I attended Tuesdays (August 8th) meeting of the Finance Audit Committee which met to discuss financing options for $20 million to rebuild the Menlo Park Library. The expected cost is $45 million, and John Arrillaga has generously offered to fund the balance after the City contributes $20 million.

When I first heard of this potential project to rebuild the library several alarms went off.

The Space Needs Study says, Because of time constraints, staff recommends that public input on the siting options be gathered through a design charrette process facilitated by staff and qualified consultants. However the report doesnt enumerate any time constraints, so whats the rush?

Duringthe initial public comments I addressed the panel on these topics:

A)There should be an accounting of projects that were accomplished through Measure T parcel tax. That there may be funds available in the third tranche of that parcel tax.

B)Menlo Park residents may have more pressing issues, like pension deficits, housing and traffic, and loads of construction already. I suggested that they punt this back to council to get a reality check.

C)I know a lot about libraries, and am a expert in library automation and cataloging; have designed, developed and marketed three library circulation, cataloging systems and full text indexing for NOAA, Tacoma Public Library, a third for a company for whom I was VP, and developed and licensed network software for library automation vendors. Two years ago I testified in a patent case on the nuances of Library of Congress cataloging details (i.e., the date when was a book publicly available).

D)From my experience in Internet trends, materials and queries, and public libraries that I visit, libraries are shrinking a victim of o- line technology cutting out the middle man. I cited recent visits to main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, which was bore little resemblance to its prior bustling stacks, but now had immigration services offices.

E)I failed to see any statistical data that the common metrics of a library operation and trends: circulation (borrowing) counts, turnstile counts, size of the collections, number of active patrons. No data was provided to show that growth on any of these trend indicators has grown to where a remodel is compelling.

Our library manager attended the meeting, and as the primary stakeholder, I expected a statement to the committee and public as an advocate the project. There was none. This is driven by other forces.

$45 million for a net 11,000 square feet is $4000 sq/ft?) Thats more than the cost of Athertons new civic campus. I read the use study of the Menlo Project, which suggests that this is more about public meeting spaces than libraries.

Excerpt from:
Why a library scrap and rebuild? - The Almanac Online (blog)

MAIN BRANCH: 32 Essex St.

PHONE: 978-921-6062

ONLINE: beverlypubliclibrary.org

FARMS BRANCH: 24 Vine St., Beverly Farms

PHONE: 978-921-6066

Email: ingalls@noblenet.org

Summer and Holiday Hours

Summer weekend hours are in effect for the main and Beverly Farms branch libraries. The main library is closed on Sundays, and the Farms branch is closed on Saturdays until October.

The main library and the Farms branch will be closed for the Labor Day holiday onMonday, Sept. 4. The main library will also be closed onSaturday, Sept. 2.

Main branch events

Get you solar eclipse glasses

The main library Children's Room will have a limited supply of free eclipse viewing glasses available starting on Aug. 14. There is a limit of one pair per individual, or three per family, while supplies last. There will also be an information sheet about safe viewing of the Aug. 21 solar eclipse, which is a partial eclipse in New England. For more information, email mamorgan@noblenet.org.

Save the date --Mini Golf: A FUN-draiser

For two days in September, the Beverly Public Library will be transformed into an 18-hole miniature golf course. All proceeds will benefit the library's Teen Room renovation project.

- Adult Par-Tee (18-plus): Saturday, Sept. 23, from 7 to 9 p.m.Putt your way through the library after hours while enjoying music, refreshments and a cash bar (beer and wine). Cost to participate is $30 per person. Register online at http://www.beverlypubliclibrary.org/minigolf/.

- Fore! Families: Sunday, Sept. 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.A "hole" lot of fun for your mini-family members and folks of all ages Cost is $5 per person. Register online at http://www.beverlypubliclibrary.org/minigolf/.

Early registration is encouraged for both events - see more info on the library's online event page.

Ongoing

August Art

The August exhibit, which runs through Aug. 29, features Gyotaku (Japanese , from gyo fish + taku rubbing) prints by Beverly resident Peter Concannon. The artist is a launch operator at a local yacht club and a recreational lobsterman. He uses specimens he receives from yacht club members to create respectful portrayals of magnificent sea creatures. Concannon's work has won awards in regional juried shows, and has been featured in Artscope Magazine. The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular library hours, when library programs or community meetings are not in progress.

Monday Mornings Fall Series

The Monday Mornings Lecture Series' fall season begins Monday, Sept. 11. Programs run weekly from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. until mid-December (except on federal holidays and during the library's fall book sale). Light refreshments are available starting at 9 a.m. Programs are designed for senior adults, but all adults are welcome. The series is free; signup is not required. Keep a lookout for the fall schedule on the Monday Mornings web page, http://www.beverlypubliclibrary.org/monday-mornings/. For more information, contact flynn@noblenet.org.

