Purposeful Retirement: How to Bring Happiness and Meaning to Your Retirement

by Hyrum W. Smith, Stephen M.R. Covey (Foreword)

“This book is packed with wise advice for anyone staring down the barrel of retirement.” ─ Marshall Goldsmith , business educator and New York Times bestselling author.
#1 Best Seller in Aging and Volunteer Work
Welcome to your new life of retirement and good living. Welcome to a purposeful retirement.
Perfect retirement gift.  Are you getting ready to simplify life and move from the world of work to a life of retirement and good living─to enter a happy retirement?  Purposeful Retirement  is the gift for that special retiree.
Hyrum W. Smith, the author of  Purposeful Retirement , is an award-winning author, distinguished speaker, and successful businessman.  He is one of the original creators of the popular Franklin Day Planner, the former Chairman and CEO of Franklin Covey Co., and the recognized “Father of Time Management”. For four decades Hyrum empowered people to effectively govern their personal and professional lives. In  Purposeful Retirement , Hyrum combines wit and enthusiasm with compelling principles that inspire lasting personal change. He encourages you to discover your true passion and try new possibilities. Learn how you can move from your world of work, simplify life, and enter what can be the most satisfying phase of your life─a new world of purposeful retirement.
Aging well and a happy retirement.  You have had a successful career by almost all measures and now you are concerned about aging well and looking toward a happy retirement. You are definitely not a couch potato.
If you are a fan of  How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free , you'll love  Purposeful Retirement .

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Audiobook, Personal Development

200 pages, Paperback

Published January 15, 2019

About the author

Hyrum W. Smith is a distinguished author, speaker, and businessman. Hyrum was one of the original creators of the popular Franklin Day Planner. In 1983 he co-founded the Franklin Quest Company to produce the planner and train individuals and organizations in the time management principles on which the planner was based. In 1997 it became the Franklin Covey Company. Hyrum stepped down as Chairman & CEO in 1999. He continued as Vice-Chairman of the Board until 2004.

For four decades, he has been empowering people to effectively govern their personal and professional lives. Hyrum’s books and presentations have been acclaimed by American and international audiences. He combines wit and enthusiasm with a gift for communicating compelling principles that incite lasting personal change.

Hyrum is the author of several nationally-acclaimed books, including The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management, What Matters Most, The Modern Gladiator, You Are What You Believe and he co-authored Excellence Through Time Management.

Hyrum grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, and then spent two years in London, England. He returned from London and was drafted into the army.

He was married in 1966 to Gail Cooper while on leave. They have six children (five living) and 24 grandchildren (22 living).

After graduating Honor Graduate from Officers Candidate School, he commanded a Pershing Missile unit in Germany. Hyrum graduated from Brigham Young University in 1971 in Business Management.

Hyrum has received numerous honors and community service awards, including the following:

• International Entrepreneur of the Year by Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management in 1993
• Three honorary doctorate degrees
• SRI Gallup Hall of Fame and Man of the Year Award in 1992
• Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America
• Inducted into the Utah Business Hall of Fame

Hyrum enjoys golfing, shooting pistols and rifles, listening to classical music, horse riding and spending time with his family at his ranch in southern Utah.

He has recently founded a new business called 3 Gaps

His new book, "The Three Gaps: Are You Making A Difference?", will be released January 11, 2016.

Reviews

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm getting very close to retirement and I’ve been thinking a lot about what’s next. I’m looking forward to identifying and pursuing something different ... something or things to keep me active & challenged after I’m done with the increasingly high stressed environment I’ve worked in over the years. My career has been a series of ups & downs and like most, I am both looking forward to, and anxious about, what life will be like once retired. To be honest, I do not really want to “retire.” I just want to do something different. Something I want to do. Something I can be passionate about. The question has been, and is, what does that look like? That is what prompted me to read this book. It was what I expected, however a little "lite" from a content standpoint. This relatively simple book posed plenty of ideas and questions that should help me in determining what my retired life will look like. Now the hard work of going back, thinking, identifying, defining & implementing this next act begins.

