Life Planning for the Third Age
By Meg Newhouse

Editor's note: Meg Newhouse is a nationally known pioneer in Third-Age LifeCrafting and a seasoned and gifted group facilitator, teacher, coach, and program designer. As a catalyst for living with passion, purpose, and grace after 50, she coaches individuals, gives talks and workshops, writes, and consults to organizations, helping people create vital, fulfilling later lives that express who they are and how they want to contribute. The founder of the Life Planning Network, she is the co-author of Life Planning for the Third Age: A Design Guide and Toolkit. Meg holds a BA from Wellesley College, MAT from Harvard University, and PhD in political science from UCLA.  She is an avid learner/seeker on many fronts, a serious amateur flutist, and devoted friend, family member, and grandmother.

Visit her website at www.passionandpurpose.com.

"We must continually forge our identities through our endeavors."
— David Whyte, Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity

Imagine a large room filled to capacity and buzzing with excitement. About 140 participants from all over the US and as far away as Canada, France, Russia, and Switzerland have gathered for the first national conference on Life Planning for the Third Age (aka, the post-midlife “bonus years” of extended middle age and active elderhood). They are applauding Gene Cohen, the keynote speaker. Author of The Creative Age and The Mature Mind, he has just inspired the audience with his compelling, data-driven, delightfully illustrated case for positive psychological and neurological growth with — not despite — aging. And they are looking forward to the next day’s pre-conference, followed by two more days of life-planning offerings as part of the first National Positive Aging Conference, held in December at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Why was this conference significant in the context of meaningful work on the Second Journey? And why should it excite a broader audience of third-agers and professionals?

Let me start with the bottom line and a bald assertion: We are on the cusp of a paradigm shift from a deficit model of aging and retirement to a model of continued growth, contribution, and possibility, which features meaningful work as an essential piece. Because the time is ripe and the need is clear, a national network is emerging to support diverse professionals working to establish an integrated approach to life planning for these 20–30 bonus years of (mostly) positive aging.

In this brief article I will outline the context that suggests the need for life planning, briefly describe The Life Planning Network, and recap the genesis and outcome of the recent conference.

The Context

Because of the longevity revolution of the last century, most of us can expect 20–30 “bonus years” of extended middle age and active elderhood, presenting opportunities as well as challenges. Because this involves a major transition to largely uncharted territory, many people need help in consciously creating a next phase of life that falls between their career-building years and eventual retirement. Answering questions such as “What will fulfill me?” and “How can I use my talents and gifts to serve others?” initiates a process of exploring choices among a wide array of life activities. This process includes but moves beyond financial planning and the newer need for later life career planning to include all dimensions of vital aging. As people become more engaged and fulfilled citizens during the “third age” of their lives, the ripple effects will gradually raise the value society places on this rich resource as well as on aging itself.

The Life Planning Network

Helping to catalyze this paradigm shift is the Life Planning Network (LPN), a small but vibrant New England-based community of professionals from diverse fields who share a commitment to providing a broad spectrum of life planning services and resources for the Third Age. Founded in 2002 and incorporated as a 501(c)6 since 2005, the LPN offers professional development, support, and opportunities to shape the burgeoning field of third-age life planning. It equips and mobilizes its members — working together and with strategic allies — to bring life planning into the mainstream and to advance the cause of self- and social renewal in the third age.

A small, values-driven organization of committed volunteers can accomplish a lot — including organizing a national conference — under nourishing conditions, including an inspiring mission/vision, a model of co-leadership and collaboration,  and a value of learning and professionalism leading to valuable educational programs, study groups, and projects to increase our members’ knowledge and competencies. A commitment to diversity and a holistic framework has generated contributions from a range of professionals helping people intentionally design their later lives. In addition to life, career, and executive coaches, our   members include financial and estate planners as well as housing, health, educational, and HR professionals, who refer to, collaborate with, and learn from each other.

The Conference

Two years ago LPN articulated a vision to hold a national conference to bring together others from diverse professions and locales to share and expand our knowledge, enhance our professionalism, and create ways to further conversations and collaboration. In the early planning stages we were fortunate to join a group of national leaders in the Positive Aging movement¹ in planning for the first national Positive Aging conference. We were also blessed with a substantial sponsorship from Secure Path by Transamerica, a farsighted financial services company who shares our vision.

The conference program was designed to maximize participation, ensure high quality, present a mix of theoretical and practical information relevant to our work, encourage both structured and spontaneous conversation, and ascertain the need, desire, and capacity for creating a national network of aligned organizations.

Based on both written and informal evaluations, we can say that we exceeded our goals. “Energizing, inspiring, empowering, exciting, challenging, cutting-edge, encouraging, community, connection” were among the repeated descriptors. Most important perhaps was the response to the session on “Growing Life Planning Networks”, suggesting a desire and initial commitment to form aligned organizations in different parts of the country.

The LPN Board has committed to co-creating a process of organizational development with those who offered to take leadership roles. This will include:

	Offering an orientation session to acquaint regional leaders more thoroughly with our values, guiding principles, structure, and lessons learned.
	Setting up communication vehicles (e.g., web-based and tele-conferences) to enable us to continue our conversation.
	Working with Secure Path by Transamerica to establish a task force for collaborative ventures.
	Exploring the development of a national Advisory Group to formulate strategy for high-level partnerships and advocacy in the policy arena.
	Holding another national conference in 1–2 years.

For our existing LPN, the challenge is to maintain the excitement and momentum for growth while honoring our local needs and capacity constraints. No one doubts the value of the enterprise — to support and enhance a redefined profession and ultimately to benefit the third-age “consumer” and transform our cultural concepts of aging.

Notes

¹ Conference organizers: James Frasier (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute [OLLI] at Eckerd College) (lead), Donna Butts and Claire Wilker (Generations United), Gloria Cavanaugh (Gloria Cavanaugh Consulting), Nancy Ceridwyn (American Society on Aging), Judy Goggin (Civic Ventures), Steve Lembke (Elderhostel), Ron Manheimer (NC Center f or Creative Retirement), Harry R. Moody and Michael Patterson (AARP), Meg Newhouse (LPN), Susan Perlstein (National Center for Creative Aging), Sabrina Reilly (National Council On Aging), Ara Rogers (OLLI at University of South FL).