Summer Sounds outdoor concert series:Enjoy Summer Sounds at the library each Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m. on the Winter Street Plaza (rain location will be in the Sohier Room). Summer Sounds, the library's free outdoor summer concert series featuring local musicians,is sponsored by the Friends of the Beverly Public Library. The series is free and open to all. Concerts will run throughAug. 23.Learn more on the library's website.

Childrens Room

These events are held in the main library. For more information, contact Kate Carpine, childrens librarian, at carpine@noblenet.org or visit beverlypubliclibrary.org/kids.

A Little Night Music and Rhyme: Thursdays at 6:30, through Aug. 31.Join the library for musical rhythmic fun. For families and kids under 5 (or so). Signup is not required.

Teen happenings

Teen events are open to all teens entering grades 6-12. Events are held in the Sohier Room unless otherwise noted. For more information, contact Allison Babin at 978-921-6062 or visit beverlypubliclibrary.org/teens.

Anime Club: Tuesday, Aug. 15 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Eat snacks and have fun with other fans. Note: this event is not eligible for prizes.

Adult Book Discussion Groups

New members always welcome; no sign up needed. Copies of monthly book selections are available at the circulation desk, or they may be available in alternate formats. Search the catalog at beverlypubliclibrary.org or contact our reference staff at 978-921-6062 or bev@noblenet.org to find book-discussion books. The library is handicapped accessible. For more information, visit beverlypubliclibrary.org/book-groups.

LGBTQ Book Discussion Group: 7 to 8:30 p.m. every third Monday of the month. During holidays, the group meets on the fourth Monday of the month.

The group will meet on Monday, Aug. 21, to discuss "The Angel of History" by Rabih Alameddine.

Evening Book Discussion Group: 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. every third Tuesday of the month.

the group will meet on Tuesday, Aug. 15, to discuss "The Adventures of Augie March" by Saul Bellow.

Farms Branch Discussion Group: 7 to 8:30 p.m. every third Thursday of the month.

The group will meet on Thursday, Aug. 17, to discuss "The Summer Before the War" by Helen Simonson.

Farms branch events

August Art: Painter & Photographer Exhibit

Watercolors by former concert artist Phyllis Kaplan, and travel photography (United States, the Middle East and South America) by Bruce White, will be on display in a collaborative show through Aug. 29. The exhibit and reception are free and open to all.

Upcoming programs:

Summer Concert with Dara: Thursday, Aug. 17 at 6:30 p.m. Lively music and movement for ages 18 months to 5 years.

"By the Seashore": Monday, Aug. 14, at 11 a.m. Registration is required. Kids, ages 3 1/2 to 5 years, will learn about critters that live along the shore through games, crafts and food.

Solar Scientists: Wednesday, Aug. 16. at 11 a.m. Registration is required. For ages 6 - 11. Get ready for the total solar eclipse with crafts and super solar activities.

Call the Farms branch at 978-921-6066 to inquire about other upcoming events or program details, including additional programs that require registration.

Read the original here:
Beverly Public Library news - Wicked Local Beverly

What is Self-Awareness?

Self-Awareness is the thinking skill that focuses on a childs ability to accurately judge their own performance and behavior and to respond appropriately to different social situations.

Self-Awareness helps an individual to tune into their feelings, as well as to the behaviors and feelings of others. For example, a child successfully uses self-awareness skills when they notice they are talking too loudly in a library where other children are trying to work, and then adjusts the volume or their voice to a more considerate level.

Video games allow kids to practice their Self-Awareness skills while in the midst of a fun and immersive gaming experience. Many games require that players think about their thinking in the game in order to overcome challenges, and multi-player games require interpersonal cooperation and understanding of ones teammates intentions.

Watch the video to learn more about how video games can help your child improve their Self-Awareness thinking skill.

Self-Awareness is vital both to a childs academic success as well as their social and emotional growth. This thinking skill facilitates a childs ability to accurately judge their own performance and behavior, as well as their ability to appropriately respond to different social situations.

These are some general strategies and ideas for helping kids to improve their Self-Awareness skills.

There is convincing research demonstrating how early training in thinking, executive, and learning skills improves long-term academic performance. The choice to teach thinking skills rather than academics to kindergarteners results in improved performance in mathematics and reading for middle school students and beyond. In other words, for children to grow up to become accomplished readers and mathematicians, more time should be spent teaching thinking skills to kindergarteners and first graders.

Self-awareness is an important skill in the capacity to assess ones academic performance. Carefully checking over ones work in math, taking the time to see that you have spelled words correctly while writing, and stepping back to make connections and inferences about what one has read are all important skills, particularly at higher levels of learning. Metacognition facilitates reflecting about what one has learned, and not simply memorizing a series of facts.

Playing video games, searching the Internet, trying out the newest app, or Facebooking a friend demands a variety of thinking skills. Proficiency with any of these digital tools requires the ability to apply skills such as Planning, Organization, Working Memory, or Self-Awareness. For children, the attraction of video games and technologies makes them an ideal teaching tool for practicing game-based skills and learning to apply them to school and daily activities.

