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The Retirement Wisdom Podcast · July 27 · 32 min

The Art of Pacing – Elizabeth Svoboda

How clear are you about what you’re retiring to? Our next group program starts in September and is limited to 10 people. The Early Registration discount ends on July 31st. Learn more here. Reserve your spot today. ________________________ We spend years letting our pace be set for us, by employers and the calendar. Then retirement arrives and, for the first time, the tempo is ours to choose. In this conversation, science journalist Elizabeth Svoboda, author of The Art of Pacing, argues that most of us get can stuck oscillating between two extremes — the perpetual sprint and complete disengagement — and that the real skill is learning to move across a range of paces with intention. Elizabeth shares interesting and useful ideas, including “rigid flexibility” (from an Olympic runner), smart circadian-rhythm energy management, the freedom that “selective mediocrity” can create, and how identity can get intertwined with the pace we keep. It’s a conversation about doing less of what drains you, so you have more for what matters most. Elizabeth Svoboda joins us from California. _________________________ Bio Elizabeth Svoboda is the author of The Art of Pacing: A Guide to Balancing Short-Term Demands with Long-Term Thriving. She is an award-winning science writer and contributor to Scientific American, Discover, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and other publications. Elizabeth is a winner of the Evert Clark/Seth Payne Award for Young Science Writers, and her work has been anthologized in the Best American Science and Nature Writing series. She lives in San Jose, California, with her husband and young sons. ________________________ For More on Elizabeth Svoboda The Art of Pacing: A Guide to Balancing Short-Term Demands with Long-Term Thriving Website _______________________ How Ready are You for Your New Life in Retirement? Take this free 5-minute assessment to identify which areas may need your attention: Not retired yet, but I want to design a meaningful life I’m in retirement, but maybe I could use an upgrade _______________________ Retirement Podcast Conversations You’ll Also Love How to Flourish…in Retirement – Daniel Coyle Happier Hour – Cassie Holmes, PhD Will You Flourish or Languish? – Corey Keyes Taming The Molecule of More – Michael Long _______________________ About The Retirement Wisdom Podcast There are many podcasts on retirement, often hosted by financial advisors with their own financial motives, that cover the money side of the street. This podcast is different. You’ll get smarter about the investment decisions you’ll make about the most important asset you’ll have in retirement: your time. About Retirement Wisdom I help people who are retiring, but aren’t quite done yet, discover what’s next and build their custom version of their next life. A meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident. Schedule a call today to discuss how the Designing Your Life process created by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans can help you make your life in retirement a great one — on your own terms. About Your Podcast Host Joe Casey is an executive coach who helps people design their next life after their primary career and create their version of The Multipurpose Retirement.™ He created his own next chapter after a 26-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking. Joe has earned Master’s degrees from the University of Southern California in Gerontology (at age 60), the University of Pennsylvania, and Middlesex University (UK), a BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and his coaching certification from Columbia University. In addition to his work with clients, Joe hosts The Retirement Wisdom Podcast, ranked in the top 1% globally in popularity by Listen Notes, with over 2 million downloads. Business Insider recognized Joe as one of 23 innovative coaches who are making a difference. He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy. _________________________ Wise Quotes On Reassessing Your Pace “So much of our identities tend to be wrapped up in the pace we keep. As you’re contemplating retirement or just embarking on it, it’s a good time for a big-picture pace reassessment.” On Flourishing “Set a pace that is right for you and that leads you toward personally flourishing.” On Selective Mediocrity “You have to avoid over-extracting your own resources. By conserving energy on less essential things, you have more energy to devote to the things that matter most.”

0:00-32:45

transcript

No transcript — this publisher did not publish one.

show notes

How clear are you about what you’re retiring to?

Our next group program starts in September and is limited to 10 people.

The Early Registration discount ends on July 31st.

Learn more here.

Reserve your spot today.

________________________

We spend years letting our pace be set for us, by employers and the calendar. Then retirement arrives and, for the first time, the tempo is ours to choose. In this conversation, science journalist Elizabeth Svoboda, author of The Art of Pacing, argues that most of us get can stuck oscillating between two extremes — the perpetual sprint and complete disengagement — and that the real skill is learning to move across a range of paces with intention.

Elizabeth shares interesting and useful ideas, including “rigid flexibility” (from an Olympic runner), smart circadian-rhythm energy management, the freedom that “selective mediocrity” can create, and how identity can get intertwined with the pace we keep.  It’s a conversation about doing less of what drains you, so you have more for what matters most.

Elizabeth Svoboda joins us from California.

_________________________

Bio

Elizabeth Svoboda is the author of The Art of Pacing: A Guide to Balancing Short-Term Demands with Long-Term Thriving. She is an award-winning science writer and contributor to Scientific AmericanDiscoverThe Boston GlobeThe New York Times, and other publications. Elizabeth is a winner of the Evert Clark/Seth Payne Award for Young Science Writers, and her work has been anthologized in the Best American Science and Nature Writing series. She lives in San Jose, California, with her husband and young sons.

________________________

For More on Elizabeth Svoboda

The Art of Pacing: A Guide to Balancing Short-Term Demands with Long-Term Thriving

Website

_______________________

How Ready are You for Your New Life in Retirement?

Take this free 5-minute assessment to identify which areas may need your attention:

Not retired yet, but I want to design a meaningful life

I’m in retirement, but maybe I could use an upgrade

_______________________

Retirement Podcast Conversations You’ll Also Love

How to Flourish…in Retirement – Daniel Coyle

Happier Hour – Cassie Holmes, PhD

Will You Flourish or Languish? – Corey Keyes

Taming The Molecule of More – Michael Long

_______________________

About The Retirement Wisdom Podcast

There are many podcasts on retirement, often hosted by financial advisors with their own financial motives, that cover the money side of the street. This podcast is different. You’ll get smarter about the investment decisions you’ll make about the most important asset you’ll have in retirement: your time.

About Retirement Wisdom

I help people who are retiring, but aren’t quite done yet, discover what’s next and build their custom version of their next life. A meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.

Schedule a call today to discuss how the Designing Your Life process created by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans can help you make your life in retirement a great one — on your own terms.

About Your Podcast Host

Joe Casey is an executive coach who helps people design their next life after their primary career and create their version of The Multipurpose Retirement.™ He created his own next chapter after a 26-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking.

Joe has earned Master’s degrees from the University of Southern California in Gerontology (at age 60), the University of Pennsylvania, and Middlesex University (UK), a BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and his coaching certification from Columbia University.

In addition to his work with clients, Joe hosts The Retirement Wisdom Podcast, ranked in the top 1% globally in popularity by Listen Notes, with over 2 million downloads. Business Insider recognized Joe as one of 23 innovative coaches who are making a difference. He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy.

_________________________

Wise Quotes

On Reassessing Your Pace

“So much of our identities tend to be wrapped up in the pace we keep. As you’re contemplating retirement or just embarking on it, it’s a good time for a big-picture pace reassessment.”

On Flourishing

“Set a pace that is right for you and that leads you toward personally flourishing.”

On Selective Mediocrity

“You have to avoid over-extracting your own resources. By conserving energy on less essential things, you have more energy to devote to the things that matter most.”

 

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