Retirement by Design
In Retirement by Design, professional mentor and coach Ida Abbott shows you how the innovative business principles behind design thinking can be applied to plan a rich, fulfilling, and more meaningful retirement.
Considering Retirement?
There is no one right time or way to retire. Retirement is a major life transition; but if you spend the time designing a future filled with promise and possibilities, the prospect can be utterly exciting and revitalizing. Whether you’re considering a new place to settle down, working through financial planning, strategizing how to unwind a business, or deciding on which organizations you want to stay engaged with, making critical decisions takes a lot of organization, thought, and planning.
-
Empathy: Get inside the shoes of your future self. What will be important to that version of you?
-
Define: Hone in on what is and will be most critical for you to focus on (whether it’s volunteering, family, activities, or skills).
-
Ideate: Draw, scribble, brainstorm, and throw around as many different retirement scenarios as you can come up with.
-
Prototype: If retiring across the country in Arizona sounds perfect—try it out first. Come up with opportunities to test out your scenarios with short trips and trial time off.
-
Test: This is the fun part—get back to the drawing board and try more retirement scenarios (and future versions of yourself) before sitting down to make those life-changing decisions.
Course Curriculum
-
-
E-Book Download
-
Video Lesson
-
Module 1 Exercises
-
-
-
Video Lesson
-
Module 2 Exercises
-
-
-
Video Lesson
-
Module 3 Exercises
-
-
-
Video Lesson
-
Module 4 Exercises
-
-
-
Video Lesson
-
Module 5 Exercises
-
Retirement by Design
- 1 hour of video content
- 8 Modules
- 23 Writing Exercises
- Free Companion E-Book
Pricing Options
Retirement by Design is available for individuals and firms/organizations of various sizes.
-
Individual Plan (1 Registration Code) - $600
1 registration code, access to the Retirement by Design course videos, exercises, and e-book.
Buy Now → -
Small Plan (11 Registration Codes) - $6,050
11 registration codes + free admission for 1 registrant to a group coaching program (6 monthly zoom-based sessions).
Buy Now → -
Medium Plan (22 Registration Codes) - $11,000
22 registration codes + free admissions for 2 registrants to a group coaching program (6 monthly zoom-based sessions) + 1 hour of consultation with your Leadership, Professional Development, or HR teams.
Buy Now → -
Large Plan (50 Registration Codes) - $22,500
50 registration coupons + free admissions for 6 registrants to a group coaching program (6 monthly zoom-based sessions)+ 4 hours of consultation with your Leadership, Professional Development, or HR teams.
Buy Now →
Meet Ida Abbott
Ida Abbott
Author | Consultant
[email protected]
Retirement is a major life transition and without preparation it can be highly unsettling. To many people it suggests a time of loss: of status, relevance, vitality and income. But retirement can also be seen as a gift: a chance to shift gears, explore interests, start encore careers, or pursue adventures that have long been deferred. When you view the future as filled with promise and possibilities, and you design it on your own terms, the prospect of retirement can be exciting and revitalizing.
I provide guidance, tools and resources as clients consider, explore and negotiate post-retirement options, contend with the emotional aspects of retirement, and embark on a future doing what they want and living in ways that will engage them, keep them stimulated and give their lives purpose. Read Ida's Full Biography →
Common Questions
-
Who should take this course?
This course is for you if you are:
• thinking about retiring in the future,
• expecting to retire soon,
• transitioning into retirement now, or
• retired and want a better life in retirement.
The course is designed for people in any field or profession, including law, finance, accounting, medicine, and business. Whether you are self-employed, a partner in a firm, or work for a company, agency, or other entity, you will find valuable guidance for creating the life you want in retirement. -
How does the course differ from the book?
This e-course highlights and elaborates some key concepts from the book, provides sample exercises for you to do, and refers you to the relevant chapters of the book, where you can go more deeply into particular subjects and engage more fully in the retirement design process. The workbook provides more in-depth information and explanation, as well as space for you to do exercises and answer questions, draft your thoughts and ideas, and more tangibly experience the design thinking process.
-
How long does the course take?
