Life Planning is about the big picture; it is the perspective ahead embracing where you have been and where you, and your family – if you have one – are going. It is part of the life course.
Personal and family life planning may commence in your childhood. This is a little unlikely however, it is much more probable and the need becomes more apparent once you have ceased full-time learning in institutional settings, and are established in the world of work. Typically realisation can occur in mid-life.
The need for life planning becomes sharply evident when a crisis point in life is reached or occurs suddenly. For example:
- Redundancy at 27 years of age
- A massive, mind blowing illness at age 30
- Loss of a life partner, or a child in mid-life
- Divorce
- Early retirement at, say, 38 with an adequate financial settlement
- Earlier retirement at any age than the one you anticipated
- An incident that disrupts your home – e.g. a serious fire, or what is sometimes described as ‘ground heave’
- The explosion of a chemical works within half a mile of your house that destroys the workplace for you and many local people and neighbours
- A change in the planning rules that could affect, long term, the quality of your life
- Personal or family relative disability
- Dependent parents or other close relatives
- Physiological changes in mid-life that affect both men and women.
These are acute examples of the more ordinary. They serve to make the point that the chances are, you may – indeed will – need to consider where you and your life ahead are going.
The cases below are based upon actual personal experiences of three people.
Case 1
Elizabeth, aged 51, SRN, married, has worked for the NHS part-time in recent years and full-time for the last year. Husband, redundant at 58; foreman stock-keeper in stationery trade where his line of work has been progressively automated. He has a small occupational pension. No particular skills, no major interests. Two children, one at the NHS University, the younger good ‘A’ levels; no regular job, but builds up ‘cash banks’ so that she can travel. Elizabeth is made redundant by the NHS under a restructuring programme. The couple are within four years of completing the purchase of their Council house.
Case 2
Jonathan, aged 53, international engineer-manager, resident in India from age 40, with wife (teacher) and family remaining in the UK. Two adult children, both unmarried, living at home – he has seen their development through generous home leave from his work and periodic returns to the UK for business purposes. Jonathan received three weeks (verbal) notice of closure of the Indian operation and six months formal notice terminating his contract, to take immediate effect. He received an early retirement settlement and enhanced pension.
Case 3
William, 60, Company book-keeper (small printing company) early retired following the winding up of this small family business in which he has been employed for 45 years.
Single, lives alone, has a small flat which he owns close to the town centre. No particular hobbies; has an allotment. The company, and to a limited extent the family that owned it, were his world. He does have a married sister who lives some distance away which whom he is in touch.
The question for you is not what Elizabeth, Jonathan or William should do in circumstances like these, although in each case thought, discussion and action was required; the issue is what life planning might have been possible previously to offset the impact upon their life course?
Given the increasingly unpredictable nature of work future, the question is what strategies can be adopted and used in life planning? Whilst the nature of crisis cannot be anticipated, are there common circumstances in human experience of mid-life that predict the need for ‘big picture’ planning? What can be learned from contemporary experience? What are the key elements, expressed and inferred in each of the cases that can form a basis for Life Planning in the 21st Century? What therefore, is the content of study in the postgraduate programmes provided by Life Academy? Why is it centrally important to post-modern work and social life?
The answers to these questions, and the education and training they engender, have relevance for:
- good and effective staff management
- staff commitment and morale
- workforce productivity
- the value for welfare and welfare benefits in industry
- all work-based education and training in mid and later life
- the concept of a learning society throughout life.
Many professionals who are in membership of Life Academy are used to handling cases such as those experienced by Elizabeth, Jonathan and William. If you are interested in learning more about Life Planning and how it could affect your life, please contact us.
This case study was written by Howard Gilbert. Having started his career as a teacher in an East Sussex Community College, Howard then moved to Hertfordshire further education, then into adult education management in Havering. On early retirement he became a consultant to industry and the public sector, organising and facilitating mid and later life planning programmes. In addition to his teacher’s certificate, Howard has a first degree in social science, an MSc in life course development and a diploma in adult education. He is a member of Life Academy, having become a Trustee in 1992. He currently sits on our Professional Institute Board.
