Well this week’s speaker certainly gave us all food for thought. This wasn’t just “life after farming” it was about” life after anything.” Retirement, the aging process, choices to be made in the 6th and 7th age.
Don introduced Rhodes Donald, originally from the Wairarapa, who has a keen interest in life in the latter years as his Father, MP, passed away recently at the age of 101!!! Don admitted to getting his weekly dose of Rural education from the iconic Country Calendar and the club were pleasantly surprised at the number of members with rural connections.
Rhodes currently works for Polson & Higgs Wealth Management, a sister company to the Accounting Firm. While money management has been the basis of a 29 year career, lately his interest has been the people, their choices and their concerns around retirement. From an interest to information gathering, listening to stories and utilising his own knowledge and experience, Rhodes has written a book called “Life after Farming.” The top four concerns:
Good Health
Family Relationships
Being Useful
Money
Change gets harder as you get older. Where are you going to live? How will you fit in to your new community? The aging process will happen - learning to adapt to and live with the physical changes is not easy at any age but harder at 74. Maintaining fitness and a balanced nutrition. Being aware of your mental health in a new environment with a different routine and limited language around expressing yourself. Retirement doesn’t mean not working, look elsewhere to utilise your skills, embark on a new career, new interests.
Advice from Rhodes to the younger generation “don’t leave it too late”
Retirement Phases
Fantasy Stress Disenchantment
Excitement Honeymoon Reorientation
Retirement Routine Contentment
Rhodes has a blog where he will write articles on lifestyle, money, farming called ‘News You Can Use’ with a promise to inform, discuss and entertain. Just requires you to subscribe via email. A great question from the floor around the growing trend of daughters involvement in succession planning.
Hilary thanked Rhodes for sharing his wisdom as a result of his research and the emphasis of the personal rather than financial. The acknowledgement of the importance of mental health and the aging process and she wholeheartedly agreed with his top advice..."Don't leave it too late".
TREE PLANTING: SATURDAY, 1 SEPTEMBER 10 AM
