Can't Break a Bad Habit? Replace It!

Today's Huffington Post has a neat article on how you can break a bad habit such as smoking, overeating, or watching an inordinate amount of television. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-clear/breaking-habits_b_3540148.html?ir=GPS%20for%20the%20Soul The answer is really quite simple: if you want to break a bad habit, all you need to do is to replace it with a good habit. Sound too easy?  Try it and you might be surprised.

The technique involves using your mind to essentially trick itself and your body by replacing a habit you want to lose with one you want to gain. Say you want to quit smoking. Many smokers automatically light up after finishing a cup of coffee or when they get in the car, saying it relaxes them. What if instead of lighting up that expensive tobacco, the smoker decides to meditate or just count their breaths in a form of mindfulness. Simpler yet, the smoker can chew gum instead of lighting up.  It may take a few days to have the new habit settle in, but it does work.

The other thing to remember is that just because you go back to  your old habit for a day or so, does not mean you have failed. Just get back into the new habit and forget about that failure. There is a famous quote from the 19th century Transcendentalist. Ralph Waldo Emerson, that I keep on my refrigerator and on my iPhone that is particularly relevant.  Let me know what you think:

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”

Where Is The Best Place to Retire? Part 2

Where is the best place to retire? My last post,http://notjustforboomers.blogspot.com/2013/07/where-is-best-place-to-retire.html ,pointed out that the United States is not necessarily the best place to retire. According to one recent survey, the US fares no better than 19th. So,  where is it that people do like to retire? At least some Americans are choosing one of our neighbors to the South. And no, it is not Mexico. It is Costa Rica.

According to an article in today's Wall Street Journal Market Watch, "Retire Here, Not There", the author points out that about 50,000 US retirees now live in Costa Rica.http://www.marketwatch.com/Story/story/print?guid=400B10B2-E366-11E2-ACAD-002128040CF6 The article discusses the opinion of some researchers that Costa Rica is one of the happiest countries on earth.

Interestingly, Americans can assume residency status in Costa Rica if you can show that you have at least $1,000 per month in retirement income.One potential benefit of residency is that you can enroll in the Costa Rican public health care system for as little abs $55 per month.

Not everything is cheap there. Housing in some of the beautiful beach towns can run as much as $4000 per month. The article discusses several of those beach communities and includes several beautiful photographs. It is well worth a view.

Where is the Best Place to Retire?

Many boomers are asking themselves "Where is the best place to retire?"  No, I'm not talking about the best city or state in the United States.  What I'm referring to is the best place in the world. And no, it is not the United States as most people probably think.  According to the Natixis Global Retirement Index, the best place to retire in the world is Norway!  The United States is not even in the top ten, according to that study. It ranks 19th in the world, behind countries including the Czech Republic and Slovenia. For those who are interested, of the 150 nations surveyed by Natixis Global Asset Management, S.A., the sponsor of the study, Zimbabwe ranked last.

Now, like most studies, this one is largely subjective, but the study did attempt to categorize the most important things most people are concerned about in retirement: health, material well-being, finances and quality of life. Here is what the study said about the U.S.:

HEALTH:  The U.S. ranks 23d in this category.  Although we have the highest per capita spending on health care, many other countries have greater access to care and the U.S. lags many of the developed countries in life expectancy.

MATERIAL WELL-BEING: This is a measurement of per capita income. Although per capita income is one of the highest, we also have a higher degree of income inequality than many nations, including Poland, Slovakia and Singapore.  The U.S. ranks 38th in this category.

FINANCES: The U.S. ranks 28th in this category, largely because of questions about the sustainability of Social Security.  Canada, Brazil and Mexico all are ahead of the U.S. in this category.

QUALITY OF LIFE: While Americans generally have expressed a high degree of satisfaction with life,, because of its lower scores on environmental measures, it ranks 26th in this category, behind Costa Rica and Belize, among others.

This survey raises some disturbing questions. Obviously, the United States is a great place to live and retire. This survey raises the issue of whether we can do better.  Let me know what you think.

How Did Andy Murray Exercise to Win Wimbledon?