[Stephanie Eriksson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It worked for me

I’m in my first month of retirement and felt I needed some help in getting this phase of my life going in the right direction. I’ve always been a planner and a doer so this book was just the inspiration I was looking for.

It’s an easy read with short chapters and thought provoking questions at the end of each. I recommend you take the time to think through these and see what your answers are.

There was actually nothing new here that I haven’t thought of before but it put some structure around my thoughts.

This book was great for me and I would love to have some of my retired friends read it but I’m afraid most of them who would benefit from it are also those who would find fault in the very thought of a self help book.

[Ben Watt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm now ready to retire. Good book if you know someone who is lost or scared to move on and try something new.

[Colm Maloney · Rating 1 out of 5]

So basic
Of little use to anyone who has put more than a few minutes thought into their retirement

Waste of time

[H. Givens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable audiobook that mostly contains common-sense time-management and personal fulfillment advice, tailored to retirees. The main message is that you shouldn't just sit on the couch and be retired, your retirement is an opportunity to do what you want and be who you want, which is great.

That said, I'm 27, and this book wasn't really for me. My concern isn't whether or not I'm still valuable after I've retired, it's whether or not I'll be able to afford to retire, and whether or not I'll be able to support the family members who won't have any income when they can't work anymore. It's about how to get medical care, and how to afford help for myself when I'm not going to have kids to help me -- and on that subject, even if I was getting close to retirement age, I'm not going to have kids, and I imagine all the advice about spending time with your grandkids would be grating at best for those who are childfree, hurtful at worst to those who wanted a big family and grandkids but couldn't have them or don't have access to them, and generally unhelpful in either case. I also questioned some of the statistics and studies that he gave -- might people who retire early die early, not because they retired and did nothing, but because they retired early due to ill health? And so forth.

But again, this is mostly a pep-talk book, and would be very good for someone in the actual target audience. And in fairness, I checked this out from the library mostly based on the title, hoping it would be about how to purposefully plan your retirement from an early age, so it's not the book's fault that it wasn't about that.

[Fetcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the premise, execution was not always there

Started out strong, providing advice like.
- Don’t retire from something, retire to something.
- provide service find a cause f that you are passionate about and go to work
- travel and leisure are fun for about a year, then you will want to do something besides serve yourself

Then the book turned into a mush of not so funny stories and anecdotes.

I get the audience is retired people, but the narration style of the audio book seems like it was recorded in 1955. I was not a fan.

[Tara Bush · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a lot of new ideas here... cute little stories to keep you entertained and make the book longer, but the author mostly repeats the need to put a plan in place before you retire, whether it's spending time with family, volunteering, learning new things or pursuing activities that you enjoy. If you don't plan you'll waste away your days, feel unfullfilled and die early!

[Constant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Purposeful Retirement

The author founded Franklin Quest in 1983 and merged his company with Stephen R. Covey's Leadership Center to form Franklin Covey.

Stop being busy. Start being productive. When you feel productive, you feel great at the end of the day. If you spent your entire day centered around busy work, you were not productive and you will feel it. You spent the day without direction and without clear goals. You don’t feel good about what you did that day.

Daily planning gives you a shield against being lost in busyness. It takes you out of the busy world and into the productive world.

The older some people get, the more obsessed they become with the idea of being remembered. So let me take some of the stress off you and share the simple truth with you: the people who really matter to you will never forget you. Period. Your close friends, your family and the people you love – all of these people will never forget you.

Mental exercise of crossing an I-beam across the Grand Canyon. You would only do this for family and potentially good health and an extremely short list of other “governing values.” Not surprisingly, the older Smith gets, the shorter this list becomes.

Work to develop new talents or revive old ones.

Being happy and finding joy is simple but it’s not easy.

I have always defined success like this: a successful person is willing to do the things that unsuccessful people are not willing to do (p190).

