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Memory Jogs: Some Solutions For Our Aging Brains

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What are your memory jog techniques that help you keep track of stuff, remember names, and whatever else you’re forgetting? I think we could all use a little help from our friends as we move deeper into our 50’s.

This past 48 hours I seemed to be chasing down my stuff…more than normal.  I was misplacing a record number of items: golf shoes, wallet, and a few forgotten strokes on a couple of golf holes.

All of these forgettables could be explained away. I can usually come up with plenty of excuses to soften the reality that my brain may be a tad less sharp these days.  You know…I was on the move….jockeying from car to ferry, sleeping at a friends house, and had to pack up a quick change of clothes for a dinner after a day of sweating on the golf course. I was moving fast and always with a group. Too many distractions meant I was constantly rechecking to find my phone– did I leave it in the golf cart, on the table, in my purse, in my friend’s pocketbook?

This particular visit was packed with commotion and movement which made it hard to keep it all together. It seemed like I was forgetting stuff everywhere which got me thinking about memory…my memory.

“So, do you have everything?” my friend Deb earnestly and sensitively asked me at every transition; ferry to ferry, car to car, house to car, restaurant to house.

It was her car, so she was using it as her moving locker room…I was in the passenger guest seat…clearly a disadvantage organizationally speaking.

“Of course, I’ve got it all…no problem.” Frankly, I had no clue.

 

It’s not that I do too much, but it’s true I do a lot. It’s not that I’m not in the moment – it’s that I’m too much in the moment.

I can no longer multi task.

At my ripe age – I love to immerse in projects, people and games…I find great relief in having a narrow focus. The problem lately is I actually am no longer good at doing 2 or 3 things at once.

My mother-in-law who once was a great scholar in the art field authoring numerous books and curating block buster art shows — now has serious memory issues. On the spectrum of forgetting, she is on one extreme. I love spending time with her and looking through her art books with her and observing if there is a glimmer of remembering. The mind is so fascinating – our greatest asset catapulting us to places I never thought possible, and inversely when it fails us, it can bring us to despair.

Most of my friends in their late 50’s and early 60’s are starting to apologize for their slow recall of names, book titles, and their keys. We are well aware that in the extreme the grim reaper of our memories is hovering and it will come.

After declaring a bogey on the 16th hole, my sweet friend patiently helped me recount my golf strokes reminding me I forgot to add in one of the strokes. I felt my body tense as I tried to visualize which one I had forgotten. She was right – Double boogey was the real number – but it was annoying to not have remembered that missed stroke.

It’s so easy to be impatient about forgetting my wallet, miscounting my strokes on a hole or even forgetting where I parked my car on my return almost leaving it in a different city.

I know, there’s strategies for keeping track of stuff so I googled around a bit and asked a few peeps for ideas and here were some suggestions.

1. Check your family genetics and perhaps you will discover memory issues in your past.

23 and Me: The DNA test that can give you insights into what came before and what comes after.

2. Puzzles: The Total Brain Workout…450 Puzzles To SharpenYour Mind

3. The New York Times Sunday Cross Puzzle. 500 Puzzles that are super-sized….no squinting!

4. Tumeric seems to be the new wonder supplement. Not only is is supposed to help with memory, it is also good for joint inflammation. New Chapter is a great company so perhaps this could be a great resource. Love to know if anyone of our readers has tried it.

5. Brain Boost Natural Supplements. Supplements make me a bit nervous as I’m not a vitamin or pill taker but… let us know if you take any supplements. This one got 4 out of 5 stars.

 

 

 

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Great Memory Enhancements When You Have Brain Blips

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A “Brain Blip” is a temporary inability to remember information. Most people, including memory champions, experience Brain Blips several times per week, and sometimes multiple times per day. Common Brain Blips include forgetting names, misplacing frequently-used objects, forgetting why you walked into a room, and word-finding difficulties. If Brain Blips get progressively worse and interfere with daily life, evaluation by a healthcare provider is recommended.

However, rest assured that for most of us, Brain Blips are temporary roadblocks that can be surpassed with simple tools based on the science of brain functioning.

