s ’ y a d o T Vol.6 No.1
Can We All Make America Great Again?
Old Enough for Sex: A
Boomer Travel:
Inauguration Day 10 U.S. Coverage Destinations Resolution that will be “Power to the people” for Older Huge in Single Photos and 2017 more!
Lifestyle Trendz:
Boomer Healthy How to Eating: Avoid Career French Burnout Classic Before Retirement Beef Bourguignon
F– Being Old: No Time for Being Chicken: Strategies for Living Better in 2017 Today’s BoomeR
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This Issue January / February 2017 Volume 6, Number 1
Boomer Travel
5
10 Huge US Destinations in 2017
Rescue Your Retirement In 2017 Social Security
8
’s y a d To Founders: John Vardallas & Alexandra Maragha Editor-In-Chief: Alexandra Maragha
12
What Average Retiree Will Get in 2017
Contributing Writers : Chef Eben Atwater: Healthy Eating
Trump Becomes President 14
Advertising: Team
Gives back “Power to the people”
For Letters to the Editor, articles and feedback as well as advertising inquiries email Alexandra@TheAmericanBoomeR.com
Inauguration Day Photos
17
A day of History, Change and Unity
Lifestyle Trendz
19
Career Burnout Before Retirement
Boomer Healthy Eating
22
Beef Bourguignon
Old Enough For Sex
25
A Resolution for Older Single Women
New Blog: F-Being Old
26
No Time for Being Chicken: Live Better in 2017
The American BoomeR.com John Vardallas CEO/Founder Professional Speaker Business/Lifestyle Strategist Boomer Sage and Blogger JohnVardallas@TheAmericanBoomeR.com (608) 577-8707 Alexandra Maragha Founder & Editor-In-Chief Today’s BoomeR Alexandra@TheAmericanBoomeR.com Today’s BoomeR Vol.6 No.1 Today’s BoomeR is published six times (Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/ June, July/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec) a year by The American BoomeR.com 769 North Star Drive (Suite 207) Madison, WI 53718 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
The American Boomer @American_Boomer Today’s BoomeR 3
EDITOR’S LETTER
’s y a d To
Red White and Blue, Stars and Stripes of Me AND You The time is now, a time for change and hope. Hope and change is gone and its now time for things to be great again, in a country that Is already pretty great. Tolerance, courtesy, open-mindness to all sides and even understanding of the fact that people and views truly never change is a new sense of tolerance and courtesy that we all must realize and endure. While this publication is set to offer guidance and entertainment to baby boomers, this publication is still only a tool to guide and relate to our everyday situations on a generalized scale.
(feature) p. 10 When the details of our lives, our situations, and our backgrounds are placed in the forefront of
the world, none of it would ever truly make the first page or leading story on the news. We are all fragments of the headlines that hear about crime, financial struggle, health scares, diagnoses and miracles, and even animals making us smile in some way as we groan at another cute cat video. But all of these elements as they are shared, are all part of a common shared experience as Americans in this society, even the cat, because WE are what makes America continue. As those who struggle and consume, as those who work and pay bills, and as those who learn and grow. We ALL are America. We all root from sea to shining sea and beyond, and have bloodlines of purple majesty in a land far away. We all are those who have faced hardship along family lineage and lines and have come to where we are today, enjoying technology, individualized and itemized and ideology-ized figuring out how to pay the bills and put food on the table, and how to maintain p. 4worked and seen our parents and families work so and advance that level of lifestyle that we have hard for. Hard working, great people. That is to which stars shine, stripes wave and the colors that are clear, included, and defined with each line of pride, should never bleed or judge too harshly. Americans that is who we are, in every tongue, and how when we all come together we are always great.
