10 Years of Success

At times I take stock of my accomplishments, just to remind myself of what I can possibly accomplish in the future.

With the last decade coming to an end in a few days, it's appropriate for me to what I have accomplished in the last 10 years.

Personal Accomplishments and Adventure:

• Continued another 10 years of freedom to work either at my favorite coffee places or at home.


• Have traveled to New York, Las Vegas, Istanbul, and London in the last year.


• Finanally purchased the diggs that I have lived in for over 30 years. Despite purchasing the half-duplex for $325,000 with a down payment of $163,000 in 2007 at the height of the market, I will have it fully paid off by April 2011.


• Have continued to make an average of 4 trips a year to Vancouver, which I consider my second home.

Business Accomplishments

• Wrote How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free, which was rejected by over 35 Canadian, American, and British publishers. After self-publishing the book, I have earned a little over $405,000 in pretax profit from the book, which has now sold over 110,000 copies and has been published in 9 langauges.


• Wrote half of The Lazy Person's Guide to Success, quit at that point, and almost didn't finish it. I eventually finished the book which has been published in about 10 languages and has sold over 85,000 copies worldwide.


• Wrote Career Success Without a Real Job (called Real Success Without a Real Job in its original version).


• Just completed my new book The Joy of Being Retired: 365 Reasons Why Retirement Rocks (and Work Sucks!), which should make me tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. If it doesn't I will use is as a Promotional Giveaway.


• Wrote and self-published 101 Really Important Things You Already Know, But Keep Forgetting


• Negotiated at least 70 more book deals for a total of over 107 book deals around the world.


• Had over 5 years where my pre-tax income was $100,000 a year. Not to bad given that I work 4 or 5 hours a day at my favorite coffee place and don't have to deal with corporate life.

I have also started over 25 websites including:

• The Friendship Cafe by Ernie Zelinski


• The Retirement Cafe by Ernie Zelinski


• The Money Café by Ernie J. Zelinski


• Sensationally Creative and Innovative


• Fun Things to Do at Work


• The Retirement Quotes Café


• Retirement Speeches on Squidoo


• Free Retirement Letters on Squidoo


• Retirement Poems on Squidoo
  
• The Best Places to Retire in the World on Squidoo


• Career Change on Squidoo


• My 101 Successes in Life


• Retirement Quotes on Squidoo
  

Here is the car I intend to purchase for Ernie Zelinski in 2010 as a reward for his accomplishments:

Retirement Sayings about Retirement Savings

Fewer Canadians are putting money into retirement plans, according to the Royal Bank's annual RRSP poll.

At the same time, the Toronto Star says, "Canada's pension system is inadequate and lags behind other advanced industrial countries in providing decent income security for retired workers. "

The RB annual RRSP polls says 32 per cent of Canadians have not started saving for retirement yet, compared to 24 per cent in 2008. The study also found only 36 per cent say they are planning or have planned for retirement, down from 42 per cent in 2008.

The decline is sharpest among those aged 55 and over, with 53 per cent doing any retirement planning compared to 67 per cent last year.

RBC also says just 35 per cent of Canadians have contributed to or plan to contribute to an RRSP for the 2009 tax year - the lowest percentage of contributors since 1996.

Here are some retirement sayings and retirement quotes to place retirement planning in perspective:

I retired early for health reasons — my company was sick of me and
I was sick of them.
— Unknown wise person

I’m now as free as the breeze — with roughly the same income.
— Unknown wise person

I’m retired. You on the other hand have to go to work.
— Unknown wise person

The money’s no better in retirement but the hours are!
— Unknown wise person

See:

Saving for Retirement

How Much Money Do I Need to Retire

The Best Places to Retire in the World on Squidoo

Retirement Income

Retirement Quotes by Ernie Zelinski

Why Don't Retirees in North America Get a Free 7-Day Vacation

Why don't retirees in North American get a free 7-day vacation?

Hawaii would be great!

This is sounding good, isn't it?

Well retirees in Macedonian will be getting a one week free vacation from their government.

The Government will cover the transportation costs, lodging, spa treatment, food, doctor appointments, in other words every aspect of the vacation is covered.

More than 10,000 retirees will become eligible to take advantage of this incredible deal as early as January 2010.

The retirees are not limited to locations and can select any spa center across Macedonia.

Source: Government surprises Retirees with Free Vacation

Here are some retirement quotes relating to vacations from Travel Tips for Retirement at The Retirement Quotes Cafe:

Visits always give pleasure: if not in the arrival, then on the departure.
— Edward Le Berquier

If you look like your passport photo, in all probability you need the journey.
— Earl Wilson

Not he who lived long knows, but he who traveled much knows.
— Turkish proverb

The world is a book, and those who do not travel, read only a page.
— Saint Augustine

Check out these retirement resources:

Retirement Quotes on Good Reads:

How Much Do I Need to Retire?

Retirement Sentiments on the Retirement Quotes Cafe

Ernie J. Zelinski Quotes on Goodreads

Get out of the Rat Race Now!

I arrived in London England on Thursday morning to do some business regarding my books.

Flying Executive Class is even cooler than I thought.

Air Canada has an arrivals lounge for Executive Class passengers at Heathrow 3 where one can take a shower after a long 8.5 hour flight. Refreshing.

Perhaps an Executive Class return full-price ticket is worth $11,900 if you can afford it.

I checked my e-maill messages and there was a message with the heading "URGENT - WALL STREET JOURNAL SEEKING ERNIE ZELINSKI" sent 10 times to two of my accounts.

