TOPSHOT – An elderly couple dances at the cultural tourism center El Ateneo de Nicaragua in Managua on June 18, 2023. Founded in 1996, El Ateneo Club is a favorite place for people, mostly retirees, to gather on weekends and dance to the rhythm of old-time music. (Photo by STRINGER / AFP) (Photo by STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)
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One of the keys to positive aging in post-retirement life is staying relevant and engaged. When we were working for organizations, professional development was an expectation. If we had technology issues, there was usually and IT department. Since I left my tenured college position and started my consulting practice, I have learned to be my own technology person. My adult sons find that to be rather humorous.
Joseph Coughlin, in a recent Forbes.com article, outlines why education is a lifelong investment. Technology continues to evolve. Artificial intelligence is disrupting businesses and life as we know it. Knowledge is accelerating. As a result, industries are disappearing, and new ones are appearing.
According to Coughlin, there is a new financial reality: education is now a recurring and necessary investment of modern life. Because of longevity, we may spend two or three decades in post-career life. Some people may start encore careers or become entrepreneurs. But there are numerous options emerging to help us continue to learn and to grow.
Chip Conley, founder of the Modern Elder Academy, uses the term long-life learning as opposed to lifelong learning. Where lifelong learning is often about certificates, adult education, and classes, “long-life learning is about shifting one’s mindset about aging so that you can live a life as deep as it is long.” It is about understanding our interior selves in ways to help us find meaning and purpose at every age.
Some Ideas For Where To Start
In addition to the Modern Elder Academy, here are five great options for growing in self-awareness, creativity, and wisdom.
- Omega Institute of Holistic Studies. Since 1977, Omega has been inspiring people to live with purpose, passion, and connection through a variety of workshops. I had attended a workshop with Pema Chodran and was mesmerized by the entire experience which I describe in my book “Leading with Wisdom: Sage Advice from 100 Experts.”
- Esalen. The mission is “to facilitate the expansion of human potential and create new personal and cultural forms through experience, education, and research, fostering growth of mind, heart, body, and spirit in an integrated way.” For over 60 years, Esalen has been helping people grow whole, not old.
- CoGenerate. Started by Marc Freeman as Encore, the focus now is on “bridging generational divides to co-create the future.” Their programs help generations learn together to address the challenges in workplaces, in families, in communities.
- The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. This institute has more than 120 university partners and often referred to as OLLI. It serves 135,000 members annually in courses from history to environmental science. Having taught a few courses in OLLI, alums enjoy the opportunity to come back to campus to learn again.
- Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat. This is a four-day annual retreat that I attended last year for the first time, and I will return. I call it an adult summer camp focused on creativity. And creativity and curiosity are essential elements for positive aging.
School Never Ends (And That’s A Good Thing!)
The options for which we can continue to learn, and grow are exploding—especially with online learning including YouTube. Depending on your specific interests, you can attend yoga retreats, take art classes, enroll in writing courses, learn a new language or skill, participate in photography adventures, and more.
My husband and I have been taking ballroom dance lessons for decades. Friends often say, “You must be really good dancers.” To which I reply, “If we were really good, we would not still be taking lessons!” But it is a good way to be together, learn something new, and simultaneously challenge your mind and coordination.
- What do you want to learn?
- What will you regret not learning or doing five years from now?
- Where do you want to go and explore?
- What did you used to enjoy and now you have the time to do it again?
What is important is to realize the school never ends. Even to be able to relate to your adult children and grandchildren, it is critical to stay current and relevant. Coughlin concludes, “Back-to-school isn’t just for kids; it’s a lifelong pursuit to remain competent, competitive, and connected … In today’s longevity economy, school isn’t just back in session. It’s permanent. Your next graduation may be the most important one yet.”