p. 12 Alexandra Maragha Editor-In-Chief
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BOOMER TRAVEL
10 U.S Travel Destinations that will be Huge in 2017 Instyle
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What's the perfect antidote to crazed holiday shopping trips, overindulging at family dinners, and scrambling at the office to check off everything on your to-do list before the new year? A couple of days off the grid for some relaxation. TripAdvisor just released the top trending travel spots for 2017 and it turns out you won't even need a passport to plan your trip. Read on for the 10 U.S. cities to explore for your next getaway--cute carryon not included. Kihei, Hawaii The Scoop: Whale watching, deep sea diving, lounging on white sand beaches, and dining on fresh catch make this little gem on Maui's Western Shore worth exploring. Bonus: Louisville, Kentucky It's way less crowded than Maui or Waikiki. The Scoop: As home of the Kentucky Derby, Louisville is a Where to Stay: The Maui Coast Hotel bit of a legend. So come for the races, but stay for the hisPark City, Utah toric home tours and scenic Parklands of Floyds Fork. Where to Stay: The Brown Hotel The Scoop: Sure, your film-loving friends flock here for Sundance, but the city (less than an hour's drive from Salt Lake Colorado Springs, Colorado City) is also home to some of the country's best skiing and natural views. The Scoop: The city is a meeting place for history buffs, athWhere to Stay: Hotel Park City letes, adventurers, artists, and foodies alike, thanks to the incredible natural preserves and growing number of new businesses, art fairs, and restaurants. The crisp mountain air is just a bonus. Where to Stay: The Mining Exchange
Houston, Texas The Scoop: Houston has long been a destination for top-ofthe-line nightlife and incredible live music, but what you may not know is that the city's downtown Theater District, home of the Houston Grand Opera, is becoming one of the country's most popular. Where to Stay: The Lancaster
Tucson, Arizona Portland, Maine The Scoop: Consider this the East Coast at its very finest. The stunning Old Port District is lined with cobblestone streets and brick sidewalks--and you'll get to enjoy them because the foodie city is known for its culinary walking tours. Don't forget to pack your Fitbit. Where to Stay: Portland Harbor Hotel
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The Scoop: National parks, lush forests, and sprawling deserts make Tucson a place where any nature-lover can find the perfect activity. Prefer the A.C.? Get your outdoor fix indoors at the impressive Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Where to Stay: The White Stallion Ranch
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee The Scoop: Pigeon Forge is the gateway to the stunning Appalachian wilderness, so you'll be able to see the Great
Smoky Mountains as your backdrop no matter where you look. Where to Stay: The Inn on the River
Columbus, Ohio The Scoop: Leave some extra space in your suitcase because Ohio's capital city is becoming a major shopping destination with a mix of luxury stores and independent designer boutiques. Also of note: the critically acclaimed food scene. Where to Stay: Le Meridien Columbus
Jacksonville, Florida The Scoop: Sprawling golf courses, gardens, and wildlife preserves make it easy to fill your days with activities, but when you're ready to lounge with a cocktail in hand, take the short trip to nearby Amelia Island. Pro tip: the locals call the city "Jax." Where to Stay: Ponte Vedra Resort Resort & Club Today’s BoomeR 7
?
Ready to Rescue Your Retirement in 2017? Here’s How MoneyTalksNews.com
Polling and research show a quiet crisis underway for retirees and people saving for retirement. "Nearly half of working-age families have nothing saved in retirement accounts, and the median (half had more, half had less) working-age family had only $5,000 saved in 2013," writes economist Monique Morrissey, at the Economic Policy Institute. Not all of this problem is within our control. But much of it is, though, which means that hard choices are ahead.
mid-50s to early 60s, says Walter Updegrave, at Real Deal Retirement. That means, if your household earns $56,516 — the median household income in 2015 according to the latest Census numbers — make your goal six to nine times that amount: $339,000 to $508,500. Yes, it seems vast. You may not quite get there, but you’ll be better prepared for retirement than now.
Here are 10 ways to get your plan back on track. Some require extreme changes but, if you're worried about retirement, you may be ready. The sooner you start, the easier your job will be. 1. Crack the paralysis Paralysis is understandable: We’re living longer and being forced to assume more of the savings and investment burden — with little or no education or support. “Nearly three-quarters (75 percent) of pre -retirees agree that they should be doing more to prepare for retirement, but 4 in 10 (40 percent) say they simply don’t know what to do,” says Prudential Investments’ 2016 Retirement Preparedness Study. Take this to heart: You don’t need to know what you are doing to get started. Start saving, keep saving and learn as you go. 2. Pick a number Set a savings goal. It may change later, but pick a number now to get going. Try to have saved six to nine times your annual household income by your 8 Today’s BoomeR
Look at it another way: How much will you need saved to live in retirement on 70 percent of your current monthly income? Voya’s (formerly ING) simple retirement calculator shows that if you earn $56,516 yearly and retire at 65:
A nest egg of $339,000 lets you withdraw about $1,835 a month ($22,020/year) if your savings grow at 5 percent a year. A nest egg of $508,500 would let you withdraw about $2,753 a month ($33,036/year) if your savings grow at 5 percent a year. Take note: Don’t treat retirement calculators as the gospel truth. As Money Talks News founder Stacy Johnson points out, many are “click bait,” meant to entice you into making a purchase. At best, they’ll give varying answers, depending on their assump-
tions and the questions they ask you. There’s a danger you’ll get a false sense of security from the numbers. That’s why it makes sense to use several calculators, stay skeptical about their results, and update your savings goal as you learn more. 3. Learn your Social Security payout
But if you can manage to keep your hands off the money for longer you’ll get an even bigger payout. Delaying benefits after a full retirement age of 66 (for retirees born between 1943 and 1954) grows your benefits by 8 percent annually until age 70. That means you’d increase a $1,500-a-month benefit (by 132 percent) to $1,980 a month.
As you probably noticed, a nest egg of six to nine times your current income will not replace your preretirement income. Social Security, a system designed to collect taxes from the paychecks of working Americans and distribute benefits to retirees, can help close that gap.
Learn more:
Many believe Social Security’s financial resources will disappear, noting that the ratio of American workers to retirees keeps falling, but they could be mistaken. Even if Congress lets the fund become “depleted,” as Social Security planners say will happen in 2034 without action, you’ll still get to receive 79 percent of your benefits, says The Atlantic.
