We need a new map of life.

We've been making do with one that was fashioned for an expected longevity of threescore and 10. We shouldn't knock that legacy. At one time, that constituted progress.

But we can't stuff a 21st century life span into a life course designed for the 20th century – or stretch the old model so that it accommodates a task well beyond its intended capacity. The story starts with the numbers, but it is really about the nature of lives.

If you’re over 50, chances are that continuing to work – and being truly engaged in what you do – will boost your well-being.

Researchers at the Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College found that people 50 and older are more likely than younger adults to feel more deeply engaged in paid work, volunteering and education.

A 70-year-old former art history professor who is now an art curator. A 71-year-old serial entrepreneur helping boomers start their own ventures. A 77-year-old former auto exec heading up a state university.

They’re all trying to revitalize a city marred by economic decay.

And, says Marc Freedman: “By the prevailing definitions, all three of them are in old age – often portrayed as a wasteland of its own.”

Editor’s note: This essay by Paul Young, president and CEO of the National AfterSchool Association, originally appeared on a National AfterSchool Association blog.

The use of technology has allowed us to multi-task, speak to friends and family in far away lands and shop til we drop, but you should think twice before you use mobile technology to apply for open positions. Here’s why:

1. Lack of Customization
Mobile apps are meant for speed, so when you see a position you like while on the go, all you have to do is press “send resume.”

But that kind of rapid response won’t help you in your job search.

Editor's note: We often get asked to define the encore movement. At its core, the movement aims to engage millions of people in encore careers – work that combines social impact, personal meaning and continued income. We call it “purpose, passion and a paycheck.”

But as Ruth Wooden, board chair of Encore.org publisher Civic Ventures, points out in her eloquent essay below, the movement means much more.

Since yesterday’s announcement that Intel has become the first company to offer Encore Fellowships to all of its U.S. employees approaching retirement, major media have shown major interest.

The 2011 Purpose Prize winners are making big news.

Since the five winners were announced November 3, media outlets from across the country have been highlighting the remarkable work that earned these social innovators the $100,000 award.

My colleagues and I have been working for the past 10 months with the research firm Penn Schoen Berland to investigate the potential for social entrepreneurship in boomers.

Research by the Kauffman Foundation has already shown that for 11 of the 15 years between 1996 and 2010, Americans between 55 and 64 had the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity of any age group.