Testing the Water -getting set for your protirement: a fresh approach to retirement. A practical guide.

This practical guide may be helpful to you if:

You are planning to retire and want to get ready

­          - You are looking forward to retirement and are wanting to prepare yourself

­          - You have some questions about retirement that you want to answer

­          - You have mixed feelings about retirement that you want to resolve

You have begun retirement, and want to make changes

­          - You are having second thoughts about being retired

­         -  You feel like doing a personal MOT to get you back on track with your retirement

­          - You are thinking about going back into employment

You are an HR professional and want to support your employees in their transition to retirement

­          - The practical guide is based on research – it answers the popular questions retirees have

­          - There is expert advice, activities, case studies and useful references

­          - Top tips are throughout each chapter and in the next steps

About the author

Cathy Brown is a business psychologist and consultant. She runs Evolve Consulting Services Limited, which supports individuals, teams and businesses towards achieving their plans and goals.

She works as a life coach and career counsellor with individuals and teams. She is also a guest lecturer at Nottingham University Business School.

Cathy Brown

MSc, MBA

www.evolve.eu.com

Recommendations

“Cathy Brown draws on a wealth of resources to create a really comprehensive guide to planning the next chapter of your life – and demonstrates that approached with careful planning, retirement can be extremely fulfilling and enjoyable.  The guide is positive, motivating and realistic; the powerful case studies alone illustrate the breadth of opportunity available, and how it is possible to combine leisure, social and work activities to create a life that we love.”

Katharine Edwards, Manager, BBC, Careerlink Plus

“An essential guide that clearly demonstrates how planning for such a significant event can be truly life enhancing. It gives practical advice and draws on real life experiences to illustrate how to make a smooth transition to retirement and ensure this is a fulfilling and happy period in your life.”

Gill Howe, Senior Business Partner, John Lewis

“Cathy’s guide is a comfortable balance of both thought-provoking and practical. Whether you’re undecided as to which direction to take in your life in next or you think you’ve got all the angles covered, give yourself time to read this. There’s something in these pages that will strike a chord with each of us.”

Hannah Thomson, HR Director, Avis Rent A Car

“This is a comprehensive easy-to-read guide that is full of insights and practical tips. It is a welcome addition to the literature available to those planning or entering their retirement. Everyone who reads the guide will find that they are taken on a delightful journey; and when they have completed it they will be amazed at their increased understanding of all the issues surrounding the transition into retirement.”

Stuart Royston, Chief Executive, Life Academy

“Cathy Brown has again hit the target with this essential guide to retirement.

It can be the most rewarding and liberating time of life, but equally it can produce negative feelings as people pass from ending an important chapter of their life to new beginnings.

Cathy’s practical support guide provides an excellent map for this journey and is invaluable for the retiree and their family.”

Roger Bicknell, Management Consultant, Career Management Consultancy

“What I like about this book is the way it recognizes the range of issues people face upon their retirement. Those issues can be both practical and emotional and they come together to potentially create a complex barrier to a fulfilled period of retirement. This guide is based upon the principle that everyone’s journey will be different and tools provided enable each individual to understand the challenges they are facing and the way they might be overcome.”

Martin Rayson, HR Director, Boston Borough Council

“I think it is a great reference work as well as a practical guide in how to prepare for retirement and get the most out of it. I think it will be of interest to people contemplating retirement as well as those who have already retired and who may wish to reflect on what to do next.

In addition, I think it should be of great interest to Heads of HR in a wide range of organizations, and in my view be the basis of preparatory sessions and planning courses for staff about to retire as well as recommended reading for such staff.

I think most people are underprepared for retirement, this book should help to address this.”

Jan Didrichsen, Interim Chief Executive, Hull City Council and Lincolnshire County Council

“Retiring is the start of a whole new phase in people’s lives and this really practical guide helps you think about all the different options to you to enable you to really make the most of your time ahead. A very easy read that will I am sure open up new possibilities for everyone contemplating retirement.”

Nicky Hill, Director of Leadership and Organisational Development, Boots