Self-Awareness is a frequently applied thinking skill for video game players who are looking to improve their performance or simply share their game passions with other players. Players will often ask each other questions, explain their approaches to difficult parts of the game, and reflect on new ways they can use their digital technologies to help them in real-world activities.

The thinking skill of self-awareness is associated primarily with Dawson and Guares executive skill of metacognition. In the LearningWorks for Kids thinking-skills model, we have added the component of social thinking, which reflects an individuals capacity for understanding others feelings and motivations. This is consistent with newer theories of executive functioning, particularly those by Russell Barkley, in which the social component of executive skills is highly valued.

As an executive function, self-awareness refers to the capacity to understand the impact of ones behavior on others, as well as the capacity to connect and empathize with individuals in their environments. Self-awareness helps children to be reflective and think about their actions and behavior, as well as to step back and consider what others in their environment are experiencing. Self-awareness facilitates the capacity to learn from ones mistakes, accept criticism, and listen to and understand the feelings of others.

Assessing the executive function of self-awareness in children involves seeing how effectively they understand themselves and others. The Learning-Works for Kids Thinking Skills Assessment is based on the Executive Skills Questionnaire, which measures self-awareness primarily by childrens capacity to explain the rationale for their decision making, accurately assess their performance, and their capacity to take on other peoples perspectives.

Link:
What are Self-Awareness Skills? - LearningWorks for Kids

Through my research in emotional intelligence and brain function, Ive developed a model of the mind as a three-tiered building. The first tier is the foundation and where youll find the brain, the control center. The second tier contains the four realms of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skill.

And above that, at the top tier, are leadership competencies. These come from a methodology called Competency Modeling, one of the main developers of which was my mentor at Harvard, David McClelland. Following this model, we identify who will be best in a specific role by evaluating those who have excelled in that positionusing whatever metric appliesand then comparing them with people in the same role with mediocre success. This allows us to identify the competencies found in the stand-outs that you dont find in the average these are the leadership competencies were seeking. Then we hire people with those competencies.

In the decades since McClelland proposed this, it has become standard operating procedure for identifying leadership competencies in most world-class organizations. When I was conducting research for my book Working with Emotional Intelligence, I had access to about 200 competency models that companies use to identify star performers. These are all proprietary since they provide each organization with a competitive edge, but I was able to identify common themes. For example, emotional self-awareness is a leadership competency that shows up in model after model. These are the leaders attuned to their inner signals, recognizing how their feelings affect them and their job performance. They integrate their guiding values into their work. They can deduce the best course of action. They see the big picture and theyre genuine.

I had a discussion about this modeland particularly self-awarenesswith my colleague Daniel Siegel, whos a psychiatrist at UCLA and whose research informs much of my work in emotional intelligence. I asked what his research had to do with the parts of the brain that are self-aware. Ive paraphrased our conversation below.

Whats particularly exciting about this model is how it asks the question, How does emotional intelligence create a bridge between competence creation and the brain?

First off, people hear about the brain and they become glassy-eyed; they think its going to be too complicated. But I think there are some basic statements about the brain that can make us feel much more comfortable Remember that the brain is actually the social organ of the body. Everything that allows us to be social is mediated by certain circuits in the brain. Also, your experiencejust the subjective quality of being alivehas a lot to do with how you use your brain. Lets take self-awareness, as you mentioned. When someone is aware of how feelings affect his reasoning, thinking, and ways of interacting with other peoplehe has self-awareness. This is one component of emotional intelligence. And we know that there are circuits in the brain that allow you to be aware of your mental world that are distinct from the circuits that allow you to be aware of your physical world.

During medical school I knew certain professors who were aware of their internal experiences, and subsequently could also be aware of the experiences of their patients. So if someone was given a difficult diagnosis, they knew to stay with the patient and be attentive to their feelings. Other professors acted as if it was just a diagnosis. And it struck me then that some people could see their minds, and some people couldnt. I termed this ability mindsight.

So as I said, with self-awareness, we know there are certain circuits that map your mental life. These are very different from the brain circuits that map what you physically see, for example. Some people have cultivated these mindsight map-making areas beautifully and have great self-awareness, because its a learnable skill, and other people havent. Some mindsight may be innate, but studies also suggest that your experiences with your parents can generate the kind of reflective competencies upon which self-awareness depends.

Keep in mind that self-awareness isnt just navel-gazing. Its the presence of mind to actually be flexible in how you respond. It allows you to be centered, and know what your body is telling you.

The physiological state of your whole body can drastically affect how you respond in a given situation if you dont pay attention to it. (For example, a study in 2011 indicated that judges hand down stricter sentences when theyre hungry.)

This is also true when were threatened or challenged at work: The brain quickly judges people who are not like us in one certain way, and those like us in another way. If youre not aware of that as a leader of an organization, you may find yourself making all sorts of gut-based decisions that require more reflection.

Read my full conversation with Dr. Siegel in my new collection, The Executive Edge: An Insiders Guide to Outstanding Leadership. Or watch the interview in my video series, Leadership: A Master Class. Apply these concepts with Leadership: A Master Class Training Guide.