It was Brett Arends who writes a personal finance column for the Journal.

I e-mailed him back from the Arrivals Lounge and told him to phone me in an hour or two at my friend's place in London which he did.

As a result of a half hour telephone interview, I was quoted in an article in Fridays's Wall Street Journal at:

Get out of the Rat Race Now!

For the record, I am not as frugal as the article indicates. I did fly Executive Class to London England on my Aeroplan miles. If I had to book the trip without the miles on only 2 days notice, it would have cost $11,900.

Check out These Retirement Resources

Top-Ten Reasons to Retire Early on The Retirement Quotes Cafe
Jobs for Retirement
Retirement Sentiments and Retirement Wishes for Retirment Parties
Fun Things to Do in Retirement
Retirement Income Resources

Dream Careers and Unreal Jobs

Here is the content from a short letter that I received today from a woman in France who read the French edition of my book The Joy of Not Working:

Dear Ernie,

I read with great interest your book l'art de ne pas travailler and I love your life philosopy.

However, it's not really easy to think that I will be able to realize this kind of dream because of the mortgage on the house, car, etc.

But thanks to your books it allows me to make a point with my future wishes:

* create an association for pets
* learn to draw
* English studies
* cooking
* write the memories of people

That's why I would like to have all the advice possible to be able to start writing this book.

Indeed, today I am fed up with working for a big company as an administrative assitant. My job is only for the resources but not for satisfaction. I am only 39 years old!

Thanks a lot for all you advice.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards

Christelle

(Sorry for my English level but I hope you will understand what I try to say.)

For the record, I am sending Christelle a copy of my latest book Career Success Without a Real Job which is for people who want to create their Dream Careers and Unreal Jobs.

Job Loss Is a Golden Opportunity

Here is an e-mail that I recently received from a reader of one of my books. I have changed the person's name in case the information is sensitive:

----- Original Message -----
From: Sharon P.
To: ernie @ telus dot net
Sent: Monday, July 27, 2009 4:58 PM
Subject: one response to The Joy of Not Working

Hello, Ernie!

Another co-worker and I had the great good fortune of being laid off at the end of June. We decided that we were the lucky ones. Only after we were out of the negative work environment did we realize how much stress we had been carrying and how exhausted we were. It took a couple of weeks of rest, good nutrition, and tender loving care from friends before I felt human again and didn't ache all over. Plus it took a while to file for unemployment benefits and to get back to the job-hunting game.

Once I was done with all the paperwork hassle, I picked up a few books to read in between doing housework and sending out resumes. I started with Michael Shuman's books, The Small-Mart Revolution and Going Local (I was curious about how to sustain local economies), then proceeded with Robert Fritz's The Path of Least Resistance (how to apply creative techniques that artists use to living my own life). After that, I picked up your book, The Joy of Not Working.

I am about halfway through the book and yesterday I finished my first leisure tree. Wanting more bang for my buck, I made a game out of trying to combine as many things as I could from the tree into a single day, and I made a game plan over morning coffee. I am interested in horses, I want to learn to ride dressage, I enjoy reading and writing and walking/hiking, and I need to exercise (both for health and to be a better rider). So I combined those things and created "dressage Monday" -- which of course I won't just be doing on Mondays, but I had to start somewhere, right? Here's how it went:

breakfast

Read: articles on riding in Dressage Today magazine
Exercise: yoga - full set, for at least 20 minutes
drink a full glass of water
Exercise: leg stretches, using a step in the kitchen

break for lunch

Reading: three chapters of the book Balance in Movement (applying physiotherapy to achieve a proper seat on the horse)
Exercise: walking my elderly dog to the local post box, to post greeting cards (I decided to send the cards so that I would have to walk to the post box today!)
Watching: video of dressage training by Reiner Klimke
Watching: gold medal performance by Reiner Klimke in 1984 Los Angeles olympic games (on YouTube)
Exercise: 15 minutes on rebounder (mini trampouline)

break for a drink and a snack

reading: more articles in Dressage Today magazine
writing: sending a long email to Ernie J. Zelinski

It's a little after 6 pm now (I'm in Ohio, on Eastern time), and I still have plenty of time to do other things, like more reading and some weight training in the evening.

Exercise had been a problem for me in the past. I had so much tension in my body that it hurt even to do yoga! But now that I am not in a negative job situation, I find that exercise is very easy. Not only does it not hurt, but it is more meaningful because I have a specific goal in mind: strengthening my body to be able to balance better when I am riding and to ride for longer periods of time. I think that having a goal for exercise is a huge thing. For me, lack of exercise wasn't because of taking the easy way out, it was because I was in pain and also because I didn't have a specific purpose or goal for it.

Now that I am coordinating my activities for a common purpose, everything is incredibly easy to start and easy to continue through to the end (reading three chapters of a book, doing 15 minutes of rebounding, etc.). My day has been joyful and effortless and full of activity!

It all started when I decided to start training and studying like an olympian, since I no longer have that pesky full-time job.

Living in the USA, however, I am concerned about the fact that I will only be able to keep my health insurance for nine months. I will try to find a paying gig with benefits before then, but in the meantime I will be making huge progress in my riding, and the exercise and learning will be building my confidence for whatever I will choose to do down the road. In order to keep my horse, my husband and I have been cleaning stalls and helping to care for horses in exchange for my horse's board. Plus, my riding coach wants a website, and he will give me some free lessons in exchange for website development and writing, which we will be glad to do for him. You cannot imagine what a relief it is for me to be able to keep my horse, I've had him for nearly six years, and he's a member of the family. It's also a big relief to still have lessons from a great coach; my friend and I just found out about him last winter, and I'd hate to lose him, too!