** Otto von Bismarck
In 1881, the Chancellor of Prussia proposed that everyone over the age of 70 should receive government assistance. It took eight years to be passed into law. At the time, life expectancy was 40 years for males (although von Bismarck was 66 himself at the time he first introduced the idea) and 56 for females. I heard on a separate podcast that this proposal was to induce retirement so that the younger generation could find jobs.

** Types of Stress
Cool stress or “eustress” can help us function better and will help us respond in a positive manner. It’s the type of stress we feel when we are excited and happy.
Then there’s hot stress, referred to as “distress.“ Hot stress is damaging. Your heart beats faster, which sends blood into your arteries. You have more blood being pushed to the body at a faster rate. But unfortunately, your body else reacts to hot stress by contracting your blood vessels more and more blood is trying to course through a smaller and smaller hole. Your heart works overtime. Your entire cardiovascular system becomes worn down.

** Belief Windows (p36)
Akin to the stories we tell ourselves or soundtracks (Acuff)
Challenging ones in retirement include:
Unemployed people are lazy
Personal value only comes through hard work
If I am busy, I am important
Important people have important titles

** Time Management
Time management is about making choices.
When someone says, “I’m sorry, I do not have time for…” that is not true. They’re actually saying that they value something more. We are all making a choice and choosing the sequence of events in my day.
The minute you start thinking you are too old to make a difference in the world, you’ll die. The minute you stop making a difference, there is no reason to live, there is only time to die (p70).

** Make a Difference
Plan to do what you love. When we act out of love, miracles happen.
We have too many commentators and not enough doers. Many retirees are fond of talking and reveling in the past about what they did. Don’t be stuck in the past. Your stories are interesting, but they do not add value like getting to work and helping. I see retired people who have accomplished great things in their life. They have been good – they have been lucky – and they have great experience. But then they rest on their laurels and think they can just sit back and give advice. They have forgotten that they can add value beyond just talking.

** Retiring Together
“Gray divorce” is the name given to the phenomenon of a high divorce rate after retirement.
It’s a new beginning. Talk with one another and find a new routine that works for both of you. But as you adjust, remembered to have expectations for yourself, but not expectations for your partner. It is no longer your job to establish expectations for someone else (p122).

** Interesting Facts
Bram Stoker didn’t write Dracula until he was 50.
Laura Ingalls Wilder was in her mid-60’s when she finally published the first of her Little House on the Prairie books.
Over 13 million seniors in the United States were obese in 2015 (p156).

** Books
Josiah Becker wrote The More of Less and talked about the happiness of downsizing.

** Quotes
“Then do not quit playing because they grow old, they grow old because they quit playing.” (Oliver Wendell Holmes)
“ Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” (Mark Twain)
“If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.“ (Chinese Proverb)
“My wife told me that the problem with retired husbands is that you get twice as much husband but only half as much money. She has a very valid point.” (Bob Ulin)

[Ben Shore · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Maybe it wasn't the best idea for a young adult to read a book about retirement...but hey trying to expand my horizons here.

This book is well written, with a lot of helpful knowledge that could definitely benefit someone nearing retirement. I could see my father reading it. But it would need to be someone who hasn't been exposed to these kinds of ideas before. I feel as though many of the issues facing the past generation are talked about here in a way that makes me say "well, yeah". Don't put all your identity in work, have other things in your life such as volunteering and social gatherings that give you joy, keep moving and active. The anecdotes here are amusing, but don't provide much beyond some basic ideas and questions that will guide you to a deeper understanding of what a purposeful retirement looks like. I personally could have done with a bit more financial advice to make this more well rounded.

I feel like this book could be boiled down to an engaging blog post or two and I would have gotten the same impact. The way it is, I'm not sure I'll remember too much of what was presented in the next few weeks (and certainly won't when I'm retired). Perhaps I'll read when I'm older.