The L&D Primer

The Coaching Program

The C-Suite Toolkit

The Competency Builder

The EI Overview

Self-regulation: a star leaders secret weapon

How emotionally intelligent are you?

How leaders build trust

A relaxed mind is a productive mind

See the rest here:
Daniel Goleman: How Self-Awareness Impacts Your Work

Posted: Aug. 13, 2017 12:01 am

The retirement planning process has been described as a "40 (or more) year journey" from the start of someone's working life in their 20s through retirement in their 60s (or beyond).

However, it is actually much longer, if you consider how long someone can live during retirement. Unlike shorter-term financial planning goals like buying a car, a house, or saving for a child's education, retirement planning can literally take place for seven or eight decades from the start to the end of someone's adult life (e.g., 20s through 80s or 90s).

Workplace retirement planning programs often target a wide swath of worker demographics ranging from recent college graduates in their 20s to soon-to-retire employees in their 50s, 60s, and beyond.

Financial objectives for each group are different, however. The focus for young adults is saving early and often, preferably with automated retirement savings plan deposits.

Other key topics for young adults are repaying student loan debt and basic investing principles to make informed retirement plan investment decisions.

For older workers, the focus of financial education efforts tends to shift to retirement income catch-up strategies, the question of "Have I saved enough money?" the mechanics of applying for retirement income benefits (e.g., Social Security and/or a pension) and making withdrawals from tax-deferred savings plans to comply with IRS required minimum distribution (RMD) regulations and to avoid outliving one's assets.

Older late savers are also often seeking creative options to stretch their retirement savings throughout their lifetime.

Planning principles

Regardless of someone's stage in life and where they are on their retirement planning journey, five retirement planning principles are timeless and apply to everyone:

First, Get Started -- Set a goal and make a savings plan. Determine your retirement savings need with a Ballpark Estimate calculation (see below) and then develop an action plan to save the required amount.

Save Early and Often -- Set up automatic savings plans through an employer and/or investment company so that deposits are made regularly (e.g., 5 percent of income every payday), regardless of stock market conditions.

Invest Part of a Raise -- When you get a raise, bonus, freelance work pay, or other increase in income, invest half of it. If your employer offers "auto escalation," sign up so that raises take effect automatically.

Don't Delay Any Further -- It's never too late to start investing for retirement. If you haven't saved anything yet for retirement, the best day to get started is today. Any retirement savings is better than none.

Stay Educated About Retirement Planning -- Changes to Social Security rules and retirement savings plans are not unusual so it is important to stay up to date via financial publications, media, social media, etc.

Helpful websites

There are many available websites that can help people with personalized retirement planning calculations and other planning tasks related to retirement planning. Below are seven examples:

Ballpark Estimate (American Savings Education Council): http://www.choosetosave.org/ballpark/

Provides a rough estimate of the amount of money that someone needs to save for retirement.

Compound Interest Calculator: http://www.moneychimp.com/calculator/compound_interest_calculator.htm

Shows what an investment deposit will grow to at a specific interest rate over a specific number of years.

Life Expectancy Calculator: http://www.northwesternmutual.com/learning-center/the-longevity-game.aspx (The Longevity Game, Northwestern Mutual Insurance)

Provides an estimated life expectancy based on personal health and lifestyle factors.

My Retirement Paycheck (National Endowment for Financial Education): http://www.myretirementpaycheck.org/

Contains information about eight key retirement decisions organized by topic (e.g., housing).

Retirement Budget Worksheet (TIAA-CREF): https://www.tiaa.org/public/pdf/advice-planning/tools-calculators/A125820_budgeting_worksheet.pdf

The worksheet is a fillable PDF and can be completed using a computer or on a printed hard copy.

Retirement Readiness Rating (EBRI): https://www.ebri.org/pdf/surveys/rcs/2000/fact8-r3quiz.pdf

An online quiz that assesses a person's financial preparation for retirement.

Will You Have Enough to Retire? (CNN Money): http://money.cnn.com/calculator/retirement/retirement-need/

Provides a personalized calculation based upon personal data (e.g., retirement age and amount saved).

Barbara O'Neill, an Andover Township resident, is extension specialist in Financial Resource Management for Rutgers Cooperative Extension. She can be reached at 848-932-9126 or oneill@aesop.rutgers.edu. She also tweets daily financial education messages on Twitter at http://twitter.com/moneytalk1.

Read more here:
Planning for your retirement is a 40-year journey - New Jersey Herald

SEATTLE How beloved is Edgar Martinez in Seattle?

With his No. 11 flying high from the Space Needle and strewn throughout Safeco Field, Martinez walked from center field to a raucous applause, the current Mariners players standing and clapping in front of the dugout and chants of Edddd-gaaarrrr humming from the crowd.

To his right off I-5 was exit 164B, or E Martinez Dr. To his left was Edgars Cantina past left field, and behind him was an emblem waiting to be unveiled to signify his official jersey retirement alongside Ken Griffey Jr.s and Jackie Robinsons numbers.