I am very grateful for your book, to show me how to give my life a specific direction and to re-frame my job loss as a golden opportunity.

One thing that I have to thank you for specifically is for mentioning reading as an activity that is active. I had been kicking myself for sitting around and reading -- even though I was learning a lot through my reading and the Fritz book was about a technique that would help me through life and help me find meaningful work -- because I saw it as passive. I was incredibly relieved when I saw reading on your leisure tree! I put it on mine as well, and now I can actually feel good about the reading I am doing, and that is another huge weight off my shoulders.

My time between jobs will not be a worrisome time for me, because I am now a woman on a mission and I am test-driving the life I will live the next time I am between jobs. It is and will be a joyful life full of self-directed learning and exploring.

Even when I am once again working at a job, I'll have a better idea of how to manage my time in the future. I will continue to be an olympian-in-training even while working 40 hours a week and planning how I can create my own business, so I will eventually be able to rid myself of the next pesky full-time job that I happen to acquire.

All the best,
Sharon P.

Here are some resources to deal with job loss, unemployment, and involuntary retirement:

Jobs for Retirement at the Retirement Cafe

Benefits from a Recession

Dream Jobs and UnReal Jobs

25 Reaons Why Retirement Rocks (and Work Sucks!)

Cool Reasons to Quit Your Job

Retirement Jobs at the Real Success Resource Center

6 Traits of the Person Likely to Fall for a Ponzi Scheme

My Retirement Plan Was in Place But Bernie Madoff with My Money!

So what are the 6 traits of the typical person likely to fall for a Ponzi scheme?

The answer may surprise you:

Here's a snapshot of a typical financial fraud victim:

• Age 55-65.
• University/College-educated.
• Higher-than-average income.
• Risk-taking personality.
• Recent change in health or finances.
• More financially literate than average.

Here are some quotes about money from The 777 Best Things Ever Said about Money to keep money in proper perspective:

• Your wealth can only grow to the extent you do.
  — T. Harv Eker
• Always leave enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied, even joyous. That has more of an effect on economic well-being than any other single factor.
  — Paul Hawken
• It's better to be out of money than out of new creative ideas on how to make money.
  — Unknown wise person
• Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.
  — Norman Vincent Peale

Check out;

Paper Losses Are Real Losses, Stupid

How to Become a Millionaire

Never Lend Money to a Friend - You Will Likely Lose Both!

Being Average Is for Losers - That's Why You Should Quit Your Job Now

One of my my favorite books, which I read this year is The Dip by Seth Godin:

One of the more important principles that the book emphasizes is: Being Average Is for Losers - That's Why You Should Quit Your Job Now

Here are some more important principles of success from the book.

• Winners quit all the time. They quit the right stuff at the right time.
• Winners win big time because the marketplace loves a winner.
• Most people quit. They just don't quit successfully.
• You need to quit. Not soon, but right now.
• The biggest obstacle to life is our inability to quit soon enough.
• In a competitive world, adversity is your ally.
• Being better than 98 percent of the competition used to be fine. In the world of Google, though, it's useless.
• If you are not going to get to #1, you might as well quit right now.
• You're Astonishing - How Dare You Waste It

Check out:

Cool Reasons to Quit Your Job

How to Become a Millionaire

Retirement Jobs on the Retirement Cafe

Funny Friendship Quotes and Sayings

Inspirational Quotes and Sayings

The Joy of Not Working in Japan

This is an e-mail that I received from Japan about my book The Joy of Not Working

From: ioicrying24 ( at) jcom.home.ne.jp
Subject: Acknowledgment　from Tokyo
To: "success101coach (at ) yahoo (dot) com
Received: Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 2:07 AM

Dear Mr. Zelinski,

My name is Sohei, I am mailing you because your book The Joy of Not Working encouraged my life style so much.

I am a practitioner of "work less, spend less" life style in Tokyo. I have ideas of novel, so I need time for writing development.

In this metropolis, the myth which says money brings glory of the "WINNER" is still dominant. I think happiness is not buyable but which we can make by ourselves. Everytime when I lose self-confidence I open your book The Joy of Not Working. Although I have already read through nearly 10 times there are new discoveries. I have accustomed myself to be ossified for loneliness but I am desire to overcome this and carve a new life eagerly.

I'd like to continue to believe in fellowship of job-free happiness rather than major rule of economic animals. I'm going to make time for reading your other books before too long.

I wish your good health and success.
Sincerely
Sohei Tonouchi

This was my reply:

Hello Sohei:

Thank you for your e-mail and kind words about The Joy of Not Working.

If you send me your address, I will send you an autographed copy of the English edition of my small gift book The Lazy Person's Guide to Happiness (also published in Japanese).

