Retirement planning can be fraught with worry in the best of times, but when the market turns volatile and uncertainty reigns, people in or near retirement may give way to anxiety or unease to an even greater degree than normal.

And as a result, those dreams of carefree golden years may transform into sleepless nights.

 Plenty of people remember what happened with their 401(k)s when the recession hit a decade ago, and that naturally can make you nervous. But that makes it all the more important to make a plan and not leave everything to chance.

 The good news is anyone can start taking steps now that can improve the odds that retirement will be fulfilling and joyful.

 Certainly, each person’s circumstances will be different, and just because a specific financial strategy worked for your neighbor doesn’t mean it will work for you. But here are a few general tips for navigating the financial road ahead to help give you a more secure retirement.

• Don’t underestimate your retirement’s length. People are living longer than ever, which means retirements can last longer, too. Many people may assume they need to plan for 20 years, when in fact their retirement could last 30 years or longer. As you figure out how much money you will need, make sure to plan for what could be a long retirement. Having a target amount in mind is critical. Without a target amount, you have no way of measuring whether you are on track to meet your goal.

• Know where your retirement money will come from. Social Security likely will help fund a portion of your retirement, but it won’t be enough to replace your weekly paycheck. Some people have pensions, but those are fast disappearing for most workers. That means personal savings, such as in an IRA, a 401(k) or other investments, will play a major role in whether you have a satisfying retirement or whether you struggle to make ends meet. Unfortunately, studies have shown that many Americans aren’t doing a great job with their savings. It’s important to sit down with your financial professional, determine where you stand, and make a plan so you don’t run out of money.

• Determine your risk tolerance. At some point, as you create a financial plan and determine the best investment strategy for reaching your goals, you will need to do a little self-assessment. Some people are fine with taking risks with their money. Others become uneasy at the thought that they could suffer a big loss if the market takes a sudden turn for the worse. Each individual investor needs to decide whether the potential rewards of an aggressive investment strategy outweigh the stress they might feel about the uncertainties of how the market will perform. In addition, you likely will want to re-assess your risk as you draw closer to retirement because you will have less time to recover if the market does take a plunge.

If you have been stashing money away for retirement, that’s great. But you should do more than save. If you want to reach your financial goals efficiently, you need to have a good, solid plan that will get you there.       

Jeffrey Eglow is the chief investment officer at Guardian Wealth Advisory (www.guardianwealthadvisory.com) in Florida.

Bad habits can be hard to break, and for business leaders who have them, they can be deal-breakers.

 In a survey by Leadership IQ, an online training firm, the primary reasons CEOs were fired — mismanaging change, ignoring customers, tolerating low performers, and not enough action — were often related to unproductive habits. 

 Although leaders who display these behaviors generally know what to do, and how to do it, their unproductive habits render them unable to get things done — with dire consequences. The most common unproductive leadership habits include avoiding decisions and conflict, maintaining comfort-zone networks, needing to be liked, neglecting to listen enough. And those habits are hard to break.

 However, leaders can break those habits by replacing them with foundational habits that make leaders successful. Here are six: 

• Capitalize on luck. This is a habit of forward-moving thinking in response to both good- and bad-luck events. Bad luck, such as the extended absence of a key employee, affords an opportunity for the leader to empower others by challenging them to learn, grow and contribute in new ways. Whatever the circumstances, leaders rapidly come to understand the value of generating return on luck. Everyone wins.

• Be grateful. When you appreciate and value what you have, you gain a clearer perspective. A daily meeting ritual of appreciation creates space for executives to share what they appreciate most, and it opens up the room to clearer thinking and increased collaboration. 

• Live — within limits. Research shows there are many advantages to being a giver, but striking a balance is important to remain productive. Sharing information and resources cultivates an abundance mindset, bringing benefits that both the company and the leader can reap. But there are limits; if you’re giving away too much time and too many resources, you won’t be able to accomplish your own objectives. Give, but know when to say no.