All 18 years of Martinezs major league career was spent in this city. To Seattle, Martinez is just as if not more revered as Griffey. And to them, just as deserving of a place in Cooperstown.

For now, Martinezs No. 11 is officially immortalized unveiled Saturday past left-center field by his children, Alex, Jacqueline and Tessa on the same day fellow Puerto Rican Ivan Pudge Rodriguez had his jersey retired by the Texas Rangers.

Baseball, what a wonderful game, said Martinez, who is the namesake attached to MLBs top designated hitter award. Because in baseball, I met my wife, I have a wonderful family, I have all these awards, a street, number retired, I live in an area that is beautiful beautiful lakes, mountains and beautiful people.

I am blessed. When I think baseball has given me everything I have, it gives me more.

He accepted his place in Mariners history alongside many of his former teammates. There was Alvin Davis, Jamie Moyer, Dan Wilson, Jay Buhner and Ken Griffey Jr. sitting behind him. And Lou Piniella, Raul Ibanez, Randy Johnson, Mike Cameron, Harold Reynolds and Norm Charlton spoke in a video tribute.

So the Puerto Rico-born adopted Seattlite is a favorite. But he was also a heck of a baseball player.

Piniella said there wasnt a better right-handed hitter in baseball in the 90s.

And you couldnt pitch him inside.

Mike Piazza and Greg Maddux would know.

Before they were both enshrined into the Hall of Fame, Maddux was the National League starting pitcher and Piazza the catcher when Martinez came to bat in the bottom of the second inning. Piazza recalled Maddux attacking with a cutter, changeup, changeup.

And Im like, Im going to sneak one in on Edgar, Piazza said last year, sitting alongside Ken Griffey Jr. in Cooperstown a day after both received their Hall of Fame plaques.

Boom, home run. Greg is like, What did you call that for? And Im just like, Sorry, man.

Tim McCarver was the TV analyst for the game.

The purest hitter in this game from the left side Tony Gwynn. From the right side Edgar Martinez, McCarver said during the broadcast.

And of course, there was that one now-seminal inside pitch to Martinez that ended the 1995 American League Divisional Series against the New York Yankees the one that scored Joey Cora and Griffey and saved baseball in Seattle.

But that never would have happened had Martinez not mashed the ball one day earlier in a do-or-die Game 4, when he went 3 for 4 with a three-run home run and a grand slam, which broke a 6-6 tie in the eighth inning. His seven RBIs set an MLB single-game postseason record (now tied for the most with three others).

ESPN had ranked that as the 10th best postseason performance by an individual in MLB history. And it came after he won the American League batting, hitting .356 with a .479 on-base percentage. He hit .571 in the series against the Yankees.

Of players with at least six plate appearances against former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, no one had more success against the all-time MLB saves leader than Martinez, who hit .579 against him (11 for 19 with three doubles and two home runs).

The toughest and thank God he retired Edgar Martinez, Rivera once said about the toughest hitter hes faced and the seven-time All-Star.

How about Pedro Martinez?

The toughest guy I faced I think with all due respect to all the players in the league was Edgar Martinez, Pedro Martinez said. He had to make me throw at least 13 fastballs above 95 (each time we faced). I was hard-breathing after that. Edgar was a guy that had the ability to foul off pitches, and it pissed me off because I couldnt get the guy out.

And his former teammate, Hall of Famer Randy Johnson?

Edgar Martinez is, hands down, the best hitter that Ive ever seen, Johnson said. Im glad I didnt have to face him too much. Having seen him play from 89 to all the way when I left, I got to see him a lot against great pitchers. Like I said, hands down, he is the best pure hitter that I got to see on a nightly basis. And I hope that his time comes soon, that he gets a phone all stating that hes a Hall of Fame player, because he is.

Cal Ripken Jr. thought so, too. A year after Griffeys jersey was retired here and he entered the Hall even saying in his induction speech, Yes, (Martinez) belongs in the Hall Ripken narrated a video tribute just before Martinezs speech.

As Ripken neared the end of the video, he ended with this:

Eighteen years with one team, in one city Seattle. Edgar, your baseball journey is far from over. And well be there with you when that door opens as your name echoes throughout the Hall.

Here is the original post:
Edgar Martinez's jersey retirement renews call for Hall - The Spokesman-Review

When many people reach the age of 50 and have worked all their adult lives, they begin to think about that light at the end of the tunnel called retirement. And many of those individuals start to dream of retiring early.

A survey conducted in 2014 by the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, a financial services provider, found that 37 percent of Americans plan to retire before age 65.

When I turned 50, retirement was not in my immediate plans. I had worked almost 30 years in education to that point in my life, but only 20 years in a pension system. I figured I could weather any employment storm and wait until I was 65 which, at the time, was the age you could collect full Social Security benefits.