So long for now,

Ernie Zelinski
Author, Innovator, Corporate Escape Artist, and Unconventional Career Expert
Author of the Bestseller How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free
(Over 110,000 copies sold and published in 7 foreign languages)
and the International Bestseller The Joy of Not Working
(Over 225,000 copies sold and published in 17 languages)


http://twitter.com/CareerSuccess

See:

Business Giveaways by VIP BOOKS

Fun Things to Do in Retirement

Benefits from a Recession

Difference Between Real Success Without a Real Job and Career Success Without a Real Job

I just received this inquiry about the difference between Career Success Without a Real Job and Real Success Without a Real Job

>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From:
>> To:
>> Cc:
>> Sent: Thursday, October 01, 2009 6:14 AM
>> Subject: real success vs. career success / differences
>>
>>
>>> Dear Ernie,
>>>
>>> congrats for your new book "Career Success Without a Real Job". I am
>>> wondering, what is the difference with your older book "Real Success
>>> without a real job"?
>>>
>>> I am asking this because I already own a copy of your Real Success
>>> book, and I am thinking of getting the new one also if it is different.
>>>
>>> yours,
>>>
>>> Marc


This was my reply:



> Hello Marc:
>
> Thank you for your interest in my books.
>
> These are essentially the same two books except for the cover and for
> Chapter 7.
>
> See the Amazon.com Blog Post
> at:
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/post/PLNK153GPXIOPHZT2
>
> So long for now.
>
> Ernie Zelinski
> World-Class Author, Innovator, and Unconventional Career Expert
> Author of the Bestseller How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free
> (Over 110,000 copies sold and published in 9 languages)
> and the International Bestseller The Joy of Not Working
> (Over 225,000 copies sold and published in 17 languages)
>
> http://www.erniezelinski.com
>
> VIP BOOKS
>
> http://www.vipbooks.us









By Ernie Zelinski,
author of the World's Best Retirement Book, a great Promotional Giveaway by VIP BOOKS, Career Success Without a Real Job and 101 Really Important Things You Already Know, But Keep Forgetting

Also See:

Creative Viral Marketing Your Books

Fun Things to Do in Retirement

Letter from Indonesia about The Joy of Not Working

This is an e-mail I recently received about The Joy of Not Working:

From Indonesia about The Joy of Not Working

----- Original Message -----
From: Fredy Irjadi
To: Ernie Zelinski < ( at ) telus (dot, dot) net
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2005 11:33 PM
Subject: Introduction

Dear Mr. Ernie Zelinski,

First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Fredy, from Jakarta - Indonesia. I had read your book of "The Joy of Not Working" and I can say that is a great book ever I read before.
For your information, I work in Information Technology for more than 9 years and I'm 31 years old now. Since year 2000, I try to establish my own business with IT Developer team, specialize in web application development. So every time we got the project, we develop together and I can call myself and my IT Developer team as a work alchololic to cathch up the schedule of the projects.

But when I read your book, I believe and realize that I had spent my free time with useless activities, like : shopping, watching television or movie, have a party with friends, etc which I admitted to myself that those activities indirectly make me as a consumtive person. That's why I try to change myself. Now, I have my own therapy for myself; starting with exploring my hobbies and intention in painting, art and some how (amazingly) I have some ideas to make a new educated game for children.

Hm, actually, at this time, I want to discuss many things regarding to your books. This is the first thing that I want to discuss with you. I admitted that your book can bring a new concept of healthy life for white-collar workers. I live in Jakarta - Indonesia, the capital city of Indonesia, which most of people here live very consumtive with disadvantage activities, like drunk, smoking, watching tv all day long, sleep all day long, etc. I do want to share this new concept by starting to my friends. But I don't think that this new concept can be accepted by my friends.

For your information, Indonesia is located in South East Asia, which the people is very protective with new concept or idea by changing their habits. And it's hard for the people to change their habit into the positive one. For example, the book of Steven Covey, "The 7 Habbits", the popular one. This books takes many years (about 4-5 years) to change the attitude of the people here.

Another thing, the book of Robert Kiyosaki, "Rich Dad Poor Dad", until this time, many people try to manipulate each other by Quadrant. But according to me, the book teach people how to manage their cash flow between cash flow in with the cash flow out.

And according to me, your book also can be used to manipulate other mind by quitting the job and enjoy life. When I read your book, I know what's the most important point that you would deliver to the people that people should use their free time by doing something that can bring advantage to their self or to others. I don't know whether my point is correct or not. But I believe that my point of your book is fit my life

Now the question that I would like to discuss with you. How to deliver my point of your book to my friends regarding to the culture of people here that so hard to accept new concept of life or idea that can change their habbit ?

I guess that' all for this time and I'm looking forward your reply. Thank you very much for your attention.

Have a nice day.

Sincerely,

Fredy Irjadi

PS : Have you visit Indonesia ? Or Bali maybe ? If you haven't, I can accompany you someday.
Cheers

Here are some retirement resources to check out:

World's Best Retirement Book by VIP BOOKS

Updated reviews on Ernie Zelinski's Bio at Redroom:

http://www.redroom.com/publishedwork/joy-not-working-a-book-retired-unemployed-and-overworked-21st-century-edition

http://www.redroom.com/publishedwork/how-retire-happy-wild-and-free-retirement-wisdom-that-you-wont-get-your-financial-advi

http://www.redroom.com/publishedwork/career-success-without-a-real-job-the-career-book-people-too-smart-work-corporations

http://www.redroom.com/publishedreviews/living-wild-and-free-life

http://www.redroom.com/publishedreviews/books-about-retirement

http://www.redroom.com/publishedreviews/a-place-retire-how-retire-happy-wild-and-free

http://www.redroom.com/publishedreviews/quintessential-reading-how-retire-happy-wild-and-free

http://www.redroom.com/publishedreviews/entrepreneur-or-employee

New ISBN Numbers for How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free by VIP BOOKS was originally distributed by Ten Speed Press, but is now distibuted by National Book Network, which necessitated a change in ISBN numbers. (ISBN 10-Digit: 096941949X and 9780969419495 )

