AARP's Jane Pauley on Encore Careers and the Myth of Reinvention

02/09/2012 - 11:59:05am

If you’re wondering how to figure out what’s next in your life, take three minutes and watch this clip from Emmy-award winning journalist Jane Pauley.

Calling Seasoned Nonprofit Leaders

02/06/2012 - 10:28:44am

Nonprofit leaders: We want to hear from you.

What are your plans for the future, and what do you need to get there?

Goodbye 30-Year Retirements, Hello Encore Years

02/03/2012 - 02:20:13pm

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.

New York Times: Sharpening Your Mind in Midlife

01/31/2012 - 02:15:13pm

If you're thinking about going back to school, consider this: “For those in midlife and beyond, a college degree appears to slow the brain’s aging process by up to a decade, adding a new twist to the cost-benefit analysis of higher education – for young students as well as those thinking about returning to school.”

So says a recent New York Times article, which makes the case that education in the encore years boosts mental agility.

Working Past 50 Can Bring More Satisfaction

01/20/2012 - 07:26:01am

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.

Fast Company: Encore Fellowship Suits Career Shifter

01/11/2012 - 07:42:21am

The decades-long career is in decline. And for many, that’s a good thing.

“Tacking swiftly from job to job and field to field, learning new skills all the while, resembles the pattern that increasingly defines our careers,” writes Anya Kamenetz in Fast Company magazine.

How swiftly?

According to federal statistics, as of 2010, the median number of years U.S. workers had been in their jobs was 4.4 years.

Crossing a Bridge to Rwanda Toward an Encore

01/09/2012 - 08:49:14am

By Tom Allen

Four years ago, I traded in my life for a revised version. After 30 years of practicing law and, more importantly, raising three sons, I decided it was time to do something radically different. So I moved to Rwanda, Africa.

When I am among visitors, sooner or later the question always comes up: What brought you to Rwanda? Sometimes there seems to be a tinge of unspoken suspicion: "What are you running/hiding from?" I don't get defensive, though I suppose that we are all running from or to something. The more important question is, “Do we ever succeed?”

Giving Breath to the Encore Stage of Life

12/22/2011 - 06:38:58pm

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.”

Last-Minute Holiday Gift Ideas With an Encore Twist

12/22/2011 - 09:03:40am

Looking for meaningful gifts? Treat your friends and family to some interesting reading about the second half of life -- the encore stage -- and social change.

Check out these books:

An Encore Performance in Music and in Life

12/22/2011 - 08:29:37am

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