• When problems arise, focus on process — not people. When something goes wrong, a common approach is to find fault with the people involved. But bad or poorly communicated processes can make even the most talented, dedicated staff look terrible. Question processes and communication first, before you explore the intentions, character, or capabilities of those involved. Research shows that believing in your people pays off.

• Have high expectations of others. Leaders who set the bar high and then give their teams latitude to execute reap more benefits than those who simply tell their teams what to do. Those whose habits include valuing autonomy and individual responsibility can build something great over time. High expectations and empowerment are key.

• Maintain intentional focus. Countless research studies have exposed excessive multi-tasking as ineffective. To make real progress, hold a small number of very important things in your mind and let go of the rest. Ruthless prioritization and focus in execution will set you free.

With our thoughts, we make our world. Check your beliefs about your leadership habits, choose just one or two to change, enlist others to support your efforts, and then get to it.       

Mark E. Green, author of “Activators: A CEO’s Guide to Clearer Thinking and Getting Things Done” (www.Activators.biz), is a speaker, strategic advisor, and coach to CEOs and executive teams worldwide. He is a core advisor to Gravitas Impact Premium Coaches. 

There is everything right about looking out for yourself and your career. Right now, with more jobs than people to fill them, it’s easier than ever.

One month in mid-2018, job postings exceeded the number of unemployed by an eye-popping 659,000. With this happening, it’s no surprise that 3.6 million workers voluntarily quit their jobs in the first seven months of 2018. This 2.4 percent quit rate was the highest since April 2001.

No one can miss the message: more vacancies and not enough takers to fill them equals better opportunities and higher pay.

But not so fast. All this may be true in some situations but not everywhere — and not forever. If you believe jobs are “temporary” and the best is yet to be, you can create an easy-to-spot trail of behaviors that can put a cap on your career. In this environment, here are some of the ways to mess up on the job without even knowing it.

1. Take advantage of your team. To do this, make it clear from the get-go that you’re a “team player.” This is what everyone wants to hear today, so keep repeating it. Now that you have set the stage, make sure everyone knows you have too much on your plate to support the team.

2. Cover up your mistakes. To make this work, act totally innocent. Rehearse your story so you can act shocked if someone calls you on an error. Never crack, never confess. Once you get it down pat, you’re ready for the next time — and the next.

3. Always agree but don’t perform. When asked to do something, act interested and even excited, but never get around to it. After you have done this several times, the word will get around and you’ll be left alone.

4. Position yourself as the exception. You have figured it out and thought it through. There are good reasons why what applies to everyone in your group doesn’t apply to you. Don’t bother telling others about it. They’ve figured it out on their own.

5. Do only so much and nothing more. You’re not going to be around long; you’re already looking for your next gig. So, why knock yourself out? Just ignore the pressure to do more. Act busy, but take it easy on yourself.

6. Make it known that you’re meant for better things. Sure, you do your work, but you also talk about how great it was at your last job or how good your friends have it where they work.

7. Disappear when there is a crisis. Coming in early or staying late when it’s needed doesn’t work for you. Always have a reason ready why you can’t alter your regular schedule time or, better yet, even come in late or leave early.

8. Pass the blame around. The directions were incorrect. Someone gave you inaccurate information, misled you, waited to the last minute to notify you, or had it in for you — on and on it goes. There’s plenty of blame to go around.

9. See yourself as a silo of one. You’re an island, entire of yourself, to paraphrase John Donne. “It’s blindness, which causes people to do stupid things,” states Gillian Tett in “The Silo Effect.”

10. Behave inconsistently. This is the most useful on-the-job strategy for hiding in plain sight. One time you’re up and the next time you’re down. Friendly, and then aloof. You’re unpredictable; no one knows how you’re going to react. It doesn’t take long before they stop counting on you.