But other factors came into play which changed my mind about retirement. On my 52nd birthday my wife, Maria, gave me a gift certificate for massage therapy. One of the ladies she swam with in the mornings was a licensed massage therapist and sold her the certificate. Well, I put it aside and forgot about it. About a year later, I was cleaning my desk and discovered the certificate. It had recently expired. But I contacted the lady and she agreed to honor it. So I went to my first session. I was anxious at first as is the case of many who had not yet had the experience. But I came away feeling refreshed and started to think about that particular profession. It fit in with my lifestyle of being physically fit and would provide me with the opportunity to educate others, which is what I had been doing as a teacher and school administrator. So with Marias blessing, I located a school that offered the requirements for a license.

I attended the Onondaga School of Therapeutic Massage in September 2000 which was in Rochester. I attended nights and weekends (22 hours a week) for a year. Upon completion, I took the New York State Board Examination and passed it.

A year later, at age of 55, I convinced Maria it would be financially feasible for me to retire and begin to collect my pension while I established a full-time practice.

I became part of that TIAA statistic of early retirees.

When it comes to retirement, not everyone will have a choice in the matter. Job loss, health problems or family responsibilities can disrupt the best-laid retirement plans, forcing people out of the workforce sooner than expected. According to 2016 reports from the Social Security Administration, the average age at which people retire today is 63.

If youre lucky enough to have control over when you retire, its worth thinking through the pros and cons before you make any rash decisions. Even if you can afford to retire early, you might not want to.

Favoring early retirement

Here are some arguments in favor of retiring early.

It could be good for your health. A British study in 2002 of British citizens with high-level jobs saw an improvement in mental health, possibly because they were no longer subject to work-related stress.

nYoull enjoy more time for travel. The earlier you retire, the more years youll have before health issues begin to limit your mobility.

nIts an opportunity to start a new career like I did. If you dream of switching fields or starting your own business, sooner may be better than later. Youll be a more desirable job candidate to many employers the more years you have ahead of you. And if you want to be your own boss, youll have more time to get your business off the ground. A business you launch at age 60, for example, could easily keep you intellectually challenged.

Waiting to retire

Here are a few arguments against retiring early:

nIt could prove to be bad for your health. A 2008 analysis from the National Bureau of Economic Research reported that retirement leads to declines in mental health and mobility, and increases in other poor health outcomes, such as heart disease and stroke. While thats one argument for delaying retirement, those problems arent inevitable. The report also concluded that retirees who remained physically active and socially connected were less likely to suffer any ill effects.

nYour Social Security benefits will be smaller. You can calculate the difference by contacting the Social Security website. It has a calculator you can use. The sooner you start to take Social Security, the lower your benefits will be. If you were born in 1960 or later, for example, and you start taking benefits at age 62, the earliest age at which youre eligible, your monthly benefits will be 30 percent less than if you wait until age 67, which Social Security refers to as your full retirement age. For each year you postpone from age 67 to 70, youll receive an additional 8 percent in your monthly benefit. After age 70, theres no further bonus for delaying.

nYour retirement savings will have to last for more years. If you retire at age 62 and live to 90, your IRAs and other savings will have to cover you for 28 years. If you retire at 70 and live for the same length of time, however, your savings will only have to last for 20 years. Working longer also means youll have more years to contribute to a 401(k) or other retirement plan, and the money in your plan will have more time to compound.

nYoull need to find health insurance. Unless your ex-employer provides it, youll have to pay for health insurance on your own until youre eligible for Medicare at age 65.

Fortunately for me, I negotiated with my last place of employment. As part of my retirement, they agreed to cover 70 percent of my health care benefits including my family.

Making the call

If you dont want to retire early because you are afraid that youll regret the decision but also dont want to wait so long that you miss out on the pleasures of retirement, there are ways to have the best of both worlds.

For example: you could do some of the traveling youve been saving for your retirement years while youre still working. Or, you might be able to negotiate a reduced work schedule with your employer and enjoy the life of a retiree on your days off. This is referred to as phased retirement.

The bottom line is that deciding when to retire is a difficult and complex decision. It isnt just a question of money. Other factors to take into consideration are your health, family obligations and individual temperament. Perhaps most important is thinking about what you plan to do with your retirement years, however many of them lie ahead.

Lou Lombardo is a state licensed massage therapist, nationally certified and certified in orthopedic massage. For questions, comments or more information you can contact him at (585) 734-2200 or at lombardolm@aol.com.

The fork ratings are based primarily on food quality and preparation, with service and atmosphere factored into the final decision. Reviews are based on one unsolicited, unannounced visit to the restaurant.

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Healing Hands: Thinking of retirement? Consider these options - The Livingston County News

Time and again we hear people say that their biggest retirement fear is running out of money. Its an understandable concern. With increasing lifespans and higher health care costs, retirement is often longerand more expensivethan it used to be.

Planning ahead will go a long way in feeling more confident to take on a retirement that may last upwards of three decades. If youre thinking about retiring within the next few years, now is the time to get your financial ducks in a row. Here are our top tips to help ensure youre prepared.