After watching Andy Murray's thrilling win today over Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, you may be asking yourself how did he get himself in such good shape to beat the number 1 player in the world?  According to recent newspaper accounts in the United Kingdom, he works out on an exercise machine called the VersacCimber. The VersaClimber is a machine that uses a pulley system to provide a total upper and lower body workout.  It creates the experience of total and continuous climbing. It is said to burn calories more efficiently than other types of exercise equipment and requires less time exercising.

Originally developed for use by NASA to help astronauts to recover from the loss of muscle while in space, it has been used by several professional athletes. One of the early users was Ivan Lendl, Murray's coach. In February, 2012, Murray began using the VersaClimber.  Since then the results speak for themselves:  Murray has won two Grand Slam events, the 2012 US Open and the 2013 Wimbledon championship.  He also won the Gold Medal for singles tennis at last year's London Olympics.

If you are interested in the VersaClimber, check out their website at www.versaclimber.com. Be aware that it is a very pricey piece of equipment, running from $3000 to $4000, so obviously it is not for everyone. If anyone decides to try one, let me know if it lives up to the hype.

How to Get The Best Service

Have you wondered how you can get the best service? Too often do you feel like you are getting the run-around when you call about your poor cable television or phone service? Let me make a few suggestions that may help you get the service you deserve.

It is well-established that our brains contain what are called "mirror neurons." These neurons basically are the source of our empathy for other people's problems.  When we see someone suffering, we experience part of the same emotion. Even watching a tear-jerker of a movie, we cry because of those mirror neurons.

So, what does all this have to do with getting better service?  The answer is: those service personnel on the other end of the phone call to the cable television or phone company when you call to complain about lousy service, have those same mirror neurons.  If you call and present your situation in a pleasant manner, you are likely to receive the same response from the person on the other end of the line.

When you call, rather than start out with your complaint, say something like, "How are you today?" to the person at the other end of the line. You will be amazed at the response.  Usually, you will hear a bit of silence as that person is undoubtedly shocked to hear that someone is actually asking about their feelings. Next, make it clear that you understand how difficult their job is and how you know how other people can be harsh in calling to complain.  Right away, of course, that will establish that you are not one of those people. Only then, state your complaint.

My experience with this approach has been that not only is the person willing to help with your problem, but they will also go even further and try to provide you with even more than what you have asked for. 

Sounds simple?  Try it. It does work.

If you are interested in the theory of "mirror neurons", a very good source of information can be found at this website, http://justlistenthebook.com.

The Mediation and Negotiation Blog: Mediation and the Science of Decision Making Part VIII: Set Your Reference Points Before You Begin Negotiating

The Mediation and Negotiation Blog: Mediation and the Science of Decision Making Part VIII: Set Your Reference Points Before You Begin Negotiating

Here is an interesting blog on negotiation strategies. It stresses some of the same approaches I address in my Ebook, The Baby Boomer's Practical Guide to EveryDay Negotiations, available on Amazon, for Kindle. At $1.99, it is a.bargain that will save you many times that amount.

Are You Addicted to Exercise?

Are you addicted to exercise?  Are you an exerciseaholic?  Many boomers would probably answer yes to both these questions. Why is that?  Oh sure, some boomers say that they exercise because it helps them keep those excess pounds off.  Others say they exercise because they are convinced that if they do and eat a carton of Greek yogurt every day, they will live forever. The real answer may be that like cigarettes and sex, exercise is a source of pleasure that some boomers (and others, of course) keep coming back to for that so called "runner's high".  And like any addiction, those addicted to exercise must up the ante by increasing the amount of exercise they perform.

In an interesting discussion in today's New York Times, several writers address the topic of exercise as an addiction. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/06/24/addicted-to-endorphins?hp One of the writers points out that exercise can be a source of dopamine, a chemical  in the brain,  which provides that natural high. He acknowledges that it may well qualify as some form of addiction but that it is "well worth the risk." He urges everyone to get off the couch and exercise.  I couldn't agree with him more. As the Matthew Wilder sang in his Eighties hit, "Break My Stride," "I've got to keep on moving".