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Community Corner

Free Retiree Workshop Helps Rid Procrastination

The Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund will host a workshop on July 12 at Libertyville Sports Complex.

Amid all the talk of medicare cuts, shaky social-securities and crumbling pension plans, it might be hard to believe there’s a government group actually helping seniors. But the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) is not only doing a good job with retirees’ wallets -- the $22 billion fund stands at 86.5 percent funded and earned a 13.4 percent return on its investments in 2010 -- it’s taking steps to improve seniors’ quality of life.

IMRF will be hosting Finding Your Get Up and Go on July 12 at 1:30 p.m., at the , 1950 N. US Hwy 45. The program will help seniors deal with procrastination, lethargy and other forms of dawdling. Whether it be washing the kitchen floor or taking an art class, the session breaks down why people put things off and what can be done to break the habit.

Partnership with university

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The program is a product of the IMRF’s alliance with the University of Illinois Extension, the school’s outreach effort that hosts education sessions for some 2.5 million residents across the state. The Extension’s classes are research-based and taught by experienced, often innovative, educators. The IMRF and the Extension joined up in 2008 - “Finding Your Get Up and Go” was actually suggested by attendees of earlier workshops.

Retirees can expect a presentation from U of I Extension’s Family Life Educator Molly Hofer. The class will dig into the roots of dalliance, such as self-doubt, fear and perfectionism. Solutions range from methodical (breaking big jobs into smaller tasks) to psychological (awareness of inner negativity). Attendees will also take home helpful materials, such as an outline of the class and worksheets.

Moreover, retirees will come away knowing that they’re struggles are not unique. They “discover their challenges are shared by other people”, explains Linda Horrell, communication manager for IMRF. The session encourages people to share both problems and solutions, but shy retirees need not worry, participation isn’t forced.

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Sessions fill up quickly, Horrell says, so interested folk should sign up soon.

Tips to avoid procrastination

  1. Break the task into smaller parts that can be completed in short segments
  2. Be aware of any negative self-talk and turn it into positive talk
  3. Honestly confront your fears, e.g., fear that the task won’t be done perfectly.        
  4. Obtain the skills needed for the activity.        
  5. Share goals with someone else to increase accountability

To register, call 1-800-275-4673 or 630-706-4536.

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