The 3-P’s: Pause, Piggyback, Practice

The 3-P’s are science-based strategies that counteract multiple Brain Blips. The 3-P’s include:

  1. Pause to ensure you are paying attention to the information you want to remember,
  2. Piggyback (link) new information to information that is already stored in your brain. This speeds up the process of creating a new memory.
  3. Practice (repeat) the newly-learned information. This strengthens your neuronal connections and improves your memory of the information.

Forgetting Names

There are few things more frustrating than forgetting the name of an acquaintance, or a person you just met. This often occurs when you do not create a strong, memorable link to remember the name when you first learn it. Top Tips

  1. Pause to pay attention to the person’s name. Then repeat it out loud after you are introduced (e.g. “Nice to meet you Joe”). By saying the new name out loud, you allow the person to correct it if necessary (believe it or not, this step is a common stumbling block!)
  2. Piggyback/link the person’s name to another person you already know with that name, or to a famous person with that name. You are more likely to remember the new name if you link it to a name that is already well stored in your brain. For example, you might picture the face of your cousin “Joe” as you look at the new “Joe” you just met.
  3. Practice/repeat the new name and link you created. Throughout your conversation with Joe, repeat his name to yourself several times while picturing the face of your cousin Joe.

Misplacing Objects

You are most likely to misplace commonly-used objects such as keys, glasses, and purses/wallets. This occurs because you use the objects in multiple settings, often while engaged in other activities that may distract you from remembering where you put them. Top Tips

  1. Pause to place the item in its “home space.” A “home space” is a place where you consistently put common objects. This might include a hook by the door for keys, a table or shelf for your purse/wallet, or a pocket for your glasses. Make sure your “home space” is convenient, so that you are likely to use it.
  2. Piggyback/visually link the object to its surrounding area. If you are in a location where there is no “home space,” or choose not to use the “home space,” study the visual scene around where you placed the object. What room is it in, and what surface is it on? (e.g. “My keys are in the living room on the table by the door”).
  3. Practice/repeat the location to yourself – while you picture it – at least 3 times.

Forgetting Why You Walked Into a Room

Walking into a room occurs so frequently that the odds are high you will sometimes forget why you did so (as compared to actions you do less frequently). Top Tips

  1. Take a 10-second “Pause Point” to verbalize your “Mission” out loud before walking into the other room. Your “Mission” is what you intend to look for/do, where, and why (e.g. “I’m getting my laptop from the bedroom so I can write an email to Mary”).
  2. On the way to the other room, Piggyback/link your “Mission” to the action you intend to take with it (e.g. imagine yourself writing an email to Mary).
  3. Practice/repeat your “Mission” several times on the way to the other room.
  4. If other thoughts come to mind, take note of them, but quickly return your thoughts to your “Mission.” When you are en route to take action, it is common to think about other things related to that action (e.g. thinking about writing an email may lead you to wonder, “Did I respond to that email last week from Mike?”). If that happens, simply repeat your Mission, and write down the new information after your Mission is complete.

Word-Finding Difficulties

Word-finding difficulties occur when you cannot think of the word you want to say. The strategies to triumph over this tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon are different than The 3-P’s. Top Tips

  1. Keep Talking! Think of alternative words to describe what you want to say. Don’t worry if you are not as succinct as you intended. By continuing to talk, you may activate the neuronal pathways in the same geographic neighborhood of the brain where your target word is hiding, which may bring it to mind more quickly than if you paused.
  2. Substitute a Synonym. Let’s say you want to say the word “sublime,” but you cannot think of it in the moment. Try substituting a word that is close to it (“superb”), or a more generic word that still gets the point across (“terrific,” “amazing,” “wonderful”).
  3. Percolate and link. Your brain will often automatically search for and find the intended word (often when you least expect it!). If you cannot think of the word after several minutes, look it up. Then link it to similar words or pictures to strengthen your memory of it. For example, you might imagine a picture of submarine next to a lime to recall the word “sublime.” Use the target word often in the following days to strengthen your ability to remember it.

Next Steps!

You can triumph over future Brain Blips more quickly and easily by boosting your brain health with scientifically-proven tips. To obtain personalized strategies, take my Brain Health Quiz.