4. Emancipate adult kids
“If you’ve been earning about $60,000 a year and want to retire at your full retirement age of 66, your current Social Security benefit would be about $1,500 a month, or $18,000 a year,” writes CBS columnist Charlie Farrell, in “How to Retire on $60,000 a Year.”
Boost your income from Social Security Sign up at SocialSecurity.gov/MyStatement to find an estimate of your what your benefits will be at age 62, at your full retirement age, and at age 70.
Sit down with grown children and tell them what you are facing. It’s a tough conversation. But laying your financial cards on the table gives them information they may need to plan their lives. It also may let you get a sense of whether living with them or expecting any support from them in your old age is (or is not) a possibility. Also, if your retirement is in peril and you are helping your kids financially, you’ll have to stop. There are other good reasons for withdrawing your support besides your money woes: Supporting adult kids can undermine their self-sufficiency. 5. Think carefully about divorce This is the home of the free and the land where 37 percent of people in their 50s have been divorced at least once. Of course you should not stay in a marriage defined by violence or deep, longstanding incompatibility. But if you’re on the fence, understand that divorce deeply wounds couples’ finances. Today’s BoomeR 9
This is especially true for women (because they earn less and often drop in and out of the work force for family reasons, contributing less to Social Security and retirement funds). But divorce affects men’s finances, too. Divorcing at an older age can make it especially hard to recover. Think realistically about the financial implications for yourself, your children and your retirement. 6. Delay all you can Foot-dragging is a great tactic for extending the life of your retirement savings. Hold off quitting work as long as you can. Wait to claim Social Security retirement benefits. Waiting helps delay the moment when you’ll need to crack open your nest egg, giving investments longer to grow and you more chance to contribute to them. If you will have a financially tight retirement, leave savings untouched as long as possible. Stay on the job — whatever job you can get. A low-paid job, or a part-time job is better than no job since every dollar earned is one you’ve left in savings for later.
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Here’s the evidence for delaying. Using numbers from the example above (in item No 2: “Pick a number”), here’s how much bigger your monthly retirement fund withdrawals could become by delaying them until age 70:
$2,064 (instead of $1,835 a month at 65) if your nest egg is $339,000 ($3,097 (instead of $2,753 a month at 65) if your nest egg is $508,500) 7. Wipe out debts All debt, and high-interest credit-card debt, in particular, forces you to spend money on interest that you need for investing in retirement accounts or living in retirement. Set a goal to pay off debts, even your mortgage if possible, before retiring. 8. Radically shrink spending You’ll have to cut back on spending when you retire, anyway. If you start now, you can use the savings to fund your retirement.
A drastic cut in spending requires big decisions and determination. How would life change if you decided to spend no more than 30 percent of your income on housing? You may decide to move to a cheaper part of the country, or to leave the United States and move abroad. Spending less than you earn is the magic sauce that enables people to save, live debt-free and rescue shaky retirements. “The three most powerful things you can do (to rescue your retirement) are to control how much you spend and save more, work longer and use your house as part of your retirement plan,” says Boston College’s Financial Security Initiative (and savings calculator).
10. Find a job with a pension
Jobs with old-fashioned defined-benefit pensions — 9. Get help from your home the type that pay retirees a set amount each month — are scarce, but they have not entirely If you own a home, the equity may well be your disappeared. You could make it your mission to find biggest source of wealth. The two most common one. Such benefits are increasingly attractive to ways to tap it are taking a reverse mortgage or selling job-seekers, finds a survey by global advisory comthe home and downsizing, investing the profit in a pany Willis Towers Watson. retirement account. Maybe you don’t want to sell or take on debt. There are other ways to use your home as a retirement asset. For example, you could rent a room to a boarder or get a housemate — or occasionally rent part of the home to vacation travelers or rent it out while you travel — or live in a cheaper location. Today’s BoomeR 11
Social Security:
What Will the Average Retiree Get From Social Security in 2017?
By Chuck Saletta, The Motley Fool
As of January 2017, the average retiree receives $1,360 per
needs a strong structure around
month from Social Security, and the average retired couple
it for it to really do its job well.
gets $2,260 each month. That works out to an average annual Social Security was never benefit payment of $16,320 for an individual or $27,120 for a
intended to be a retiree's sole source of income, but it was
couple. That means Social Security provides enough to keep a instead designed to be part of a package that also includes typical person or a couple above the federal poverty level.
retirement savings and pensions. Pensions may be fading
Even with that, benefit levels are well below the overall
away, but you can still save for your own retirement -- and
average household income for families of that -- or any -- size, your boss might even be willing to kick in a bit to help, too. which means that the lifestyle Social Security offers is a fairly basic one.
