How to Select a Thoughtful Retirement Gift . . . in 3 simple steps.

Sept 22, 2006
From the Motor Coach of Hugh and Joanne Wiley

Dear Retirement Gift Giver:

Let's face it. Buying a retirement gift isn't easy. You are faced with choices, lots of choices. And you are faced with the possibility of getting a retirement gift which isn't quite right or is something they already have?

Quite often you may be asked to select a retirement gift for someone you don't know all that well.

Are you retired yourself?

If you aren't, how do you know what this change is all about?

While many people think that retirement is the time to 'wind things down', nothing could be farther from the truth.

Retirement is a time for a new beginning.

It is freedom to start new adventures and new projects in order to feel fulfilled.

But, here is what you may not know. Someone who is about to move into retirement may not know themselves what makes them fulfilled.

It's why you hear stories about people who don't know what they want to do when they retire and are restless because they aren't part of something like they were in their job.

Before you go thinking, "start something new?" Let me ask you this: How old was Colonel Sanders when he started Kentucky Fried Chicken?

Perhaps a good retirement gift might be something to help with this transition - something for the mind - rather than the age old tradition of a watch.

How do we know about the change at retirement?

Well, we know more than anybody what it's like to retire and start a new enterprise. We did it. We wrote a book called 'Dancing With Change' that helps people with the notion of that BIG change called retirement. It received rave reviews.

Then, we traveled from one end of North America to the other and met hundreds of retirees. We did radio interviews, we were written about in publications and we realized there was more we could do to help people retire.

We wrote a work book called "Beyond Your Career: Reinventing Your Retirement" with the same rave reviews.

And all of our past beliefs and thoughts were confirmed as we kept talking with more retirees across America.

In our travels we have met and heard stories of hundreds of people who are on the move. They are happy, fulfilled, and thriving. Why? They are thriving because they have taken the step of using retirement as a time to move forward rather than wait for something.

We knew that retirement isn't usually a solo sport. It can involve a spouse. A spouse who may not be ready for the big change coming to their life. Thinking of all that time together is often overwhelming.

Often, we have heard "I couldn't wait for my husband to retire, now I could kill him." So we wrote a third book called "Second Time Around: Reinventing Your Retirement Marriage."

What does writing and publishing these successful books mean to you? It means we have some real ideas about what makes a great retirement gift!

What do we suggest? A real thoughtful gift. Something that is very personal and unique at the same time. Something that can't be consumed and gone in a week, something that isn't trite or redundant.

We created something just like that.

We called it the Ultimate Retirement Gift. A collection of our three books thoughtfully bundled in a gift package.

What are the 3 steps to the perfect retirement gift?

They are:

1: Make sure you think about what it might mean to face retirement. Most people see retirement as a vacation. Think again; 10, 20, 30 years in the working world, being a part of something, now it's gone.

When people are getting ready to retire they often don't know what they don't know. When you fall in love, have a child, or win a gold medal, you only know that experience by experiencing it . . . no matter how many people tell you about it. Retirement is like that. It is a time of change. People resist change.

2: Think about your gift relative to all the other possible gifts. What will make yours stand out?

3: Think about how the recipient of the retirement gift will feel when they receive it. Facing retirement, many feel lost, confused because the happiness they are SUPPOSED to feel actually feels like a loss, an emptiness. If they are coming to the realization that retirement is a time of change, anything that will help them with that change will be welcome. Very welcome indeed!

So when we created the Ultimate Retirement Gift here is what we created.

We took our three top selling books and bundled them together in a beautiful package to create a meaningful retirement gift.


Simple Guidance for People Facing change - Dancing With Change

Dancing with Change will help you bring happiness, passion and purpose back into your life. You will learn how to overcome the barriers to change and by following our three easy steps you will make changes in your life and help create the life you deserve.

It's Your Retirement - Are you Ready?

Beyond Your Career: Reinventing Retirement makes it easy to face one of the most significant changes in your life. This step-by-step, workbook offers guidance and support as you create a new experience and develop a personal plan that will take you into new meaningful adventures. All of us need a purpose. Retirement is no exception. Take time now to plan for your new life and career.

Is your Relationship ready for retirement?

Second Time Around - Reinventing Your Retirement Marriageoffers practical advice, thought-provoking exercises, plus the learning tools you'll need to work with your partner and successfully reinvent your relationship. The easy-to-read workbook will help you create more intimacy in your relationship and fill your life with what you desire - together. Learn how to improve communication, show your appreciation, express your needs, and set boundaries. You will move to a higher level of self expression and intimacy.

It's all possible.

Since you can't pick these books up and leaf through them, here's what's inside.

Dancing with Change will help you fulfill your dreams. This easy-to-read, 161 page, informative and pragmatic book includes 19 exercises, real-life case histories, and the author’s personal experiences that will help guide you through the transition to retirement.