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

  • Chinese proverb

Dr. Michelle Braun is a Yale- and Harvard- trained board-certified neuropsychologist who is passionate about empowering individuals to boost brain health, reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, and triumph over Brain Blips. You can learn more about her work here.

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Midlife is the Perfect Time to Learn a Musical Instrument

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“…When Margo Thorning was a high school student in the late 1950s, she liked to play bongo drums while listening to jazz records, but it never occurred to her to take a drum lesson. She attended college, raised two sons, and worked as a senior economic policy adviser for a Washington think tank. All the while, the urge to beat out a rhythm persisted. So three years ago, at age 70, she started taking lessons,” says Tara Bahrampour from the Washington Post, in a recent article

In case you missed it, this Washington Post article confirms that more older adults than ever are learning a new musical instrument, and they are experiencing success and pleasure from doing so (and improving their brain function at the same time!)  This article is a must read if you are thinking of taking up a musical instrument at midlife…and it is very encouraging– it  appears that life experience (which is not in short supply) comes in handy.

So read more here, and call that music teacher!

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How To Talk To A Loved One When You Think They May Have An Addiction

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addictionWhen you have a loved one you suspect is struggling with an addiction, it can be difficult to know when and how to voice your concerns. Most people struggling with addiction do their best to conceal it, so it is not always easy to know the full extent of their problem.

Some subtle signs there may be an issue include missing school or work, a suddenly more distant demeanor, or having difficulties with interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, if you notice your loved one is keeping odd hours or exhibiting abnormal mood swings, these are still more indicators they may be headed toward, or even fully immersed, in an addiction. You may have even noticed concerning paraphernalia, such as empty bottles, glass pipes, or needles lingering in your loved one’s home space, or they may have gotten into legal trouble. This of course, is a much clearer indication help is in need.

Though it may seem daunting, it is important to always voice your concerns when you notice any signs your loved one is struggling. According to the National Institute of Health, over 22 million people in this country are in need of drug and alcohol addiction treatment, and sadly, less than 10 percent of those folks are getting the help they need. I know it can be scary subject to tackle—we are often fearful our loved ones will push us even further away—but there are some very real tactics that can assist you in guiding the conversation to a positive place.

The first step is to schedule a low distraction time and place to meet with your loved one. Next, consider these tips to ensure your conversation goes more smoothly:

  1. Set a Goal. When planning how to approach your loved one about their addiction, a smart first step is to check in with yourself and set a firm goal for the chat. Your primary aim should be to encourage them to get help. To that end, it’s important to avoid too much finger-pointing and rehashing of the past; you don’t want your message to get lost. You may even write down your goal to help you stay focused on the priority at hand. After all, it is easy to get wrapped up in the emotional details of the past.
  2. Skip the Blame and Set Your Boundaries. Your loved one will not be able to hear your concern if you bring up all of the things they are doing wrong; they will only become defensive. It is fine to point out concrete reasons for your concerns, but be careful not to center the conversation on how hurt or angry you Instead, plainly state you are concerned for their health and well-being, and tell them that you want to talk to them about getting some help. It is important to set boundaries and be firm with how much you will tolerate. Without blaming their character, you can tell your loved one that you can’t continue to support them in their habit by providing financial help or keeping secrets for them.

Helpful phrases:

Don’t come to your love one with, “I just can’t take this anymore!  You’re ruining everyone’s lives with your alcohol/ drug use. The whole family is depressed. I can’t sleep! Why are you doing this to us? What is wrong with you?”

Instead, the conversation should look more like: “I can see that you’re struggling. It is hard for me to watch you self-destruct. I’m worried about you, and I want to support you in getting help. Until you agree to get help, I can’t keep financially supporting you. I love you, but I can’t let myself be held hostage by your addiction.”

  1. Focus on the Solution and Don’t Become Sidetracked. Remember, your goal in the conversation is to help your loved one become well again. If they begin to make excuses or they begin to blame you or other people for why they have a problem, don’t get dragged into an argument. Continue to acknowledge that you see they are struggling, and reinforce the fact that you want to help them find the right kind of support, so that they don’t have to keep struggling. Make sure they know you are on their side!

