This is the last of 5 facts I’m presenting to business owners and working folk on May 14.
Fact No 5: Retirement? Really?
The myth goes… Work hard, salt away money. Because… retirement will make it all worth it.
The fact is, retirement may not resemble the idyllic existence those commercials portray. The fact is, your retirement won’t be rife with fun-filled days lolly-gagging on a beach, warm tropical breezes on the 18th green, or romantic sunsets as you quaff Dom from your sailboat’s foredeck.
The fact is, you really won’t be doing any of that. At least not always. At least not even semi-regularly. The fact is, no matter how tidy your retirement fund, you’ll probably spend a lot of time at home. The fact is, retirement may see you wondering what to with those long, repetitive days. Don’t believe it? Ask Michael Schumacher.
The fact is, those bucolic depictions are a fabrication—a marketing program. The fact is, retirement is a myth. The fact is, if you don’t now have an itch for travel, a yen for golf, or the jones for sailing, there’s an even lesser chance that you will in 20 or 30 years. And the fact is, many people are too young for retirement, ending up, quite simply, bored.
The fact is, if you hate your job, not having to punch in every day will be the best thing about retirement. The opposite fact is, if you love your career, your retirement will mean a loss of identity, responsibility and accomplishment—resulting in you padding around in your kitchen, striving for a more efficient strategy for stocking the dishwasher.
The new reality is, don’t call it retirement. Call it a career change—a chance to finally, and once-and-for-all, do what you love doing. And, if you do find something you love, if you do find your vocation—your calling—(as described in Fact 4), chances are you’ll end up earning income at it too.
The new reality, therefore, is this; if you agree with the above, if you agree it’s a career change—and not retirement—then why wait? Why wait until you’re 58 or 60 or 65 to finally do what you love? If you agree to call it a career change—and not retirement—why not change now? (And if this idea sounds improbable, might I suggest you revisit Fact 2?). If you do make that change, you’ll then begin to see life as a series of never-ending, meaningful careers. You’ll see it as an experience where work feels like play. And you’ll then see each morning as an introduction to a life of retired non-retirement—where, every day, you’re doing exactly what you love doing.
Case study: Michael Schumacher, the winningest driver in Grand Prix history, retired four years ago at the age of 37. Citing that Formula 1 had become a sport for young, testosterone-laced jocks, he declared being doubtful about his aging instincts. After 4 years in humdrum retirement, he returned, this year, to his calling—to a sport where many of his competitors are half his age.
Harland (Colonel) Saunders only started to build his franchise at the age of 65. Ten years later, Saunders moved to Ontario to oversee his Canadian franchises, and to make continued public appearances.
Les Paul, jazz guitarist and father of the solid-body electric guitar, was a lifelong musician and a tireless innovator. Well into his 90s, Paul continued gigging. In 2006, at the age of 90, he won an unprecedented 2 Grammies for a just-released jazz album.
People. Regular people, deciding to pursue their passion. That’s what this is about. And my sincerest wish is that these 5 facts you gotta know do inspire you to seek out your true calling.
Let me leave you with two more items… If you’re thinking, oh sure it’s easy for you to say, you probably caught all the lucky breaks… then please read this post..
And last, please click on the image below for an inspirational trailer that illustrates how some folk used a catastrophic event to find their true calling:
More on this: This blog has quite a number of posts on retirement. This post called A “way better” retirement strategy details some of what you read here, while this post takes a somewhat tongue-in-cheek view of the retirement thing.
Yesterday: You want fans
Suggestions? Ideas? Questions? Please post a comment.
What a great resource!
Thanks, glad you’re enjoying the blog.