If you're under age 50 and working (or married to someone who is and file your taxes jointly), you can contribute up to
Risks in the Social Security lifestyle
$5,500 to an IRA. Once you reach 50, your limit increases to
While Social Security's benefit payments are guaranteed (at
$6,500. If your employer offers a 401(k) or similar plan, you
least until the Trust Funds empty or Congress changes the
can contribute up to $18,000 if you're under age 50 or up to
law), individual benefit levels only increase in line with
$24,000 at age 50 or up. And, of course, there are no limits to
inflation. That means that if you're relying on Social Security
what you can save or invest in a standard brokerage account
to cover your costs of living, your lifestyle will at best remain
that you simply label as being part of your retirement plan.
constant. As you age, you may find you need to spend more of your income on medical care and on taking care of things you used to be able to do for yourself -- leaving you with less to cover everything else. In addition, once one member of a retired couple passes, so does a significant portion of that household's Social Security benefit. A surviving spouse generally receives the higher of his or her own benefit or that of his or her deceased spouse but not both payments. So when one spouse passes, a household's Social Security income can instantly drop by somewhere in the neighborhood of 40%. As if that weren't enough to worry about, Social Security's Trust Funds are on track to run out of money in 2034 -- just 17 short years from now. If nothing is done to shore up the program in the interim, benefits will need to be immediately slashed by around 21%, with the cuts increasing to 26% over time. That's soon enough that even many current Social
If you're planning on a retirement that lasts around 30 years,
Security recipients are at risk of seeing their benefits cut.
a reasonable target is to have saved up around 25 times the
What you can do about it
annual expenses you need your portfolio to cover by the time
Social Security may provide the foundation for the retirement you retire. So if you expect to need $40,000 per year to cover your retirement costs and that Social Security will cover plans of millions of Americans, but like any foundation, it 12 Today’s BoomeR
$15,000 of that amount, your portfolio would need to cover $25,000 per year. Twenty-five times that amount is $625,000, which becomes your retirement nest egg target. The reason you'll want to target 25 times the spending you need your portfolio to cover is something known in retirement planning circles as the 4% rule. By that rule, if you:
Start with a diversified portfolio
Withdraw 4% of your nest egg in the first year of your retirement
Increase your withdrawals annually by the rate of inflation, and
Keep your portfolio diversified throughout your retirement
... then your money is very likely to last throughout a 30-year retirement.
Get started now No matter where you are along your career, the sooner you get started building your nest egg, the easier and cheaper it is for you to reach your target for a comfortable retirement. Whether you're worried about the future of Social Security or you simply want more out of retirement than that program can offer by itself, your future self will appreciate the efforts you start today. Even if you don't quite reach your overall goal, every dime you've got saved when you do call it quits is money that you can spend to give yourself a more comfortable retirement. So get started now, and put yourself on the path to a more comfortable future than you could get from Social Security alone.
The $15,834 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of littleknown "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $15,834 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies.
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Trump vows to give power 'back to you the people' as he becomes 45th president By Morgan Whitaker, Aol.com
(Photo Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump has promised to put America first and restore the power of the people in his first address to the nation as president of the United States. Trump took the oath of office at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, (January 20, 2017) officially becoming the 45th president. Read for more coverage and photos of inauguration day. 14 Today’s BoomeR
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Trump then launched into an 18-minute speech in
"They have been magnificent," he added.
which he vowed "to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people."
But his speech was highly critical of politicians and government more generally, complaining that only the
The remarks expanded on the populist themes that
powerful have benefitted while everyday Americans
were a hallmark of his untraditional presidential
have been left behind.
campaign, and included a promise that his presidency marked a turning point in American history in which
"Politicians prosper, but the jobs left and the factories
the people became the "rulers" instead of the
closed," he said. "The establishment protected itself
politicians.
but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories."
"We are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you the people," he said. Trump was not without praise for his predecessor, thanking the Obama administration and the former president for offering "gracious aid throughout this transition."
"While they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land," he continued. "That all changes, starting right here and right now," he added. "Because this moment is your moment. It Today’s BoomeR 15
belongs to you."
during his presidency, but failed to convince Congress to pass.
"The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer."
After a campaign that was criticized at times for sparking racial division, Trump spoke of both
Trump promised to put America first during his
geographic and racial unity, promising to work on the
presidency, on issues ranging from trade to foreign
behalf of "a child is born in the urban sprawl of
policy.
Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska."
"From this day forward it's going to be only America
His "America-first" message also included a promise
first," he said.
to "eradicate completely from the face of the earth"
He vowed to protect U.S. borders from the "ravages"
Islamic terrorism.
of other countries and help bring about a new era of
He began his unlikely campaign for president in June
American prosperity, built by Americans. That vow
2015, and defied expectations throughout the
also included plans to rebuild America's infrastruc-
election cycle and defeating Clinton 306 electoral
ture by "rebuilding our country with American hands
votes to 232, while losing the popular vote by about 3
and American labor," an initiative Obama pursued
million votes. He comes into office with relatively low expectations and approval ratings.