Here are other places where How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free by VIP BOOKS is now featured with the new ISBN numbers:

How to Retire Happy - Promotional Giveaway Edition

Foreign Rights for Books by Ernie Zelinski Including How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free on Ernie Zelinski's Webpage

How to Retire Happy - Promotional Giveaway Edition

Promotional Giveaways by VIP BOOKS

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free Review on Quintessential Careers by Nancy Miller

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free on Open Library

Library Thing Link to How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free Review on Squidoo

Free E-book:Over Half of How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free on the Retirement Cafe

Retirement Planning Wisdom You Won't Get from Your Financial Advisor

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free on the Library Thing

Here is a bit about the book from the Open Library:

With a focus on the non-financial aspects of retirement, How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free by Ernie J. Zelinski explores the myriad choices and decisions we are all confronted with in living out our retirement lives.

Easy to read and well laid out, this non-financial retirement book emphasizes preparing for retirement long before you retire. How to Retire Happy is a provocative, entertaining, down-to-earth, and tremendously inspiring book that will help you get more joy and satisfaction out of all your retirement activities.

Author and innovator Ernie J. Zelinski uses inspirational retirement quotes and even a retirement poem to guide you to:

• Gain courage to take early retirement; in fact, the earlier the better.
• Put money in proper perspective so that you don’t need a million dollars to retire.
• Generate purpose in your retirement life with meaningful creative pursuits.
• Follow your dreams instead of someone else’s.
• Take charge of your mental, physical, and spiritual health.
• Better envision your retirement goals — including where you want to retire.
• Above all, make your retirement years the best time of your life.

Graffiti for the Soul Series - Free E-books - Batteries Not Included

Some time ago I did a book called Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed: Graffiti for the Soul. Firefly Books paid me a $5,000 advance to publish the book.

Much against my wishes, Firefly changed the title to Off the Wall: Graffiti for the Soul.

I now provide the content from that book as seven free e-books (in PDF format).

These seven free ebooks of graffiti (in PDF format and graffito fonts) have it all:

Wisdom. Ridicule. Sarcasm. Nonsense. Comedy. Mockery. Social commentary. Valuable insight.

They are the ultimate compendium of creative college humor.

You can download the seven volumes of graffiti at the following links:

Volume 1: Graffiti for the Enlightened Soul
Volume 2: Graffiti for the Employees' Soul
Volume 3: Graffiti for the College Student's Soul
Volume 4: Graffiti for the Woman's Soul
Volume 5: Graffiti for the Man's Soul
Volume 6: Graffiti for the Adventurous Soul
Volume 7: Graffiti for the Connoisseur's Soul

Check out:

Ernie Zelinski's Bio on Red Room.com

Ernie's Zelinski's Webpage on Amazon.com

Graffiti for the Creative Soul

Recent Stories about Baby Boomer Retirement

Here are some recent stories about baby boomer retirees and how some are not faring as well as they would like.

Thousands of retirees returning to old jobs: Federal Times By REBECCA NEAL National Science Foundation officials thought they'd found the perfect candidate in 2007 to head their Beijing office — a retiree with more . . .

Boomers working longer; retirees returning: Corvallis Gazette TimesRecently I have been reading about the shifting demographics of older workers and something called encore careers. Marc Freedman has written a book titled ...

Retirees 'face increased money problems: 'Independent Almost a third of people may face financial difficulties when they retire, the Financial Services Authority warned this week. Its research revealed that 31 ...

Here is a more positive story about a retiree who is coping quite well:

Dave Bakke: Retiree's 'good life' includes Spam, lizards, cold baths: The State Journal-Register By DAVE BAKKE You hear people vow that someday they're going to chuck it all, move to an island in the ocean and live the good life.

Here are two different versions of a The Best Retirement Book by Ernie Zelinski that is one of the Best Retirement Gifts to Give Yourself:

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free - Canadian Edition by Ernie Zelinski

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free - American Edition by Ernie Zelinski

Who Is the Artist for Cartoons in How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

Here are two latest e-mails about two of my books. This first one is about the Portuguese edition of The Lazy Person's Guide to Success. which is somewhat related to my latest book Career Success Without a Real Job.

----- Original Message -----
From: Alex Vieira Silveira
To: vip - books (at) telus ( dot ) net
Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2009 9:55 PM
Subject: To Ernie Zelinski

Hi! My name is Alex and Im sending this email from my job. Im reading a book of yours and Im almost changing my entire life.

As you say in the book I used to live under the culture of "a hard work will make you a sucess man" but I never really liked it and recently I've discovered that I dont even like what I do. Im studying what I like and doing this job at home, and the ideas appeared from nowhere showing me how to pay my debt of R$5000 in 2 months, so Im thankful =)

Very thanks Ernie

Alex V. Silveira
Técnico de suporte
Girt-Sp /Bnc
tel: (11) 3913-3747 /3913-3788
www.ctis.com.br ou www.lojactis.com.br

This second e-mail is about my Best-Selling Retirement Book , which makes a great promotional Retirement Gift Book.

From: Ronald Crocker
Subject: artist in How to Retire Happy Wild and Free
To: " success 101 coach @ yahoo com"
Received: Wednesday, September 2, 2009, 3:10 PM

Dear Sir,

First -- I enjoy your book and find it helpful. Retirement is offering me an arena in which to play and play I am!