Taking the time to think through the realities of your retirement lifestyle helps you align your values (whats most important to you) with your financial goals. If your ideal retirement consists of living in your current home, tending to your garden and volunteering at your local library, your financial needs will likely be very different from someone who seeks to spend their retirement visiting the worlds best 5-star resorts. Your financial plan should be constructed to reflect those differences in lifestyle.

We encourage you to scrutinize your employer benefits in the years leading up to retirement. Items to consider: Have you updated your 401(k) to include the Catch-up provision that allows workers 50+ to contribute an extra $6,000? Does your company offer special post-employment benefits (airline, retail discounts)? Are your employer-sponsored insurance policies portable? Are they worth the additional expense?

Over last 15 years, the S&P 500 returned 8.19 percent annually. If you invested $100,000 and earned that 8.19 percent, youd have over $325,000. The average equity investor over the same period only earned 4.67 percent, giving them $198,000 if they invested the same $100,000. Why are they underperforming? There are a number of excuses, such as loss aversion, denial and falling under the spell of media influence. We believe the best way to avoid behavioral mistakes is to offload investment management to an objective and professional third party like a financial adviser.

To avoid running out of money, its important to not only reach a savings goal, but also chart out what your spending may look like. This is where the value of a financial adviser with expertise in retirement income planning comes in. Based on your family history, health, savings, and other factors, we can help determine an appropriate time horizon and average withdrawal rate for you and we can suggest small changes that may extend your savings.

One of the surest ways to keep more of your hard-earned money is to employ tax planning. If your savings and investments arent divided into taxable, tax-deferred and tax-free categories, you probably arent minimizing your tax burden which means you could end up paying more in taxes than you really need to. Enlisting the expertise of a tax planner could help make the most of your money.

Youve worked hard for your retirement; you deserve to enjoy it. Following these five points will not only help you seek a more comfortable retirement, itll also help assuage any concerns you have about a lack of preparedness.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indexes are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.

Bruce Helmer and Peg Webb are financial advisers at Wealth Enhancement Group and co-hosts of Your Money on News Radio 830 WCCO on Sunday mornings. Email Bruce and Peg at yourmoney@wealthenhancement.com. Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, a registered investment advisor. Wealth Enhancement Group and Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services are separate entities from LPL Financial.

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Your Money: Your easy 5-point retirement checklist - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

We hear a lot about the importance of saving for retirement, and this applies whether you're a salaried employee or the owner of a small mom-and-pop store that's been in your family for years. Yet a surprising number of small-business owners aren't preparing adequately for the future. According to Manta, one-third of small-business owners don't have a retirement savings plan in place.

If you own a small business, it's critical that you establish some sort of long-term plan, whether on your own, or with the help of a trusted financial advisor. Here are a few ways to get started.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

Though it's not always easy to predict how much you'll wind up spending in retirement, the sooner you get a sense of how much income you'll need to stay afloat, the more accurate a goal you'll have to work toward. Since you're self-employed, your business might be offsetting some of your existing living costs. For example, you might currently be leasing your personal car for your business, or taking a home-office deduction if you conduct business out of the house. But these benefits won't be available once you're no longer generating an income, so keep them in mind as you attempt to map out your future budget.

Small business owners have several options when it comes to saving for retirement -- options that salaried workers don't have access to. The first one you might consider is the solo 401(k), which works just like a regular 401(k), only with one added benefit -- the ability to contribute up to 25% of your business earnings for a total annual limit of $54,000 if you're under 50, or $60,000 if you're 50 or older. Like a regular 401(k), solo 401(k) contributions are tax-deductible unless you opt for a Roth account, in which case you'll pay taxes now, but enjoy tax-free withdrawals in retirement.

Then there's the SIMPLE IRA, which, if you're self-employed, allows you to contribute up to $12,500 per year if you're under 50, or $15,500 per year if you're 50 or older. Furthermore, with a SIMPLE IRA, employers must make contributions on behalf of participating workers, either by matching employee contributions up to a maximum of 3% of salary, or contributing 2% of employees' salaries up to a maximum of $5,400. If you don't have many (or any) employees, a SIMPLE IRA could be an effective means of saving for retirement, but if you have a large number of people who work for you, it could get expensive.

Finally, there's the SEP IRA, which, if you're self-employed, lets you contribute up to 25% of your net business income per year, up to a maximum of $54,000. The one drawback to the SEP is that, as a small business owner, you're required to contribute the same amount to your employees' accounts as you do to your own. But if you don't have any employees and want to save in an IRA, you'll get more flexibility with a SEP than you will with a SIMPLE.

Once you figure out where you're going to put your money, your next move is to work on increasing your savings rate to give your nest egg a decent amount of time to grow. Even if you start out with relatively small contributions, by steadily increasing the amount you put into your savings plan, you'll have a good chance to make up for lost time -- especially if you're eventually able to max out a plan with a generous limit to begin with, like a Solo 401(k), or a SEP IRA.

Of course, the challenge many small-business owners face in saving for retirement is that they prefer to reinvest their earnings in their companies rather than set that money aside for the future -- so you'll need to work on striking a balance. That might involve pumping more cash into your business during its early years to build it up, and then boosting your retirement savings rate once your company is well established. Or it might mean taking advantage of years with better profits and socking away the difference for the future.