Helpful phrases:

If your loved one tries to distract or make excuses, you can say, “I hear that you have a lot of reasons why you’re struggling, but I don’t think it is helpful to justify or deny your drug or alcohol use. I really feel that you need help, and I want you to know I’m here to help you get the support you need.”

  1. Know Your Resources. It may take a little time before your loved one is ready to accept help, but when they are, you’ll want to be ready with the necessary information and resources available to them. Try to find a treatment solution that will serve their unique personality. For instance, if your loved one is between the ages of 18 and 25, you may consider a facility like Sober College, which will not only assist them in addiction recovery, but also provide them with a pathway to college education and other artistic and vocational careers, and/or hobbies in the process. Providing them with a solution to their addiction while also opening new doors of opportunity, may help them feel more hopeful and optimistic about this journey, and thus, more inclined to receive help.

While you may feel hesitant to broach the topic of addiction, it is important to not let fear guide your choices. Instead, let love guide the conversation. Showing compassion and understanding for their struggle will help to dismantle much of the guilt and defensiveness your loved one is likely feeling, thus making them much more likely to accept the support you are offering.

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Exercise After 50? That’s A No-Brainer!

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Worried about losing brain cells as you hit 50 and beyond? 

“Specifically, people ages 50 and older experienced boosts to brain health following exercise sessions lasting 45 minutes to an hour at a minimum of moderate intensity.”

 

Read more here.

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Breaking Up With Drinking: Don’t Miss This Article from Elle Magazine

Reinvent Your Life After 50

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“Transformation is not about erasing who you have been. Instead, it is about building upon that masterpiece that is YOU by editing out what is stale and replacing it with what aligns now.” ~Randi Levin Coaching

I did just that. Reinvented my own life at the mid mark…and you can too. It is no accident that I choose to be a transformational coach in my 5th decade! So, I am abundant with strategies and life steps that empower our post +50 crowd to grab hold of their own legacy and define it. Then redefine it! Here is a sampling of a few meaningful tools and a DIY action step to begin.

  • Recalibrate Your Comfort Zone: Everything up until this moment has occurred in your own personal gated community. This community is your comfort zone. Shift your thoughts away from “stepping out of your comfort zone” and into the abyss of the unknown. Instead think about pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone out of that community so that you expand your comfort zone rather than abandon everything you have ever known. Transformation is not about erasing who you have been. Instead, it is about building upon that masterpiece that is YOU by editing out what is stale and replacing it with what aligns now. See the tweak?
  • Cut a New Path: The difference from the mid-point on is that you have history. Use that history and make it work for you. What have you always liked to do that you would like to do more of? If it were 10 years ago what would you do? What has a busy life kept you from exploring? Guess what? Now you can explore and that exploration should allow for you to blaze new trails where paths did not exist before. If your legacy is your power tool, then how can you map out today to get you consistently living a life that reflects who you are NOW? A new path bridges the gap between your stories of yesterday, your dreams of tomorrow and your realities of today.
  • Clear The Decks on Fear: Here is a great DIY exercise to build self-esteem and to point you in the right direction. Let’s face it…when you don’t step into what’s next in your life, something is holding you back. That thing is fear. Lots of talk about being fearless in life. While that sounds amazing…more than likely that is not going to be a reality. What is a reality is that instead of being fearless embrace fearing “less.” Here is how to empower the moment with a bit less fear and a bit more confidence:

          Take 10-15 minutes to write down all the stories you tell yourself.            You know, that reel that runs through your mind when you are                trying to fall asleep at  night. All the excuses, the limitations, the            reasons behind your procrastination    or overwhelm. Write them            all down. Read them out loud in front of the mirror.  Now re-read            them out loud again.

          How did it sound to say your excuses and limitations out loud?                Do a body scan for a moment. How do you feel? What are you                  noticing? Where is your energy?

          Now, rewrite those same stories “as if” you do in fact have                      what  you need.  Rewrite them from an abundance mindset.