(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) 16 Today’s BoomeR
Inauguration Day; A Day of History, Change and Unity. Photo Album U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, left, wipes the shoulder of U.S. President Barack Obama while standing outside of the White House ahead of the 58th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Trump is the first president since the dawn of national polling in the late 1930s to enter office with the approval of fewer than half of Americans -- in his case only 40 percent. (Photographer: TKTK/Pool via Bloomberg)
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: (L-R) Tiffany Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump, Vanessa Trump and Jared Kushner arrive on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. In today's inauguration ceremony Donald J. Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
US President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden arrive for the Presidential Inauguration of Donald Trump at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2017. / AFP / POOL / SAUL LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence takes the oath of office from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as his wife Karen Pence looks on, on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. In today's inauguration ceremony Donald J. Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States.
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump(L) wait with former President Barack Obama(2nd-R) and Michelle obama before their departure from the US Capitol after Trump's inauguration ceremonies at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2017. / AFP / Robyn BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump and his wife, first lady Melania Trump, dance as first couple to the song “My Way” at his Liberty Ball.
President Donald Trump, flanked by Senior Advisor Jared Kushner (Trump’s Son-in-law) (standing, L-R), Vice President Mike Pence and Staff Secretary Rob Porter, signs his first executive orders in the Oval Office. (Photo credit Reuters) 18 Today’s BoomeR
BoomeR Lifestyle Trendz: What You Should do About Career Burnout Before Retirement By The Retirement Answer Man
the money was good my soul was empty. It wasn't who I was or where I wanted to go. So I moved on. I joined a major financial firm. The transition helped me learn the craft of advising clients and feel a little better. I soon recognized, though, that the structure there wouldn't support my goals either. Advising clients was as much about serving the firm as it was the clients.
Do you want to retire because you don't like work? Or do you want to retire because you don't like the work you're doing? Job burnout and career burnout And I moved on again. happen to almost everyone at some point, but when retirement is on the horizon, it's easier to feel burnt You can think of each of these career changes as my retirements. It's been a long time since I could say I out. was deeply burned out because I set the rules now and can take active steps to fight burnout when I see As the Retirement Answer Man, I can tell you that many of my clients are just plain sick of doing what it. they've done their whole lives. Sadly, sometimes that pushes them to make poor decisions about retirement. Most people think about retirement as a way to run away from work – to escape pain. Running away doesn't fix the real issue unless you're running toward something with more purpose. The reality of career burnout for retirees According to the Federal Reserve, a third of men who retire later re-enter the labor force. Not only that, but after getting back to work, they feel much Dr. Burnout less stressed while working than before they retired. A while back, I talked to Dr. Clark Gaither on my podcast. Most people just refer to him as Dr. Also, about 11.9 percent of men identify "work Burnout. burnout" as the reason they retire. Let me tell you what that means, to me: You don't retire because you don't like work. You retire because you don't like the work you're doing. Beyond that, I think too many people are fully retiring when they shouldn't be simply because they're doing the wrong kind of work before they retire.
Clark was intensely sick of being a practicing physician. His job burnout accrued over time as regulations and working conditions deteriorated to the point he felt he was violating his oaths to even show up at work.
When he initially realized what was happening, he took a pay cut by stepping down to working three I started my career as an advisor during the early 90s days per week and taking better care of himself. (That's a big pay cut as a physician!) – I learned to trade technology stocks for clients. It was fun for a while but soon, I burnt out. Although Today’s BoomeR 19
The tactics helped, but he still retired from being a Clark told me that men and women hit these sympphysician earlier this year and transitioned to being a toms a little differently. Women tend to pick up the coach for doctors who struggled with the same symptoms in order. symptoms of job burnout that he had. On the other hand, men often experience depersonHere's the problem: Gallup says people are retiring alization first, then emotional exhaustion. They often later than ever. In the span of 12 years between don't quite make it to losing a sense of accomplish2002 and 2014, people began retiring three years ment even when they are burned out. later. So if you're emotionally exhausted as a woman, Ouch. that's the first symptom of work burnout. And if you're a man, cynicism and a lack of empathy are the Unless you have something meaningful planned to first signs of career burnout. replace your career when you retire. If you're running away from pain, you need something meaningful in front of you to run toward. And it can't be golf. That loses meaning pretty quickly. Recognizing job burnout before retirement The first step to correcting any problem is recognizing it. Dr. Burnout didn't recognize his symptoms as burnout. He just gradually stopped caring about work.
The causes of work burnout before retirement You know what to look for now. Great! But what caused you to get to that point? After all, prevention is always preferable to the cure. A psychologist by the name of Christana Maslach figured out the six primary causes of job-related burnout in 1981.
