Relocation: Lower Cost of Living May Mean Lower Quality of Life

Relocation is one of the greatest stressors that most people experience in the twenty-first century. Often people move specifically to reduce expenses, especially in difficult economic times.

However, as a career consultant, I urge my clients to be very suspicious of cost of living reduction promises. Many people decide
to scale back their expenses by moving to a small town with lower
housing costs. However, there is usually a reason for the lower cost of
living.

“Bob” thought he could establish
his career as a freelance writer by moving to a state with a lower cost
of living. However, his new city did not have a strong public library
and the nearest large bookstore was 100 miles away. He would spend time
and money driving and invest considerable sums in creating his own
private library.

“Christine”  planned to retire in a charming mountain town. She found she had to drive 200 miles or more to get medical services, such as appointments with a contact lens specialist who could get her prescription right the first time. She realized if she had serious problems requiring a specialist, she  would have to get someone to drive her to a big city hospital or hire an ambulance. Some rural towns don’t even have medical services; residents have to be flown to a facility by air ambulance when they have heart attacks.

These challenges may not bother you at all. Many people live happily in these towns. But do your homework first.

Learn more about relocation at http://www.RelocationStrategy.com

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Mid-Life Career Change: A Tale of 2 Retirees

Roland approaches retirement with what a healthy nest egg: three houses, a seven-figure retirement account, and a pension that covers most monthly expenses.

Rosabelle just sold her retail business, after two years of coming to realize that, “This is not where I want to be.” A combination of increased competition and her own disinterest lowered the sale price and she faces bankruptcy. She owns nothing except a used car, a few clothes and some odd bits of books and furniture.

Roland rarely talks about his future. He talks about saving fifty dollars a year on his car insurance by spending 8 hours listening to a “safe driving over 60” class. He spends hours negotiating with a real estate agent to save a few hundred dollars when he sells a house he inherited. He wonders if he will run out of money in his lifetime.

Rosabelle reminds everyone she will be free to do whatever she wants once the business is gone. She might get a scholarship to study in a natural healing program or take a few months to explore her options. She wouldn’t mind a job in just the right place. She knows she will bounce back.

Rosabelle smiles when she talks about her relationship with her current significant other. She doesn’t know where it’s going but she’s enjoying the ride. Roland’s friends have begun to avoid him: they don’t want another dose of financial doom-and-gloom.

Most of us fall somewhere between Rosabelle and Roland. We’re not ready to be as free as Rosabelle and we tell ourselves we wouldn’t fret if we had Roland’s money. We can all be owned by fear, no matter how much money we have. And there’s no way to buy the gift of waking up with a feeling of anticipation: “Another day to do what I want!”

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The Mid-life Brain: Smarter than we realized

Mid-life career strategy calls for sensitivity to stereotypes about aging. One stereotype is that we take longer to learn and resist learning new things.

A recent New York Times article supports a theory I’ve held for years. As we get older, our brain holds more and more data. So we just have more to process. Thats why we may forget more easily.

I used to remember phone numbers of just about everyone I know. Now I just know a lot more people. I call them a lot less frequently (due to email). And of course I use speed dials and auto-dials.

But, says the Times, aging brains also have a broader context to place new information. We remember parallel events that took place years ago. We process information more thoroughly, so we appear to be reading and taking in new information more slowly.

Possibly.

My own view is: When you look at a group of 14-year-olds of a certain socioeconomic class, you’ll find many similarities. They’ll be in school. They’ll have certain physical capabilities

But a group of 54-year-olds and 64-year olds will have enormous variation. Just look around your local fitness center. Some folks are walking around in a little circle, moving slowly to the music. Others are running marathons.

That’s why I think we have to take charge of our own destinies as we get older, not depending on external forces for solutions to jobs and other challenges.

At my last college reunion, one of my classmates urged me, “Bring copies of your e-books and distribute them!” That was someone Unclear on the Concept. And that was also my last class reunion.

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