Here is an example: If on your original list you wrote, I am not good enough to be able to open my own business, you will now replace that with I am good  enough and smart enough to open my own business. If you originally wrote, I don’t have the skills to do that…you will replace that with I have the skills or I am developing the skills to do that. 

Essentially, you are creating affirmation statements based off of the negative noise in your head. Here is the power punch: For the next 66 days you are going to create a new habit with your rewritten statements. You are going to clear the deck on your fears and break through the noise that is holding you back from the life you most want. For 66 days you are going to read out loud all of  your rewritten excuses and stories in front of the mirror. These new statements will become your new norm.         

  Why?

            If you say you are, you believe you are.

             If you believe you are, you are.

  It starts with your words, takes flight with your mindset, and elevates your energy so that you do in fact manifest and attract in what you most desire. Try it! Let me know where your energy and your thoughts now go!

 

 

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Live Longer: Research Shows These 4 Things Are Effective

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Eat right, exercise, drink red wine, laugh a lot… there are lots of different approaches to staying young.

Briefly Living In The Moment

Some can help us live longer, healthier lives and others are still up for debate. But one approach that’s quickly gaining favor with experts is the act of learning something new.

Train Your Brain to Stay Young

The evidence is mounting: taking on new things throughout your lifetime can help ward off mental decline. Henry Ford said it best, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” Researchers are now linking learning to reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, too. Plus, when the brain is healthy, the rest of the body stays healthier, too (and vice versa).

Ready to try training your brain to see if you can roll back the years? Here are some tips.

Learning Tip #1: Take a College Class (or Two or Three or Four)

Formal education doesn’t have to end after your teens or 20s. According to research, it really shouldn’t, either. There are plenty of course offerings to choose from at community colleges, each designed for working people, older Americans, and other non-traditional age students who want to get ahead or stay sharp.

Even if you can’t make it to a community college, there are lots of online courses to enjoy. Have you heard of MOOC’s? Massive Open Online Courses are often free and sometimes offered by top universities in the nation. Fancy yourself a Harvard student learning about Civil War history, for example. Or would you like to dive deep into a topic like Finance? How about something called, “Engineering: Building with Nature”? They’re all available online for free, in a self-paced format that accommodates your schedule. Check the EdX website for what’s available right now.

If you are looking for something that requires a little less study time, why not try yoga? Yoga is perfect for older adults. It engages the body, mind, and spirit, and it’s also a great way to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Read about why yoga is becoming popular among older adults.

Tip #2: Take Up a Difficult Hobby

As hobbies go, some are known to be relaxing because they’re easy, while others present more of a challenge. Tapping into the Fountain of Youth involves the latter type. Researchers actually found that the more difficult a new hobby is, the greater the improvement in cognitive skills like memory.

One example, the one studied by scientists and which showed a clear advantage over “easier” hobbies like doing puzzles, was digital photography. It involves a computer, and you’ll probably be learning Photoshop, a program for editing digital images. Challenging at any age!

Looking for more suggestions? Read our article about the importance of hobbies. The article is written for people approaching retirement, but the suggestions are applicable to all ages. A hobby you start now could become a passion for the rest of your life.

Tip #3: Write a Book

It’s been said that everyone has a book in them. Whether yours is a novel, a history lesson, or a memoir, the idea is the same: writing challenges the brain in a number of beneficial ways.

The advantage of writing a memoir is that aside from challenging your brain, it also serves as a valuable exercise in self-reflection. That can help seniors relive special moments, tell their story for future generations, or leave a legacy to provide a record of family tradition. Memoir writing can also help writers come to terms with certain aspects of living, such as growth, loss, aging, or any other type of life journey.

You could even combine this with Tip #1 (Take a College Class) and enroll in a memoir-writing class. If your local community college doesn’t have one, check your local library. Many offer these classes as part of their outreach programming.

If memoirs aren’t your cup of tea, how about a history of your town? It’s not quite so personal but does draw upon your unique perspective and knowledge.

And of course there are mysteries, whodunits, historical dramas, romances, and nonfictional how-to’s to consider, as well.

Tip #4: Discover Your Inner Picasso (or Monet)

Like writing or learning digital photography, learning to do something artistic has a high cognitive demand. Whether it’s painting, drawing, quilting, or refinishing furniture, in each case you’re learning something new and you’re challenging your brain on a higher level.

It doesn’t matter how you choose to learn a new art. You could take a class or you could hire a private instructor. You could even learn from a book or watch videos on YouTube. The important part is that you’re truly striving to learn the art (and that you’re also having fun!).

Why Learning New Things Works

What all of these tips have in common is that they challenge the brain. When you learn a new skill, take a college class, or start a difficult hobby, you’re strengthening certain connections in your brain. That does a lot more than just playing brain games.

Brain games may improve a very limited aspect of your short-term memory, according to cognitive psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman. But challenging activities like the ones described above do much more: they strengthen entire neural networks.

So, one last word of advice: don’t put too much stock in those so-called ‘Brain Games’ that cost a lot of money. The research isn’t there to back up their efficacy when it comes to warding off dementia or improving a wide range of brain functions. They are fun, yes, if they are worth it to you for the enjoyment – go for it.

But when it comes to actually improving brain functions, instead take a more holistic approach to challenging your brain: explore and discover what truly excites you while simultaneously challenging your mental abilities. Your genuine interest will help keep you motivated through the challenges you encounter. And that’s where the real magic happens… neural networks are strengthened and before you know it, you’ve tapped into your own inner fountain of youth.

Want to learn more about staying young through mental exercise? Read how Acts Retirement has made mental stimulation programs a priority within their communities. You may not be ready for retirement, but you’re never too young to start improving your mental health.

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Learning Piano At Midlife

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learning the piano at midlifeTwelve years ago, a casual elevator conversation with my neighbor led me to consider the absurd notion of learning classical piano at the age of 45. Like me, she had opted out from a full time executive career to focus on raising her two children, but unlike me, she had discovered a new challenge.

I grabbed the railing behind me to help stifle my envy and its inevitable sarcasm as she excitedly described her progress on a Mozart sonata. It had been a long time since I felt that kind of thrill. “Would you have any interest in lessons?” she asked. “My teacher comes to the building every Tuesday for the lesson, maybe you would like her phone number?” I had never considered taking up the piano, but when she asked, I was intrigued. My childhood pianistic endeavors had lasted two months, and as my mother had predicted, I had come to regret abandoning those lessons. I thought of the piano my husband and I had purchased the year before, now sitting silent in our living room upstairs. It was a Yamaha digital, and with the headphone jack, it was feasible to practice early in the morning or late at night without disturbing my family or neighbors. “Sure, give me her number,” I said as the elevator door opened.

I’m now 57 years old and if anything, I’m working harder now than I did in my business career. The Yamaha was replaced long ago with an acoustic upright, which was later replaced by a Steinway grand, a celebratory gift for my fiftieth birthday. My family’s move to an apartment downtown, inconveniently timed with my teacher becoming a mother, led me to my current teacher, a serious musician dedicated to teaching adults only. Her students range from complete beginners to conservatory level musicians, adults who reclaimed their childhood piano study, and myself, a former record executive, who, by putting rock & roll aside, fell in love with music from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

I have amazed myself by learning and then performing compositions from Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. I’ve learned scales, the circle of 5ths, chords and inversions. But my type “A” competitive record executive personality pushed for even greater challenges. I wanted to memorize a piece of music. As a child, I struggled with memorization of the simplest of poems; a mere 5-line stanza terrified me. I can’t retain jokes or lines from movies, television shows or books. C’mon, wasn’t it enough that I was attempting to learn to play piano at this late stage in life? What more did I have to prove? But truthfully, I envied fellow piano students who had accomplished this feat.

In particular, I recall a young woman who was close to completing her degree at a Manhattan conservatory, performing a difficult composition from the Russian composer Shostakovich. She began at the lowest register of the keyboard, and in what seemed an instant, she had risen off the bench, and her hands, fast as a Japanese bullet train, had moved to the highest register.

That’s a level of piano playing I have little hope of reaching in my lifetime, but since that performance I had been dogged with the idea of memorizing. That young woman had been so profoundly engrossed in her playing. I wanted to feel that too.