1. Work overload 2. Lack of control 3. Insufficient reward Same thing happened to me in my former careers 4. Breakdown of community because I just didn't fit. 5. Absence of fairness In Clark's research after he stopped allowing himself 6. Conflicting values to stay burned out, he found the symptoms of job Any of those look familiar to you this late in your caburnout and recognized them in himself. reer? Of course they do! 1. Emotional exhaustion: You stop being able to give The more experience you have, the more valuable to people on an emotional or psychological level. you are and the more work overload you tend to re(Ever met a doctor like that? I have!) ceive. That kicks your ability to control things while 2. Depersonalization: Because of intense cynicism at making sure the hours you put in aren't rewarded work, clients, coworkers, and other people stop be- enough, yada, yada, yada. ing quite so human. Maybe you feel like people with Going from burnout to burning bright problems deserve what they get. Not a good position to be in as a doctor, financial planner, or anyIf you're familiar with any of the causes of job burnthing else. out and looking to retire, you've got to make some tough decisions. For Clark, it meant a change of ca3. Loss of a sense of personal accomplishment: You reer late in the game. don't feel like you're making a difference anymore with your work. You start to negatively self-evaluate For me, I made the decision to start living and workand you feel even less accomplished. ing like I'm retired now while planning to work later 20 Today’s BoomeR
into my life. That way I have the refueling feeling of retirement while still chasing the meaning of helping people through my work. Win-win. If you feel burned out from your work and would rather retire than go on, follow these steps for me. And for you. 1. Identify the symptoms of job-related burnout. Make sure you identify with each of the three symptoms. (Or at least the top two if you're a man.) Score yourself from 1-10 on each of the symptoms and write a short paragraph about how you feel because of them. Burnt out? Go on to the next step.
how you could change them. Work with your boss (if you have one) to reverse the problems. If you're the boss, you may really have to change the rules. That may mean a career change, hiring more employees to offload some work, starting a different business, or otherwise mixing things up. Simple retirement may not be the answer, especially if you're not independently wealthy. 4. Keep the meaning in your life. Whether burnout pushes you to retire, start a new business, change the rules where you work, or otherwise take action, know that you need meaning in your life wherever you end up. If you don't keep meaning in your life, you may just find you're one of those retirees who starts working again just to reignite the meaning in their life.
2. Find out why you're burned out. Burnout creeps up on you. You don't start one day completely fine and the next day you can't stand your work. So fig- Remember, you're not running away from being ure out which of the six causes of job burnout put burnt out, you're running toward something with out your fire. Again, rank yourself from 1-10 in each more meaning. of the six categories. The post What you should do about job burnout or 3. Change the rules. Once you identify the major career burnout before retirement appeared first on causes of your burnout, you need to figure out if or Retirement Answer Man.
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BOOMER HEALTHY EATING: Beef Bourguignon France’s Legendary Beef Stew
Recipes and Photos from Chef Eben Atwater
www.urbanmonique.com
The National Weather Service announced back in the fall of last year that winter here in the Pacific Northwet would be colder and wetter than normal, and they’d be right. We’ve had snow on the ground, in places, for weeks here already. Just north of us, ponds around Vancouver, B. C. have frozen hard enough to skate on for the first time in decades. This cold snap has, in fact, hit a lot of North America. I’m sure this is why I’m so obsessed with hearty, rich comfort foods right now – Stuff like Beef Bourguignon, France’s legendary beef stew.
Just reading the name Beef Bourguignon is enough to know it’s French, but more to the point, it’s from Bourgogne – Burgundy – And that’s what Bourguignon means, d’accord? About 100 km
southeast of Paris and stretching for some 350 km toward Switzerland, Burgundy is crossed by a series of working canals, and rightfully famous for deep, complex red wines that bear the regions name, (as well as Pinot, Chardonnay, Chablis, and Beaujolais.) There are also stunningly lovely chateaus, legendary mustard from the regional capitol of Dijon, and Charolais cattle – Some of the finest beef in the world. Late in the sultry month of August, the commune of Saulieu holds the Fête du Charolais, a paean to meat lovers, a celebration of Charolais beef featuring, naturellement, Boeuf Bourguignon. With a distinct taste reflecting its stunning terroir, Charolais beef 22 Today’s BoomeR
has perfect tenderness that yields great beef bourguignon. All that said, most of us probably won’t have Charolais Beef available, (Although there are American Charolais cattle raisers out there, FYI.) Regardless of the beef you’ll use, when you combine it with wine, spirits, fresh veggies and herbs, you’ll be hard pressed to go wrong. While the roots of beef bourguignon go far back in time, it was Auguste Escoffier who made it famous. Of course, dishes that would bear the Maestro’s stamp couldn’t be rustic, (perish the thought!), so his 1903 recipe upgraded the dish to haute cuisine, utilizing a rather large chunk of beef. It took Julia Child, some seventy years later, to return things back toward the rustic again, advocating the use of cubed stew beef.
Like so many iconic regional dishes, there really is no definitive beef bourguignon recipe, regardless of what anyone tells you – Including bourguignon chefs. Why? Because like spaghetti, or mac and cheese, everybody does it a bit differently – What goes into the mix is, as often as not, what’s good that day – And this is exactly as it should be. What is set in stone is the cooking process, and that’s what I’ll share with y’all today. I’ll also note that there are things assumed to be seminal to the recipe that just really aren’t – Mushrooms for one, and pearl onions for another – Sure, those can and should go in the pot if you like them and they’re readily at hand, but if they’re not, it doesn’t mean that what you’re making isn’t authentic.
