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What Is the Ideal Retirement Age for Your Health?

Five takeaways:

  1. Several countries are considering raising their retirement age to offset the economic pressures of aging population. While a later retirement age may have clear overall economic benefits, the physical and mental implications of making such a drastic collective change must be considered.
  2. While life expectancies have gone up over the last hundred years, the type of work people are doing has also changed. In 2020, roughly 45 percent of the American labor force worked in a knowledge-based field, such as management, business and finance, education, and health care. In 1935, these types of professions accounted for just 6 percent of the workforce.
  3. Experts think that the collective rise of knowledge-based jobs makes a higher retirement age a bit more reasonable, as cognitive properties stay sharp into one’s 70s. Staying at work in some capacity has shown to have health benefits for people in their 70s as well, as long as the work is not physically laborious.
  4. This is not to say that a raised retirement age should be instituted across the board. Jobs that are more hands-on, active, and laborious, might in fact require a slightly younger retirement age. There is research that shows retirement around the mid-sixties from physically challenging work can lead to stronger cognitive output.
  5. Overall, the article shows that a single, uniform retirement age is always going to be imperfect. There are too many factors– the type of work, a worker’s ethnic background or socioeconomic status– to find a perfect number. On an individual level, we should take every step we can to ensure that our retirements are healthy, physically, mentally, and financially.

From Dana G. Smith at The New York Times:
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This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

You Can’t Simply Decide to Be a Different Person

Five takeaways:

  1. For generations, the agreed-upon scientific understanding of human habit forming (for instance: becoming a habitual runner) was that it was all about attitude. If you wanted to be a runner badly enough, you would simply become one. New research says it is more complicated than that– that habit forming is affected “by some combination of heredity, culture, and environment.”
  2. That combination of heredity, culture, and environment is boiled down in the article to a phrase: “Trait self-control” – and everyone’s trait self-control is different. Someone who can wake up at 4:30am to run every morning has higher trait self-control and is not going to be as easily distracted by common factors, be they leisurely, work-related, or otherwise, that keep them from that habit.
  3. Research shows that forming new habits as an adult, while difficult, is possible– and very much a measure of altering life conditions to enable a habit to become second nature.
  4. Studies prove that people who live closer to gyms tend to work out more, just as people who live closer to good grocery stores tend to eat more vegetables. If you want to make a habit second nature, you should do as best you can to eliminate the conditions in your life that form barriers to performing that goal on a daily basis.
  5. Obviously eliminating certain conditions in one’s life is not an easy thing to do- this is why it is important to be realistic in forming new habits, and to be forgiving of yourself when the pickup is slower than desired. Those who demonize themselves for not picking up a habit are more likely to drop the pursuit entirely, whereas people who make slower, incremental progress are more likely to stick to habits until they are indeed second nature.

From Amanda Mull at The Atlantic:
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Note: At the time of this posting The Atlantic offers five free article views per month.

This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

The Procrastination Doom Loop– and How to Break It

Six takeaways:

  1. It is easy for productive people to confuse “reasonable delay” (“I’ll respond to this email when I have more time to write it”), which is reasonable and can be useful– vs actual procrastination (“I have time to do this but don’t feel like doing this right now.. I’ll do it later”) which can be an avoidable act of self-sabotage.
  2. New research on procrastination says that it happens for two basic reasons: 1) we delay action because we feel we are in the wrong mood to complete a task, and 2) We assume that that mood or condition will change in the near future. That a better, more fitting time to complete the task will soon arrive: “If I take a nap now, I’ll have more focus later.”
  3. This is where “The Procrastination Doom Loop” begins. Putting off an important task makes us feel anxious, guilty, and even ashamed. This anxiety, guilt, and shame make us less likely to have the emotional and cognitive energy to be productive. That makes us even less likely to begin the task, which in turn creates more guilt. The loop continues from there.
  4. One common procrastination cure is the use of deadlines, but studies show that self-imposed deadlines are incredibly weak barriers to procrastination and can only worsen the Doom Loop. Deadlines imposed by others (work, friends) are far more powerful.
  5. Procrastinators are more likely to complete a piece of work if they’re persuaded that it’s not actually work. In one study, students were asked to complete a puzzle, but first given a few minutes to play Tetris. To Group A, the researchers described the puzzle as a ‘cognitive evaluation.’ To Group B, they referred to the puzzle as a game. Procrastinators took far longer with their Tetris Games when the puzzle was referred to as an evaluation, rather than a game.
  6. See this graphic for a visual of the “Procrastination Doom Loop”:

From Derek Thompson at The Atlantic:
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Note: At the time of this posting The Atlantic offers five free article views per month.

This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.

Seven Habits that Will Completely Change Your Career

Seven takeaways:

  1. Check your baseline: Take a moment to take stock of your current situation. It is essential to have a clear understanding of where you are right now. Identify any areas of your career that need particular attention, and do a deep dive on your goals, passions, strengths, and weaknesses. This self-assessment can guide your plan for moving forward.
  2. Give more compliments: In the workplace, it’s easy to focus on what’s not working and forget about what is. Taking the time to recognize and acknowledge the efforts and successes of your coworkers can create a more positive and supportive work environment. By validating peers and giving positive feedback, you can strengthen your relationships with your colleagues, and create an identity as a positive, forward-thinking member of the team.
  3. Overcome perfectionism: The fear of failure can be a major barrier to career success. Instead of striving for perfection, focus on progress and continuous improvement. Set realistic goals and celebrate the small victories along the way. Remember that mistakes are a natural part of the process and that taking risks can lead to significant growth and success.
  4. Invest more in yourself: Investing in yourself is one of the most valuable things you can do for your career. Take the time to build skills, mental acumen, physical health, and spiritual centeredness by being intentional about learning. Prioritize your own growth and well-being over external validation and focus on building a strong foundation for your future success.
  5. Take leadership seriously: Even if you’re not in a formal leadership role, you have the power to be a role model, and to affect positive change on your team, or at your company. Focus on developing your leadership skills, including self-management, decision-making, and adaptability. Embrace creativity and problem-solving to help you stand out as a valuable member of your team.
  6. Expand your skills: Consider investing in your skillset. Identify areas where you could use improvement, and look for opportunities to learn and grow. Take courses, attend workshops or conferences, or even pursue a new hobby that might teach you valuable skills that you can apply in your work.
  7. Connect: Take the time to connect with your peers, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone. Attend work events, participate in team-building activities, and seek out mentorship and coaching opportunities to help you build your network- you never know

by Murielle Marie for Forbes:
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Note: At the time of this posting Forbes offers 4 free article views per month.

This site may contain links to articles or other information that may be contained on a third-party website. Advisory Services Network, LLC and MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors are not responsible for and do not control, adopt, or endorse any content contained on any third party website. The information and material contained in linked articles is of a general nature and is intended for educational purposes only. Links to articles do not constitute a recommendation or a solicitation or offer of the purchase or sale of securities.
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