Sharon, an active volunteer at Iona for several years, had heard about Iona’s Take Charge/Age Well Academy before, but she had never even considered enrolling in a class until Iona’s Director of Community Engagement, Lylie Fisher, encouraged her to do so.
When she signed up for Take Charge of Your Aging 101 course series, Sharon figured that she’d take the opportunity to explore the structure of the academy firsthand and maybe gather a bit of information for her future.
“I thought I was familiar with aspects of aging,” she says, but after the course, her eyes were opened to all the planning involved in retirement. “You’re never too young to do the Academy,” she continues, encouraging younger Baby Boomers who, like her, are still several years away from retirement, to consider enrolling in the class.
While some aspects of the class, such as the sessions on financial management and estate planning, were useful for planning her future, others were incredibly helpful for Sharon’s day-to-day life today. In particular, she was struck by a lecture that discussed social planning and deciding how to spend your time.
She eagerly showed me a decision-making tool from the class, which she can use to map out various activities she likes to do. The tool makes her consider the amount of energy it takes to do a given activity, in addition to whether she prefers to do it alone or with friends, or if she can use it as a way to meet new people.
Musing on the importance of such planning and self-reflection, she notes that “those decisions about spending time on your own versus with people…are more complex and personal, and I think helping people understand those social needs is…important for all of us, at every stage, to be aware of.”
Exploring such fundamental questions was especially rewarding in a group setting, says Sharon. “Sharing our experiences with the group members was really wonderful,” she reflects, “it was really nice having that connection.”
The group setting made her next steps towards retirement planning seem more achievable, too. “I feel confident and empowered about the next steps, in particular the financial planning and the estate planning…I just don’t feel as intimidated by them as I did before,” she says, noting that instead “I feel energized and empowered.”
When asked what she’d say to others considering taking the class in the future, she simply states: “I would say do it. I would say just do it.”
Written by Sarah Eltinge, Brown University, Community Engagement Intern
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Questions to Readers:
What steps are you taking or have you taken to prepare for your retirement?
What has been most helpful to you?
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