veggie floats your boat, throw it in there – It’ll still be tres bien when you’re done. Beef Bourguignon a la UrbanMonique
1 Pound Stew Beef 4 slices thick cut Bacon 3-4 Carrots 1 medium Sweet or Yellow Onion 2 cloves Garlic 1/2 Bottle Pinot Noir, (Yes, that’s what red Burgundy is, in fact) 2 Cups Beef Broth 1 1/2 Ounces Reposado Tequila 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste 1 teaspoon Thyme The techniques employed to make beef bourguignon 1/2 teaspoon ground black Pepper correctly are braising and stewing, and that requires 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt a bit of clarification to separate those techniques 2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil, (Olive is just fine too.) from searing and roasting, their higher heat first 2 California Bay Leaves cousins. Searing beef, to get a nice caramelized crust 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter on it, is done in a dry pan over high heat. Braising, 1 Tablespoon Wondra Flour from the French verb braiser, is a semi-wet, medium heat cooking method, designed to brown meat and Rinse and peel carrots and onions. infuse it with the flavors of the wet adjuncts that share the pan. Stewing, when done in the oven or on Place the flat side of a chef’s knife on top of the garlic the stove top, is a relatively low temperature, wet cloves and smack the blade with the palm of your cooking process, while roasting is a high heat, dry hand to smash the garlic – It doesn’t need to be method. The high heat techniques work best for lean pulverized – you just want to get the skin loose. Peel cuts, (like a roast, of course). Tougher, fattier cuts and trim garlic. benefit most from braising and stewing – The lower, slower methods that provide the time needed to break down connective tissue, making things nice and tender. Here’s our take on this iconic dish. Feel free to make it yours. Pay attention to the techniques and the order of operation – That’ll get you where you want to go – And again, everything else is free reign. Take note of our choice for the spirit employed – We don’t have cognac in the house, and I ain’t buying it just for a recipe – You could use brandy, Armagnac, or frankly, any spirit that floats your boat – Bourbon would go great, too. Another case in point – We served ours over rice, while tradition holds that you use thick slices of good country bread rubbed with garlic – If I’d had good bread on hand, I’d have done that, but I didn’t, so – get the picture? Innovate, Cut the onion in half, then cut each half into quarters. whenever you want to or must – A recipe is a Carefully cut the carrots in half lengthwise, then into template, not gospel, so tweak it to your liking. If half rounds about 1/2″ thick. Mince the garlic. parsnips or turnips or some other great winter root Today’s BoomeR 23
Preheat oven to 250° F. Place a Dutch oven, (or heavy stock pot with a tight fitting lid), over medium heat and add the oil – Allow to heat through. Cut the bacon into lardons – Chunks about 1/2″ square.
With a wooden spoon, scrape all the dark stuff from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Add the wine, beef, reserved beef juice and fat, and bacon back into the Dutch oven and stir. Add enough beef stock to almost cover the mix. Add the tomato paste, thyme, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Stir to incorporate. Cover the Dutch oven and place on a middle rack in your oven. Stew the bourguignon at 250° F for 75 to 90 minutes, until the meat and veggies are fork tender. Remove from the oven and uncover. Combine butter and flour in a measuring cup, then add a cup or so of broth. Mix with a fork until the blend thickens. Pour back into the bourguignon and stir in thoroughly to incorporate.
Sauté the bacon in the oil until the lardons start to crisp, about 3 -5 minutes. Transfer the bacon onto a paper towel with a slotted spoon. Add the beef to the hot fat and braise until the beef is lightly browned on all sides, about 3-5 minutes. Use the slotted spoon to transfer the meat onto the towel with the bacon. If you’re left with a fair amount of beef juice and fat, as we were, carefully pour that into a small bowl and set aside. Add another Tablespoon of oil to the Dutch oven and allow to heat through. Add the carrots and onions to the hot oil and sauté until the onions are slightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until the raw garlic smell dissipates, about 1 minute. Add the tequila to the veggies and flambé (light it) to burn off the alcohol – Be careful – Don’t get your face or hands close to the Dutch oven when you do this! 24 Today’s BoomeR
Serve over crusty toasted bread rubbed with garlic, or rice, or egg noodles. Garnish with fresh parsley if you like. Goes great with a glass of that red, and it’ll be spectacular the next day. Bon appétit.
Old Enough for Sex : New Year’s Resolution For Older Single Women By Ken Solin To Date or Not To Date The decision whether to date in 2017 or carve out a good life exclusive of a relationship isn’t a simple one. I have several single women friends in their 60s who fall into both categories, but most are simultaneously creating a life without a partner and at the same time seeking one. None has given up entirely, and one actually found a partner in 2016 after dating on and off for many years. I helped her but it was her desire to meet a man that kept her going. I wrote an article recently about how women over 50 can prepare to date in 2017 during December, not traditionally the best time of year to date. But I realize that information wasn’t of much interest to women who have decided that they won’t date in 2017 and will remain single. Steadfast I’m a glass half-full guy, and when I dated before I met my partner four years ago I knew it was going to require resolve. I wasn’t wrong. My partner was my 50th coffee date in a two-year dating jag. She was one of only a handful of second dates. But I knew when we met that there was something about her that made me want to explore the unknown together. Fortunately she felt the same. In truth, Sarah hadn’t dated much in the 10 years before we met. She’d had some coffee dates and a few brief affairs but she had pretty much given up meeting anyone special. Still, she kept her online dating profile up. We were on the same online dating site for a year and effectively ignored each other. She was my first foray into breaking my typecast pattern and dating a totally different type of woman. The immediate success after dropping my type was a powerful lesson. You Never Know I’ve asked Sarah what encouraged her to maintain her online profile in spite of the fact that the results had been dismal. Her answer was simple enough. “You never know.” But Sarah had a full, rich life before we met. Her wide circle of friends kept her in the social loop, her career was interesting, and her strong dedication to being a mentor to a young, troubled woman kept her busy as well.