Second-- who is the cartoonist in HTRHWF? The cartoons remind me of an artist in Providence RI.

Please advise.

Ron Crocker
Uxbridge MA

This was my response:

Hi Ron:

First, thanks for the kind words about How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

Second, to answer your question, the cartoon drawings in the book have actually been created by my graphic designer Verne Busby. He also created the cartoon figure used on the cover of the book but the 3-wheel bike and horse/donkey were my idea.

Interestingly, not so long ago I received a threatening e-mail from some guy in the U.S. accusing me of stealing Herman cartoons and how he was going to report me and how I would be charged for copyright violation.

I responded that although the drawings may have a Herman flavor, they were certainly not copies and the captions were made up by me.

Incidentally, Jim Unger, who does Herman, is Canadian and living back somewhere in British Columbia after living in the Caribbean somewhere.

I also told this guy that if he could find Jim Unger's address I would gladly send Jim Unger a copy of How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free without any concern of being sued or charged.

Many thanks and so long for now,

Ernie Zelinski
World Class Author, Innovator, and Corporate Escape Artist
Author of the Bestseller How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free
(Over 110,000 copies sold and published in 9 languages)
and The Joy of Not Working: A Book for the Retired, Unemployed & Overworked
(Over 225,000 copies sold and published in 17 languages)

Do It Badly - But At Least Do It!

Here is the Dedication that was used for my first book called The Art of Seeing Double or Better in Business:

"To all the creative people throughout the ages who have been willing to risk, be different, challenge the status quo, ruffle a few feathers - and in the process - truly make a big difference in this world."

This month makes it 20 years since I published that book, which was my first. I knew nothing about publishing but I went by my motto: Do It Badly - But At Least Do It!

Here are some of my latest projects, which I am still doing under that motto Do It Badly - But At Least Do It!

Or as Guy Kawasaki advises: "Be Crappy"

Promotional Business Items and Free Giveaways by VIP BOOKS

Real Career Success Without a Real Job

The Joy of Not Being Retired

Sensationally Creative and Innovative

VIP BOOKS Website

Funny Friendship Quotes

Paper Losses Are Real Losses, Stupid! Stop Lying about It to Yourself and Others!

Look Ma, Life's Easy Will Be Self-Published Sooner or Later

Korean Edition of Look Ma, Life's Easy
(Published in 5 Foreign Languages But Not in English)

I received the following e-mail about a book I wrote several years ago called Look Ma, Life's Easy

Ernie,

Thanks for answering my friend request :-)

Welcome in my friend list also.

I am Belgian and my native language is French, but I love to write in English. So, I can send my message to you in English. Ok!

You are Canadian so I thought I could write in French or English, but it ok for me. :-)

I have read your books since 2003. They have really helped me in my life. I would like to say you Thank you for your works! They are very useful.

My favourite book is Look Ma, Life's Easy. I read it in French.

Nevertheless, I would like to find it in English to help an American friend but that cannot be found anywhere? !...We tried

http://www.facebook.com/l/;Amazon.com. but no success :- ( My friend is Marvin P. He lives in Dallas, Texas. Could we help us to find your book in English version for him? I should be very grateful to you.

Thanks
Best Regards
Catherine D.

The answer to Catherine's question is that Look Ma, Life's Easy was published in 5 foreign languages (Russian, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Korean) but never in English.

Now that I have a new American distributor (National Book Network) for my books, I intend to self-publish the book in the next year or so.

In the interval I am working on my book called The Joy of Being Retired.

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free on Quintessential Careers Book

I was delighted to find a review of my book How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free on Quintessential Careers Book Reviews

Here is part of the review:

This book [How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free] comprises so much more than financial planning. Many of the books and magazines that discuss retirement focus on building a nest egg, investing, and accumulating wealth.

I would not hesitate to share this book with friends, colleagues, or clients. Investigating the many options for retirement is even more important now than when the book was first written. With so many people having to change or rethink their retirement plans, this book is a breath of fresh air. At a time when people need inspiration and hope for their futures, learning How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free may be just what they need.

Although the ideas in the book are not new, the stories about how people are living them is unique and refreshing. They bring out the importance of living a full life now and not waiting until retirement.

Five things I re-learned from this book are:



1. Plant a Get-a-Life Tree. Among the lists, activities, stories, and ideas that Zelinski offers for brainstorming retirement options, he illustrates how to plant a Get-a-Life Tree. The tree is a form of mind map to help people think about retirement options.

2. Stay active before and after retirement. Ernie Zelinski emphasizes the importance of a healthy active lifestyle. Being active and healthy doesn't begin at retirement. The author tells us to find our interests and purpose long before we retire.

3. You don't have to be rich to enjoy retirement. In fact, Zelinski emphasizes the fact that having a nest egg doesn't guarantee a happy retirement. The book is rich with stories about the many ways people have found happiness in retirement.

4. Build healthy relationships before you retire. Having healthy relationships
outside of work before you retire will be the foundation for retirement bliss.

5. Retirement can be the best part of your life. Reading Zelinski's book was fun and inspiring. The author reminds us to focus on the things that are really important in life. Retirement, after all, is just the beginning.

Create More Money for Your Retirement

Most of the articles I see on Google Alerts for anything relating to retirees has to do with money, their retirement portfolios, and how many of them are short of money.

I am amazed by the number of people that I know who want more money in their lives but are not willing to put in the time, effort, and creativity to generate more income.