[David Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not there yet -- but I am getting ready to make the plunge and change things up in my life (a lot) with retirement. This book came recommended to me through the folks associated with the Utah State Retirement System (https://www.urs.org/).
Hyrum Smith mixes jokes, insightful anecdotes, simple (not pushy) advice into an easy to read book on building a "Purposeful Retirement." I might retire from a job, but I need to remember to never retire from making a contribution (to myself, family, others around me, and the community as a whole).
I've put a lot of sticky notes scattered throughout the book to remind me of things that felt important and to ponder upon as "retirement" gets closer for me. Life is for the living -- and I plan to live it to the fullest!
As the back cover states, "The rest of your life can be the best of your life." This book helps you understand that just a little bit more as you read it. So, try it-- you'll like it!

[Jay French · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audiobook was quite enjoyable. The author was one of the creators of the Franklin Day Planner, and you can tell he is experienced at teaching his system to large audiences – he has a way to tell anecdotes that seems well practiced. His stories are often personal, and they feel different than others, unique. And the sense of humor is not the antiseptic, safe-from-innuendo stuff that you almost always read in these kinds of books. This felt more like your uncle telling you what he’s learned in his retirement. And what made this even more interesting? The narrator reminded me of the pompous baritone of Ted Baxter, from Mary Tyler Moore. The personality in the writing was a great match for this. Very appropriate!

The advice tended to the get-off-your-ass variety. Wholly appropriate. Some help in finding purpose.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short book on the non financial aspects of retirement, most of which I’d read or heard before. Have end of life plans, have plans for what you will do with your days, how to adapt to both spouses being home, I am divorced so skipped that chapter, a lot of chapters came back around to service, “doing for others will always help you live a more fulfilled life”, finding what you love and doing it, nothing really new for me, but you do hear stories about folks who retire without planning for the huge adjustments that go along with it. So for folks just starting to think about this next chapter book will plant the seeds about all the planning you should do. I’m years away from retirement but I’m game planning 5 years out, no suprises! Listened on audio

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was leery of reading this book because I didn’t want Mr. Smith outlining a “second career” for me—I am truly eager to shift gears to retirement. But the ideas and encouragements were totally flexible and focused on identifying to readers attractive options to bring joy into their lives. No subtle pressures, no one size fits all formula. And so many thoughts are geared to build confidence in retirees that they can find health and enjoyment simply by doing ANYTHING they like to do, with service to others as one component to bring an added sense of purpose and value. Enjoyable. (And several corny old people jokes thrown in at no charge. :-)

[Brent Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hyrum W. Smith, the author of Purposeful Retirement, is an award-winning author, distinguished speaker, and successful businessman. He is one of the original creators of the popular Franklin Day Planner, the former Chairman and CEO of Franklin Covey Co., and the recognized “Father of Time Management”.
The Author’s credentials was the reason I chose to read this book. It was not a surprise to see the idea of utilizing and measuring your time to be part of the approach he presented .................
More on this review at Connected Events Matter
https://connectedeventsmatter.com/blo...

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and concise look at factors to consider when planning for retirement. Primarily, the author emphasizes the need to plan beyond just financial considerations for retirement. As a proponent of purposeful life approaches, this is a major theme. Having penned this book as a "retiree," Smith also works with a definition of retirement that includes "work" just in a less demanding capacity.

I found Purposeful Retirement a helpful meditation on what one wants life to look like when winding down the traditional full-time employment phase.

[Marie Polifrone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Optimistic outlook


As someone contemplating retiring this year, I really enjoyed reading this book. The optimistic view of retirement and practical advice is a must read for anyone thinking about taking the leap or already in retirement but a little lost. This book made me realize that I need to relax and give myself permission to disengage from the stress of corporate life, take time to experiment and try all the things I've always wanted to do and plan for an active , fun and productive retirement! I am now very excited about my "part 2" .

[Debbie Maclellan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is easy to read and contains a lot of useful advice for those who are near retirement or newly retired. Although the ideas were common sense I really liked the questions at the end of each chapter. Doing these helps to reinforce the main messages of each chapter and makes you reflect on what is most important to you and why. I am newly retired and struggling to find a new purpose for my life. This book gave me hope and encouragement to get out and start creating my own purpose for this next stage of my life.

[Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than most retirement guides

If you are a successful executive with a loving spouse and a thriving family, then this book is for you. Of course, if you are a raging success in your career, you probably aren’t reading how to books after finding yourself lost after retirement. This book is meant for the ultra successful. If you are at a loss with too much time and too little money, this will only make you wish you had spent less time working for successful people like Mr. Smith.

[Tim Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer - this book is for retirees or those rapidly approaching retirement. There isn't financial advice for retirement planning - it's a book focused on helping individual retirees map their own retirement. Included are chapters asking readers to define what makes them personally happy, what is their definition of success in retirement, etc. The book is thought provoking and I enjoyed reading now, at the beginning of my retirement. The book led me to reframe some personal retirement objectives.

[Greg Kozak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about retirement that helps you realize it's about more than "can I make it financially?" I had been thinking about to maintain and enhance "meaning" in my life post-retirement and this book confirmed that those thoughts are probably the most relevant questions to ponder when considering when to retire. I'm not someone who plans to spend retirement on a beach in Costa Rica, and I want to continue to make a positive impact on my world (just not get paid for it anymore). This book covered the bases quite well.

[Rosanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course, being the good librarian I am, I'm doing a lot of reading to support this major life transition I am experiencing with my retirement. Written by one of the original creators of the Franklin Day Planner, the author touches on many important topics such as planning activities that support your values, redefining your relationship with your spouse, making a contribution to your community, and more. A good book for those who are either about to retire or recently retired.

[James Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Common Sense Applied to Retirement

I retired about 2 years ago. As an experienced planner and list-maker, I eased into retirement fairly easily because I applied those skills to my "practice" of retirement. The book reinforced my approach to this stage of my life. And, the book included many interesting anecdotes and inspirational quotes from famous people. It is also a light and easy read.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The topics were focused and the writing was ok. There was a lot of anecdotal elements to it that made it relatable but did not provide approaches that could be applied. Specifically it is great if you have a vision for what you want but does not provide meaningful ways to figure out what you want if you don’t know. Also, I read a hardback version that had typographical errors and about 30 pages that were out of order.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty and filled with good advice. Some areas may seem like common sense, some may be the very things you haven’t considered. In my experience working with clients on the verge of or in retirement, it is crucial to have a game plan for both your time and your money. This book helps share considerations on how to approach the question what to do with your time. Retirement looks different for everyone, this book acknowledges this fact.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hoped I might get some new ideas but was actually disappointed at what was provided in this book. This guide might be okay for some people who haven’t already thought through the non financial aspects of retirement. I have so I really didn’t learn anything that I haven’t already thought about. This book is, however, a good starting point for some people who need to think through some basic life needs, wants and goals before, or just after, their retirement

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

An active retirement

This was my first book on “how to retire”. It had lots of good ideas and was a good read for someone with my temperament. I am extremely active and expect to remain that way in retirement. So this more or less just confirmed what I expect my retirement to be like.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book fast to read. It’s point: when retired, find a purpose for living, a reason for getting out of bed in the morning. Plan and act.

The book could have been condensed to a short essay. However, if anecdotes and examples help you think differently about how to approach retirement, this book will be useful.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gift of a read

This book came to me as a suggested read from Amazon. The suggestion was timely as it provided clear cut and relevant advice just as I was embarking on retirement. There are lots of good advice and the best takeaway I got from this book is that “retirement is a gift of time”, not to be squandered but enjoyed with purpose.

[Kym · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really enjoyed this book. I loved it's simple approach to preparing for retirement and that itcwas sprinkled with great humor. Each chapter ends with thought provoking questions. I am 56 and feel prepared for retirement, this book just helped confirm and get me to concretely wrap up some of the plans and thoughts I had in mind

[Steve Rice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some pearls of wisdom, “Retire from your 9-5, but not from doing things that matter”, are good food for thought, but on the whole, the book is more of a formulaic time management book. Set goals, make lists, have a plan, etc., and seems to speak more to the retiring executive than the average person. Meh. Three stars.