You can watch all the videos in about an hour. But I recommend that you concentrate on one video at a time. Try out the exercises recommended at the end of each video and review the book chapters referenced there. Focus on the areas that you find most helpful – or most challenging. Planning, designing, and transitioning into retirement deserves care and thoughtfulness.
Depending on how much time you have and how much effort you want to put in, the entire process can take days, months or even longer. If you expect to retire soon, you can complete the course quickly and come up with a plan in a few hours. A longer lead time will allow for more in-depth consideration and thought. And the design thinking approach you’ll learn will make it easy for you to revisit and revise your plan as you live it. -
Can I earn continuing education credit?
Because jurisdictions and professions vary widely in setting qualifications for continuing education credit, please check with your own certifying board to determine whether this course will qualify.
-
Where can I buy your book?
When you register for this course, you will receive a .PDF copy of the book that you can download. If you would like to buy a print version of the book, you can order it online at Amazon, Bookshop, or other online vendors. When you enroll in the course, you can also order the book directly from the publisher, Ulysses Press, and receive a substantial discount.
-
What is the right age to retire?
There is no “right” age to retire. Many factors can impact how and when you will choose to retire, but no matter your age, the time to start planning for retirement is right now! Retirement transitions take much longer than you expect; retirement involves significant life changes and emotional adjustments. It’s wise to start planning early so that whenever you decide the time is right, you can maximize your options, enter retirement on your own terms, and live the life in retirement that’s ideal for you.
Course Reviews
A Most Welcome Resource
Judith Keyes
For me, the idea of retiring is daunting. Having practiced law for 45+ years, I have a hard time imagining what life would be like without this anchor. I wonder whether it’s different for women than for men, and I have no idea where to begin find...
Read MoreFor me, the idea of retiring is daunting. Having practiced law for 45+ years, I have a hard time imagining what life would be like without this anchor. I wonder whether it’s different for women than for men, and I have no idea where to begin finding answers to my many questions. I am grateful to Ida Abbott for understanding exactly what I need, and providing not only her keen insight but also an approachable way to access information and ideas. Her video presentations are comforting and provocative at the same time. After watching them, I am eager to open the workbook and begin the exercises.
Read LessExcellent self paced program for planning one's retirement
Natalie Loeb
Ida Abbott is a star. Her deep expertise and understanding nature make her the perfect person to coach someone through the next phase for many...planning for retirement. This course and book are a gem!
Ida Abbott is a star. Her deep expertise and understanding nature make her the perfect person to coach someone through the next phase for many...planning for retirement. This course and book are a gem!
Read LessPractical, Useful, Reassuring
Andy Hales
This program is excellent. Ida's framework is so practical, so common sense, but I hadn't viewed retirement planning in this way until taking the training. It's taking many of the same principles I applied to my career, to retirement planning. ...
Read MoreThis program is excellent. Ida's framework is so practical, so common sense, but I hadn't viewed retirement planning in this way until taking the training. It's taking many of the same principles I applied to my career, to retirement planning. The course is also very well done. It's paced well. The lessons are easy to digest. The handouts are excellent. Great program.
Read Less“Retirement by Design presents a revolutionary and entirely professional take on planning for retirement–one that approaches the task like the exciting opportunity it is; and where endless options and tough decisions can be solved through creativity, experimentation and innovation.”
- Marshall Goldsmith, Thinkers 50 #1 ranked executive coach for ten years and two-time winner for #1 Leadership Thinker in the World, and New York Times #1 bestselling author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There and Triggers
“Retirement by Design turns the daunting task of getting ready for retirement into the remarkably exciting, creative experience it always should be. Abbott proves this isn’t just the end of working life, but a whole new beginning. By calling on her decades of experience and affection for design thinking principles, she’s built a revolutionary and healthy way to look at and plan for life’s next great adventure.”
- Chip Conley, New York Times bestselling author and Founder of the Modern Elder Academy
“If the best way to predict the future is to create it, Ida Abbott’s Retirement by Design offers essential tools to help you figure out how to do just that. The practical, step-by-step exercises will help you slow down, think about what you really want, and provide the roadmap for a more fulfilling future. Buy this book before you buy a rocking chair!”
- Brigid Schulte, award-winning journalist, author of the New York Times bestselling Overwhelmed: Work, Love & Play when No One Has the Time, and director of The Better Life Lab at New America