11. Believe they can’t do without you. You have been in the job for a while and you know the ropes, so you’re feeling good about yourself. You talk more openly about coworkers and play a little loose with the rules. While you believe your job is secure, others see a train wreck coming.

12. Get upset if you’re not getting a regular dose of praise. In fact, you’ve come to expect it. It’s almost an addiction. When you don’t receive praise, you’re quick to complain that you’re not appreciated.

13. Ask for help but never offer it. You can’t understand why your coworkers are reluctant to help you. It isn’t because they don’t like you. With you, helping is a one-way street.

14. Make it a point to play it safe. Whether it’s because you want to avoid criticism or you just can’t be bothered, never take a chance and step outside of your comfort zone. Everyone can see what you do, but not what you’re capable of doing.

15. Act like the rules don’t apply to you. When the rules benefit you, you make sure everyone knows about it. When they don’t, you come up with way to make it clear that you are the exception.

16. Overestimate your capabilities. Hey, you’re not alone on this one. Most of us tend to exaggerate our skills, capabilities, and our performance, but some do it more than others and they’re surprised when they’re no longer needed.

17. Always be ready to come up with a complaint. It’s one thing after another. We can count on you to make a big deal out of almost anything. Then, when something comes along that may be worthy of a complaint, we ignore you.

18. Don’t learn new skills or expand your knowledge base. You don’t seem to recognize that no one arrives on a job perfectly prepared. It takes time to learn the ropes and then continue learning to become and remain highly productive.

19. Bluff your way. If you haven’t found a way to successfully mess up on the job, there’s always the other option: faking it. Claim to know something you don’t. Make up a story about an accomplishment or even awards or commendations. In other words, bluff your way through. It will work — until it doesn’t.

There may be other ways to mess up on the job that will jeopardize your future, but these are a good start.       

John Graham of GrahamComm is a marketing and sales strategy consultant and business writer. He is the creator of “Magnet Marketing,” and publishes a free monthly eBulletin, “No Nonsense Marketing & Sales Ideas.” Contact him at jgraham@grahamcomm.com or johnrgraham.com.

Starting up a new business is exciting while also being a frightening and difficult task. The Pew Research Center reports that more than 50 percent of startups fail in the first four years and fewer than 60 percent earn any profit after 10 years. More than 500,000 individuals in America close their businesses for good every year. Scary stuff. 

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start a business, but it does mean you need to know what you are getting into before you jump in. You need to begin your startup with all of the advantages you can gain with the help of business mentors, business training, and experienced guidance. 

For free, you have available to you in Central New York, the U.S. Small Business Administration Syracuse District Office, the WISE Women’s Business Center, the area’s four Small Business Development Centers, area SCORE chapters, regional chambers of commerce, and local libraries. Search for friends or relatives who have successful business experience to help guide you on this journey. 

For a cost, you can hire a business coach or startup coach in person or online. Find someone who has been through the fire of opening his/her own business startup — someone who has been awake at night not knowing how to pay the bills. Find someone who understands how to determine if your business idea is viable, who your customers are, and if you can earn a profit. A coach who can teach you how to make your service consistent, how to set up systems in your new business, how to scale your business, and how to keep a life while building your dream would be most helpful.

The success stories of business startups will be individuals who have the determination, the desire, the time, the passion, the willingness to listen and learn, and the financial resources to follow this to the end. 

Starting up a new business is like climbing Mount Everest. It’s over 29,000 feet high with frigid, extreme weather conditions; it takes more than three months to climb; danger is all around you each and every day; it costs upward of $100,000 to do it; and you have only a 50 percent chance of success in reaching the top. 

Climbing Mount Everest or starting up a business is not for the weak, timid, or foolish. Each requires planning, training, resources, and an experienced guide to increase your chances for success.          

James McEntire, of Camden, is owner of Boomers Startups, and helps baby boomers jump start their startup plans. Contact him at james.r.mcentire@gmail.com or (315) 225-3536.