One day last spring, under my breath, hoping she wouldn’t hear me, I whispered to my teacher that perhaps I could try to memorize something. “Of course you should, Robin,” she replied, implying with her tone that of course I could, and suggested I start with a piece I had already mastered—“From Foreign Lands and People,” a short, two page composition from Schumann.

In his excellent memoir, Guardian editor, Alan Rusbridger, an accomplished amateur pianist himself, shares stories about his own difficulties with memorizing music. In particular, he writes, “Ronan (head of keyboards at London’s Guildhall School of Music) tries to reassure me, telling me I probably don’t have a problem with memorizing, just an anxiety about forgetting.” Aha! Thank you, it’s precisely this anxiety I wanted to conquer.

It took me most of the summer to memorize the two pages. The work was so tedious and frustrating, that on several occasions I was reduced to balling up my fists and banging on the keys like a child, leaving me to wonder why I ever thought I could accomplish something I couldn’t do when my brain was young.

Luckily for me, my teacher never doubted that I could.

The first time I attempted the entire piece from memory, I went blank. But I refused to give up; I’d already spent my entire summer on this challenge. I opened the music, played through and started over. When my brain froze at certain measures, I repeated the process until I finally made it through without the music. To finish off, my teacher insisted I close my eyes and play. This was tough, like closing your eyes and walking a straight line, but eventually came a stunning reward.

By closing my eyes, I shut the world and its myriad distractions out, and for those three minutes, it was just Schumann and I.

I wasn’t rising out of my chair, but for me, I was flying.

 

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Adult Education: Time To Take A Class For Your Brain After 50

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Not long ago, I attended an all-day workshop on PowerPoint. It was designed for people who felt comfortable using the program, but who wanted to take it to the  next level. As I use slides all the time in my new consulting business, I thought it might be a useful skill to hone.

It was.

I’m a big fan of taking classes in adulthood. Since moving to London twelve years ago, I’ve taken classes in everything from public speaking to improvisation to  how to write a business plan. In past lives, I’ve taken classes in freelance writing, beginning Hebrew as well as the  Continuing Ed class to end all Continuing Ed classes: I’m Jewish, You’re Not.

People go back to school as adults for many different reasons. Often, it’s to pursue a hobby. You try something new (or return to something old.) You meet new people. You collaborate. Above all, you have fun. (I’m currently eyeing a course entitled Actors Singing From West End to BroadwayBring it on!

Other times, you go back to school because you need to re-tool professionally. In an era where people in the West are living longer and healthier lives, older workers  not only can – but often choose – to remain in the workforce longer or return to work post-retirement.  In the UK, where I live,  over 50’s now make up nearly one third (31%) of the entire workforce, up from around one in five (21%) in the early 1990’s. In the US, two age groups – 65 to 74 years old and 75 and older – are projected to have faster annual rates of labor force growth than any other cohorts. So it’s  a good bet that we’ll be seeing more Americans – particularly boomers – sharpening their pencils and buying new notebooks as they gear up for a second or third career.

Going back to learn something new in later life has lots of benefits. It allows you to experiment. You get out of your comfort zone. You enjoy the fun of failure, as Gretchen Rubin likes to put it.

But the main advantage of adult education is that it enables you to remain curious. I was listening to an interview recently with Chip Conley on the Second Act Stories podcast. Conley was a hugely successful entrepreneur in the hospitality industry. Upon retiring after 24 years, he was asked by the then 31 year-old CEO of Airbnb to come serve as a mentor for that company. But while Conley was initially brought on board to impart his business wisdom to the “kids” at Airbnb, he ended up learning as much from the Millennials he was coaching, as they did from him. (Conley tells this story in his book, Wisdom at Work: The Making of a Modern Elder.)

Now in his late 50’s and post Airbnb, Conley has taken up surfing. And Spanish. He’s also opened a new business aimed at helping people navigate midlife transitions.

Which is why I myself never stop learning. It keeps me fresh. And it keeps me curious.

And who knows? Maybe I’ll be the next Cezanne of Power Point

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