Making Retirement Work is quite simply that: designed to help make retirement work for those either already there, or those drawing near to exiting the workforce.
The author, John Bradford, shares some of the lessons he has learned since not being in fulltime employment and offers some practical advice about coping with the challenges of retirement and growing old.
His son's death from cancer at the end of 2015 was a very painful time for him and his family. Notwithstanding, his life - and this book - is based around the fact that he must get on with his life and "not grow weary or fainthearted." (Hebrews 12:3b)
John graduated from Sydney University with a degree in Economics in 1968 and was conscripted into the Australian Army. He served in Vietnam for 12 months. After being discharged from the Army at the end of 1970, he returned to the family retail business in Sydney
Then followed several years in the retail industry which included, after he left the family business, surf shops, book shops and gift/novelties stores. He also completed a Graduate Diploma in Education and taught business subjects at Sydney Technical College.
John's political career started when he was elected to the Warringah Council on Sydney's northern beaches in 1977. However, after getting married in 1984 and moving to Queensland in 1987 he worked in his brother's real estate business on the Gold Coast, mainly focussing on selling businesses. He then re-engaged with the retail industry in the role of National Director of the Shopping Centre Tenants Association.
Perhaps surprisingly, after such a short time in Queensland, John was elected to the Federal Parliament in 1990 as the Member for the 'safe' Liberal Gold Coast seat of McPherson. After leaving the Parliament at the end of 1998, John and his family left Australia for five years as missionaries, serving in Mongolia with the Bible Society, and then with YWAM (Mercy Ships) in the UK and USA.
At 72, full retirement is not on his agenda. Finishing well, however, is, and this book is deigned to help you do the same.
