a close second in terms of yielding gratification.
Some people may think that a retirement filled with golf games, going to dinner with friends, and winning the lottery is the quickest path to a meaningful retirement. However, if you read the research literature on happiness, you will find that deep happiness, also called true happiness, comes, not from pleasure-seeking, but from helping others with things they need done.
Join UMRA’s Cares Committee
To get started with learning about caregiving, and working with others who are following paths to greater meaning, join the UMRA Cares Committee. For more information, send an email to ([email protected]) or call me at 612-963-6660.
--Ron Anderson, chair, UMRA Cares Committee
The UMRA Cares Committee recommends The U of M Advanced Careers Initiative
For this academic year, the U’s College of Liberal Arts has launched a new program called “Advanced Careers Initiative” (UMAC) led by Professor Phyllis Moen, a national expert on the Encore movement. This year she is teaching a special seminar on this topic, targeting those who wish to transition from a career job to other work that provides meaningful engagement.
News
Make your own discoveries in Portugal in 2025 on this journey to medieval monasteries, fertile vineyards and cities that are equal parts history and modern energy. Deadline to express an interest is Friday June 7, 2024.
Spend eight nights in Madrid and Barcelona in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
Embrace the colorful history of the Canadian Maritime provinces for 11 nights in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
Spend four nights in Québec City in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
Spend 9 nights on the Douro River in Portugal in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
Embrace and explore Mexico City as it showcases all facets of Mexico’s national character in 2025. Deadline to express an interest is Friday, June 7, 2024.
Bright and bold living history awaits you in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
The election of UMRA officers and new board members for 2024–25 will be conducted via an online poll from May 13 to 19, with the results to be announced at our annual meeting on May 21. Look for the ballot in your email inbox on May 13. Diane Young has been nominated to be president-elect.
“I convinced myself I could handle this problem without support groups or doing additional research, but that’s only because I didn’t want to make it any more real than it already was. Denial comes in many forms, and one is to avoid thinking about the problem any more than need be.” —Alice A. Larson
Meet UMRA member Peter Moe. He retired in 2023 after a career that spanned nearly half a century at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and is credited with developing the “Arb” into one of the few in the U.S. with world-class fruit and landscape breeding programs.
The University Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC) has welcomed two new members with valuable skills and experience to the URVC Leadership Council: Lynn Slifer and Jeanne Jacobson.
The University plans to remove retirees from the @umn.edu internet identity domain on December 7. UMRA has advocated for ensuring continued access to this identity (including email, Google Workspace, and associated services), citing University retirees’ enduring contributions to and engagement with the University. Thus far, our efforts have not prompted any change of plans.
Leading the online Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays has been a labor of love for Kris Bettin. Alas, a change in family needs has necessitated her retirement. So, JOIE is seeking a new leader to join a savvy editorial committee of five and bring fresh ideas for continued development of the UMRA-sponsored journal.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to explore your photographic interests, hone your photographic skills, and hear what other retirees are up to, the UMRA Photo Club is a great place to be. We have fun! And whatever your skill level, there is room for everybody.
Soon you will receive an email or letter inviting you to renew your UMRA membership for the 2024–25 year. Please renew before you get busy with your summer activities. Your support helps to make our programs and many other member benefits possible!
This will be a new regular column where you can find organizational tasks that need your help! We are currently looking for help researching a new UMRA Membership Database and URVC volunteer database, and a co-producer for UMRA's Zoom webinars. See more details: