The Truth About Retirement
9 Ways to Live Now Like You’re Retired
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Did you know that the concept of retirement as we know it is over? The last wave of the Baby Boomers has almost troughed. I’m among the last of that wave of people born between 1946 and 1964.
But what you’re about to learn is my direct experience building a retirement planning business I eventually sold. And the way I discovered what retirement means and how to live yours now by changing your mindset and habits.
By the end of this article, you will see one of the best ways to eliminate the traditional stress associated with being unable to retire.
Retiring Others, Retiring Myself
Everything I’m writing about, teaching, and coaching I learned over the last forty years working as a manual laborer, a sales executive, and then building my small businesses at the same time my wife and I raised our two amazing sons. In other words, everything you’re about to read, I lived.
From 1991 to 2002, I built a business as a retirement planner and registered investment advisor. I helped busy professionals, executives, and their families with financial and investment strategies, including IRAs, 401Ks, and insurance policies. My goal was to secure their future and peace of mind.
However, a revelation changed my perspective. After years in the business, I noticed a trend: retirees were coming back to “unretire.” They were either bored post-travel or seeking new ventures, contradicting the traditional retirement narrative. This experience taught me that retirement, as commonly perceived, is overrated.
Defining Retirement
I define retirement differently: it’s about knowing yourself, doing what you want, when you want, and living your dream life now. This contrasts with the conventional definition, often about ceasing to work at a certain age.
My journey of living and working as if I were “retired” started when I was 30. I left the safety of my salary and benefits and started to build a book of business, clients who paid me fees that I could call my own. Every day was exciting, and since I discovered how to do work I love, I do not need to “retire” in a traditional sense.