If you are short of money, you likely aren't using your time, effort, and creativity to generate more retirement income. Either that or you don't handle money that well.

Here are some ways to attract money into your life according to Joe Vitale that can add to your retirement income:

• Take action on an idea you have.


• Write a script of you being wealthy and how it feels.


• Forgive yourself and others.


• Read Think and Grow Rich.


• Turn a problem into a product and sell it online.


• Feel grateful for something you have.


• Pray.


• Create a vision board of what you want.


• Do 5 things each day on items on your vision board.


• Ask for help.


• Help someone else. (by hiring them to help you)


• Do whatever you are afraid to do. Wealth is hiding behind your fear.


• Get a retirement job. While you pursue your dream, feed yourself with work.


• Get clear of limiting beliefs about money

Retiring is easy. Staying retired — now that's the trick!

Here are 10 retirement quotes for retirees and soon-to-be retirees to help them retire happy, wild, and free: These retirement quotations come from the Sensational Quotes for Smart People Website:

Retirement gives people the opportunity to think about and reconnect with themselves and their neglected dreams or the forgotten pleasure of activities that bring joy.
— Mona Gallagher

If you retire right [ with or without Social Security] the only thing you will worry about is when to eat and when to sleep.
— Unknown wise person

You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.
— Rabindranath Tagore

The concept of freedom is never truly realized until one settles into retirement mode.
— A. Major

It [my retirement plan] will involve living on a private island, with a genius chef, cigars and fine wines. I'm gonna be fat. That's what I enjoy. That's the payback for all the hard work.
— American rapper Jay-Z

Retirement: A Time to Become Much More than You Have Ever Been
— from How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

The best retirement is no retirement at all.
— Unknown sad sack

When the majority of people get my age, once they retire and get Social Security they lay on the couch and do nothing. The next thing you know, they're not with us any more.
— 77-year-old Retiree August Gonsoulin

The best time to start thinking about your retirement dreams is before your boss does.
— Unknown retired person

If you don't keep busy, it's [retirement] all over. I found out that from people much older than me. "Keep moving," they say, and that's what I'm doing. When I get up in the morning with aches and pains, I don't let it control me. When you sit down and don't do anything, you are going to disintegrate. Well, you're going to disintegrate anyway, but you'll do it quicker.
- Adelaide Bentley

Retiring is easy. Staying retired — now that's the trick!
— Richard Parker, Author of Retired & Staying Retired; Enjoying the RV Lifestyle

Here is a link to an article that mentions me:

Ernie Zelinski on American Chronicle

More from Leslie about Her Retirement Blues

This is the response I received from Leslie after I responded to her first e-mail about her retirement blues. (See the previous blog for her e-mail and my response.)

Hi Ernie,

Thanks so much my dear for replying back to me. I appreciate your time, I know you are busy too.

And yes! kindly email me this book you mentioned 101 Really Important Things You Already Know, But Keep Forgetting, I think that's the only one I have not read of your stuff. All the other books you mentioned and the travel books I have and read also. As I enjoy travel and i travel to many places in the world thats on my bucket list besides my annual otra casa in Mexico.

I can't wait for your new book [The Joy of Being Retired: 365 Reasons Why Retirement Rocks (and Work Sucks!), kindly add me to your list when it is ready!

You are right that I need to create more stuff on my list that is more challenging to keep the blues away.

My bucket list had over 2,000 listed of what i want to do before I die, 75% are highly challenging( i love risks, sometimes even death wish risks :-) and have accomplished and dated but mas or menos 200 of them, only because i find them lame and boring that is why i still procrastinate in doing them. Eventually i might have to resort to doing them since there's nothing else left to do.

Most important thing i admire and love of you is your zest and purpose in your life.

That is why i feel un inspired, due to lack of my sense of purpose. i have gone tru all religions also yet still lost in the fog lol!

What keeps you going Ernie?

I really admire that about you and thank you for being an inspirations to so many people including me. I will listen to you anytime more than i would the preachers, ministers or priests i know lol!

I too will not accept a billion dollars just to go back to work. i have working for corporate america with their old inside the box rules and regulations-they are all slaves. there is more in life than money.

I will follow your advise and dig deep in my soul for more challenging stuff to do to keep me from being bored.

altho i sometimes have to watch what challenging means to me as i tend to do things that might be controverial or border criminalistic lol!!

Only thing, I wish I could write like you, i always wanted to be a travel writer and make money from all those places i travelled too but hesitated since english is not my 1st language so grammar is struggling for me.

The only reason i have resorted to just my otra casa every year is cuz i dont know where else to go.

Part of my bucket list is to travel for a whole year and wake up to whatever country and whatever situation.

I found those times very fullfilling, now am back here in lousy BC and bored as can be waking up to the same thing.

It would be nice to scope more countried and take another year off just travelling but I dont have the funds to do so , just living on my savings for emergency monthly living. I never had a regular gov job so dont have no pensions or support like regular blow joes.

My ultimate challenge to add on my list might be how to be happy homeless and free ;-)

anyways, sorry , am rambling on ....
better sign off
thanks ernie once again for being there for me.