Since I’m a date coach I wanted to know everything she was willing to share about her reasons for continuing to date. What she didn’t express was the sense that she would never meet her life partner. I think this is the most difficult aspect of dating for women over 50 who greatly outnumber men online. To continue to believe that the right guy will drop into their lives is overwhelmingly hard at times. Why should a woman continue to intentionally put herself in the path of boring, disappointing coffee dates? Mostly because there’s no better way to meet, vet, and decide yes or no for a second date. But there’s also the desire for a partner that keeps most over 50s grabbing for the brass ring. Knowing that someone loves you, cares about you, and will be there for you in good times and bad is a powerful incentive to continue dating. But it’s evidently not sufficient incentive for many women over 50 date weary and wary. But perhaps there are reasons for the lack of success that can be addressed and changed. Plethora Of Good Men I’ve been working with men in small groups for thirty years and I know with absolute certainty there are a plethora of good men. The trick is to know how to identify them. I use the principles in my new book, Your Guy Is Out There: Dating Tips for Women Over 50, to help my clients understand how to identify good men. Stop Typecasting Forget makeovers, a new wardrobe, hairstyle, being less picky, or anything else you’ve been told you’ll need to do to meet Mr. Wonderful. Your number one consideration might be that your pattern of dating the same guy with different names isn’t ever going to work. Forget the physical descriptions for long enough to read about a man before deciding he’s not your type. I’m not suggesting chemistry is unimportant. It is. What I am suggesting is that absent meeting a man you can’t possibly know whether or not there will be any chemistry. Not only wasn’t Sarah my old type, but I wasn’t hers either. And we find each other attractive in all the right ways and more. Make not typecasting your dates a 2017 New Years Resolution and see where it leads you. I promise it’s a good start. Today’s BoomeR 25
F– Being Old: No Time for Being Chicken: Strategies for Living Better in 2017 By John Vardallas, Founder/CEO TheAmericanBommeR.com
I offer these dozen donut suggestions for setting a course to enhance your quality of life, and add a little optimism for the New Year. 1. Live Within Your Means—Know the difference between Needs and Wants! 2. Work on your Bucket List and do (not just talk about) all those things you have wanted to do. 3. Maintain a Sense of Purpose for your life and keep yourself learning.
According to the Chinese Calendar 2017 is the Year of 4. Stay Connected with Family, Friends, and the Red Chicken. The chicken symbolizes jewelry, work on widening your Community Circle. gems, fruit, prosperity and comfort. So not playing 5. Be Optimistic and Curious of the World. chicken with your life will be a harbinger as we head Surround yourself with Positive Like Minded into the New Year. People. With 2017 being the start of a new political 6. Stay Physically Active and Mentally administration for America, there will be a good deal Stimulated. Remember- Motion is Lotion! of uncertainty for many of us. Overall, many aspects 7. Maintain A Sense of Spirituality. of the current American landscape have caused us boomers to shift and use more common sense basics in dealing with our lifestyle. Our health and financial situations will continue to be priorities for us as we continue to be age disruptors. Many of us will still continue to work out of need as well as engagement. However, the times we are facing can be considered critical for our future as time now becomes our most precious commodity and how we spend it will be crucial. There is mixed good news these days. The stock market is at an all time high and life spans are expanding. However, many of us Americans are unemployed or have dropped out of the workforce, causing a stagnant or declining household income. Taxes are going up and the impact of the Affordable Healthcare Act is now being felt, as our insurance and health care costs continue to increase. This is the year for us to step up and respond to new changes and challenges to improve and add comfort to our lifestyle. 26 Today’s BoomeR
8. Eat and Drink a well balance diet. Check out the Benefits of Mediterranean Cuisine. 9. Do something for others. Volunteer locally and increase the giving of yourself. 10. Avoid anything extreme—keep yourself balanced. My Greek Golden Mean Rule Rocks Here: Nothing In Excess! 11. Learn to be flexible and adapt to life s changes - learn to let go of old rigidities. 12. And finally-- Do Things that Make You Happy! If we are to thrive and enjoy the future, we will have to develop a different optimistic mind set about living. We should work to fine tune, and focus on our commitment to enhancing our lives as well as the lives of others and not play chicken with our future and--Age with Grace. Happy New Year!
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