Chapter-by-chapter Dancing with Change will teach you and help you in many ways:

  • Learn how to find your power, allow your “wants” and appreciate the value of stability in the midst of change.
  • Explore your reaction when change is imposed on you.
  • You will learn techniques to deal with the anxiety that comes when you are confronted with the unknown.
  • Learn how to manage worries, doubts and fears.
  • Learn how to turn change into an opportunity.
  • The book will give you the tools and teach you how to become a visionary.
  • Create your vision, believe your vision, and allow it to happen.
  • Chart the direction you want your life to take.
  • Discover how your beliefs form your world and how they can trap you or free you.
  • Develop the necessary support system to follow through to your goals.
  • Discover your true worth and how your worth matches your desires.
  • The actual process of change - the action phase - is discussed in detail and you will be guided to your goal.
  • Follow the steps and you will be in the present moment so you don’t fall prey to the pitfalls of past and future worries.
  • Learn how to use your natural ability to adapt and make changes with the many exercises and examples included in Dancing with Change.

    Here is what is in the Beyond Your Career: Reinventing Retirement workbook.

  • Seven sets of self reflective exercises to help you think about exactly what will work best for you
  • 14 specific exercises to build your vision in a field-tested step by step program
  • A series of questions ordered in a specific way to get the best from you and build a stronger plan
  • A three part perspective exercise to help you get your views on retirement so you can share them with others
  • How to separate the shoulds from the wants to help you focus on the right thing
  • How to eliminate the shoulds in your life once and for all
  • Learn how to identify your values and principles so you can do something meaningful to you
  • A creative way to increase your awareness and then your passion for something new
  • How to involve others in your plan to be more balanced
  • Learn how to uncover your beliefs and realize how they drive your motivation
  • Lesson on how to realize your true value and use this knowledge to fuel a new career or reveal your passion
  • Why NOT to include friends and family in your short term plan for change
  • When to involve and engage friends and family in your plans

    The Beyond Your Career: Reinventing Retirement workbook is packed with information designed for those Ageless Adventurers who know they want more from their retirement and are planning on using this exciting time for reinvention.

    Reinventing Your Retirement Marriage is written in workbook style with 7 chapters.

    Each chapter explores a building block helping you to deal with the new challenge and opportunity that retirement brings.

    We use a proven communication model that has been time tested with many couples.

    Here is a summary of the benefits you receive

  • A 34 page workbook with exercises to know yourself and your partner more deeply.
  • Knowing what you contribute that makes you feel involved,valuable and know what you want to give to your relationship.
  • A clear easily applied approach to resolve differences.
  • A sharing contract that removes the fear of being vulnerable and provides the commitment to support each other’s growth and self expression.
  • A technique to satisfy your needs that is gratifying to both of you.
  • Ways to show your appreciation that tells your partner he/she is worthwhile.
  • How to move your relationship past the need to be right to the deeper need of a rich meaningful connection.
  • An approach to listen and understand each other without solving your partner’s problems and avoid them feeling incompetent.



    Hear what other's have been saying.

    It has been a real privilege to be able to work with the variety of Retirement "how to" ideas , hints and suggestions provided through the wonderful work of Hugh and Joanne Wiley . In particular I have come to value their insights as presented in their trio of related publications titled BEYOND YOUR CAREER- REINVENTING RETIREMENT , SECOND TIME AROUND-REINVENTING YOUR RETIREMENT MARRIAGE and the great little softback DANCING WITH CHANGE.

    During 40 years of Human Resource Management in large industrial corporations I saw my share of good people thrown into retirement without a solid plan for the many life altering challenges that they would face.

    Stress, health problems, and relationship troubles at home were often just the start of a journey into "unhappy retirement".

    As part of my own retirement I am presenting workshops for adults to assist with the wide range of early planning and life adjustment considerations that we know to be so integral to a smooth transition from the world of full time work to full time something else. Some of the program participants have come back to me telling their own stories about how helpful the Wiley material has been for them in preparing for their retirement.

    This material assists individuals and couples with the challenges of creating purpose and direction through open discussion, practical exercises and solid related reading.

    I am a convert to the value of this well prepared and professionally presented material and recommend it wholeheartedly.

    David J Yarmish
    Prince George, British Columbia, Canada

    As a retirement planning expert, I witness regularly the issues that couple go through on their life journey into retirement. This transition can be eased with understanding. That's why I give Hugh and Joanne's retirement package to my clients, to clarify their concerns and provide them with a great process to overcome these challenges.

    Tony Pechthalt, AAMS
    Investment Representative
    Edward Jones
    Bellingham, WA

    Since we know it's 100% to your benefit to act right away, we want to sweeten the pot and give you every possible reason to say YES today! You'll also receive the following:

    A very attractive package and box for you including a pen and highlighter. They are a small way to show thoughtfulness and that's the one of the reasons your are looking for a retirement gift.

    Another way to show thoughtfulness is with a personal touch. We include a personal card signed by us, Hugh and Joanne.

    And our Free bonus:

    We'll include free shipping to any address in North America.

    We have produced this top quality gift for you at a price of $69.95

    Click on the logo below to order using our secure server

    If you have any questions or want more information to help you with your decision, feel free to call us at 360.393.7767 and we'll be happy to help you out.

    To Your Success.

    Hugh and Joanne Wiley.
    Copyright 2004-2008 Full Life Seminars Ltd.