If you're a small business owner, it's critical to take retirement planning into your own hands. The sooner you begin focusing on the future, the better equipped you'll be to make smart decisions for yourself and your business in the present.

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2. Find the right retirement savings plan - Motley Fool

If you hope to build a seven-figure retirement nest egg starting from scratch in your mid-40s, you've got some heavy-duty saving ahead of you. Is it possible? Sure, theoretically. As a practical matter, though, I'd have to say that for many, if not most people in your situation, it's a long shot.

Fortunately, there's a better way for people who are getting a late start to go about preparing for retirement than shooting for a big round, but essentially arbitrary, number. I'll get to that in a minute.

But since you asked, let's first look at what you would have to do to accumulate a million bucks by the time you hit retirement.

Related: 4 questions to ask before you retire

For the purposes of this exercise, I'm going to assume you're 45, have nothing saved and would like to retire at 67, the age at which anyone born in 1960 or later becomes eligible for full Social Security benefits. That gives you 22 years to build your nest egg. If you start immediately, you would need to save about $1,875 a month to have $1 million at retirement, assuming a 6% annual return.

I think by most people's standards, $1,875 a month, or $22,500 a year, is a prodigious amount to devote to savings. If you earn $50,000 a year, you're talking about setting aside 45% of salary. Even if you pull down $100,000 a year, that's still 22.5% of earnings, well above what most people manage to save.

You can lower that monthly savings nut a bit by extending your time in the workforce. (You can also lower it by shooting for a higher rate of return, but I don't think that would be realistic or prudent.)

For example, if you're able to work to age 70 -- hardly a given, as many people find themselves forced to retire earlier than they'd planned) -- that gives you three more years to save, lowering the amount you'd have to put away each month by $400 to about $1,475, or $17,700 a year. That may be a bit more manageable, but I think most people would still find $1,475 a month a tough target to meet. Indeed, for many people it's beyond their reach.

Which brings me to that better way of preparing for retirement that I mentioned earlier. Rather than picking a number that looms large in the popular imagination and then seeing if you can save enough to hit it, you're better off doing a more comprehensive and nuanced analysis that will help you determine how much you ought to be saving for a secure retirement -- and then allow you to track your progress toward that goal.

One way to do that is to go to a good retirement income calculator, which can give you an estimate of how much of your pre-retirement income you'll need to replace to maintain something close to your standard of living once you've retired (70% to 80% is a decent estimate for starters; you can always refine that figure as you get closer to retirement). The calculator will automatically estimate the amount you'll receive from Social Security, or you can get a more customized estimate based on your work history and projected earnings by going to Social Security's Retirement Estimator.

Next, enter the percentage of salary that you think you'll be able to devote to savings each year. Don't go too easy on yourself. Remember, you've got some catching up to do. So at the very least, you'll want to try to save 15%, and 20% or more would be even better.

Whatever figure you start with, you can always build to a higher percentage by increasing your savings rate by a percentage or so each year. To the extent you can do your saving through a workplace plan like a 401(k), so much the better, as your employer may also help your effort by kicking in some matching funds. But one way or another you need to get in the habit of saving on a regular basis.

Once you've entered all this info, the calculator will use computerized Monte Carlo simulations to estimate your chances of being able to retire at the age you wish with the income you'll need. Ideally, you'd like your chances to be roughly 80% or higher.

But for someone getting a late start, they'll likely be lower, often much lower. Whatever the initial assessment, don't get discouraged. If you're diligent about saving, your retirement prospects should improve.

Related: I'm 60 with little saved -- what do I need to do to retire?

Going through this exercise won't guarantee success. But at least you'll have a plan based on your actual circumstances, not an arbitrary number. What's more, by going through this process every year or so, you'll be able to track your progress and, if you're not making enough headway, see how various adjustments -- saving more, postponing retirement a few years, spending a bit less after you retire -- may be able to boost your chances of achieving a secure retirement.

If it turns out that, despite your best efforts, you still fall short of accumulating a large-enough nest egg, there are some moves you can consider after you retire that may be able to improve your post-career life, including working part-time, downsizing, taking out a reverse mortgage or squeezing more out of your savings by relocating to an area with lower living costs.

I'm not saying this will be easy. Far from it. If you haven't been saving on a regular basis, that means your lifestyle is based on spending 100% of what you earn (aside from taxes). So shifting from saving little or nothing up to this point in your life to saving anything, let alone a sizable percentage of your salary, means you'll likely have to make some radical adjustments to the way you live.

But by setting up a plan that reflects your circumstances, monitoring your progress, investing sensibly and fine tuning when necessary will certainly give you a better shot at achieving a secure retirement than aiming at a big round number plucked from thin air.

CNNMoney (New York) First published August 9, 2017: 10:28 AM ET

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How do I retire with $1 million? - Aug. 9, 2017 - CNN Money - CNNMoney