Keep up the wonderful job you are doing - maybe come up with a book about yourself and how you also deal with your retirement life, so maybe i can use it as my other bible too for inspirations.

love ya,
Leslie

See my comment in regards to the article Retirement: 70 is the new 65:

Also Check out the Premiur or Gift Book Edition of How to Retire Happy Wild, and Free:

See Best Places to Retire in the World

Retirement Blues - How Do Retirees Deal with Boredom

I received the following e-mail the other day (the name has been changed due to the nature of the e-mail:

----- Original Message -----
From: Leslie
To: Ernie Zelinski
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 11:27 AM
Subject: retirement blues


hi ernie,

hope you are well.

i have your ... retire happy, wild, and free ..book using it as my early retirement bible, also have read many of your other books.

my question or struggle now is ...after the 3 yr honeymoon is over (of E.R. started 5 yrs ago, am 55 yrs now) and after i have gone thru my bucket list of things to do, what else is there to do? or inspire to do?

i just came back from my annual mexico otra casa and coming back to the mundane existence after catching up with the bills and errands, make me feel like a dead zombie.

have you ever felt this in your retirement life- i know you probably busy with your seminars. but for myself, not working, sometimes just passing time at the casinos to forget my existence but also loosing, i just don't know what to focus on anymore.

am i the only one who feels this blahs?

what else is there in life after one done it all?

i hope to hear from you, you are the only one who can inspire me. when i read your books i felt you were my twin as you wrote same way i felt.

i have been successful and joyful past 3 yrs thanks to your bible- but now seems like nothing else to do or live for.

at times i feel since we all gonna die someday anyway might as well plan a grand exit my way.

appreciate any suggestions you have,
Leslie

This was my reply:

Hi Leslie:

Thanks for your e-mail.

Regarding the way you feel about retirement at this moment, I can assure you that there are many more people who feel this way at times. Some may even feel this way most of the time.

First, congratulations on having enjoyed retirement for 3 years. Some people don't accomplish this.

If you are bored with retirement life, my opinion is that your leisure activities are too passive or too routine. For us to get satisfaction out of leisure activities, the activities have to have some challenge and risk involved. Adding a purpose to leisure activities also helps. In my retirement books, I list passive activities that offer no real satisfaction because of a lack of risk and challenge versus active activities that offer a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment because of the challenge and risk involved. Here they are:



Passive Activities

* Watching TV and videos
* Drinking beer
* Going for a drive
* Junking out on food
* Gambling
* Napping
* Watching spectator sports
* Shopping
* Talking about yesterday’s news
* Goofing off in shopping malls

Active Activities

* Writing a book
* Hiking
* Cross-country skiing
* Auditing fun courses at a university or college
* Attending plays, concerts, and movies
* Taking piano lessons
* Tracing your family tree
* Drawing cartoons
* Creating stained-glass windows
* Helping solve the world ’s problems





You state, "What else is there in life after one has done it all?"

I don't believe that you have "done it all." You mention returning from your "annual Mexico otra casa." Perhaps you need to go somewhere else in your travels besides Mexico. I had done virtually no travel outside Canada all my life aside from two trips to San Francisco in the 1990s and one to St. Lucia about 30 years ago. But since November I have been to London, Istanbul, and New York. (I have attached 3 photos from Istanbul and London - my favorite is with Nadide at the Istanbul Conventions Center). These trips have been the highlights of my last six months because there was challenge and risk involved besides doing something different.

The truth is that I resisted going to visit these 3 cities and right until leaving was thinking of canceling the respective trips. I now have Hawaii, San Diego, and Scottsdale Arizona in my sights besides plans to visit London and New York again.

Incidentally, my favorite publisher is Workman Publishing (since Ten Speed Press was sold) and they publish both 1001 Places to See Before You Die and 1001 Places to See In the USA and Canada Before You Die. Perhaps you may want to check out these books. I certanly will in due time.

To deal with your retirement blues, you could go back to work as some people do. All I can say is that if someone offered me a billion dollars to go back to work in a typical corporate setting for one year, I would not consider this for one nanosecond. Most people don't believe this but it is true.

The first reason is that I despise corporate settings so much and don't have much respect for most of the people who work in them due to their lack of creativity and motivation to make it on their own. Second, I know that a billion dollars would not make me any happier. If anything, a billion dollars would complicate my life and make me unhappier because most of my friends couldn't relate to me anymore and would likely not associate with me anymore.

Of course, you can always get a fun job, several of which I mention in How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free.

Again, I have to stress using your time constructively in activities that offer risk and challenge. Even if someone gave me a billion dollars I would still be creating books and e-books. In fact, I am presently creating a book called The Joy of Being Retired: 365 Reasons Why Retirement Rocks (and Work Sucks). Is writing this book easy? No, on the contrary. It is damn hard at times. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.




Yet I would still be putting this book together if I had a billion dollars in the bank. Why? Because it will give me great satisfaction once it is finished. What's more, I will get more satisfaction and happiness when people read it and write to me about how much they liked the books.

In short, my advice to you is to list the things that you would like to have accomplished in your life. There have to be at least 100 things you would have liked to accomplish but didn't.

Then select one or two of these things and pursue these things.

If you like reading and still haven't read my 101 Really Important Things You Already Know, But Keep Forgetting, just send me your address and I will send you a complimentary copy.

In the mean time, I have attached my e-book (in PDF format) called 101 Reasons to Love a Recession. You can forward this to all your friends and colleagues.

I hope that I have been some help.

So long for now,

Ernie Zelinski
World Class Author, Innovator, and Unconventional Career Expert
Author of the Bestseller How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free
(Over 100,000 copies sold and published in 7 foreign languages)
and the International Bestseller The Joy of Not Working
(Over 225,000 copies sold and published in 17 languages)