Another good article on why we spend too much time thinking about what it would be like to not have to work instead of thinking about what we’d like to be doing. Like I’ve said before, there’s only so much sitting on the beach I could do. Why Even Thinking About Retirement Can Be a Bad Idea.
How many times have we all thought about how nice it would be to have enough money so that we would never have to work again? We think about all that we won’t have to do: We won’t have to get up early. We won’t have to go to work. We won’t have to meet deadlines. We won’t have to be stressed. Unfortunately, it is hard to find much fulfillment in what we won’t do. We can only find fulfillment and meaning in what we will do.
Dave discovered that quickly enough. Dick taught me that as well. You may well have too much intellectual curiosity and too much enthusiasm for life ever to retire. When and if that day comes, you might not be doing what you’re doing now, but you will want to be doing something that matters.
Forget about retirement. Forget about planning for it. Just find something that you love to do.
I think I’ll still strive for financial independence though. That would give me a lot more freedom in picking the job I wanted. You could stay in a traditional job, you could become a social entrepreneur or a full time student or …
Well, different strokes for different folks. But here’s our side of things: we’re retired and we love it! One year ago, we moved from a flat megalopolis to a rural community in the Hill Country of Texas and every day our surroundings give us joy: the beauty of the lake and hills, the deer, the ducks, the swans, the hummingbirds, the clear gurgling creeks and rivers. The flexibility we have now helps us be better connected to, and involved with, our family and friends. We also serve our church in various ways. I was a writer before and I’m still a writer. Only now I write about what I love rather than writing what I’m assigned to write. Absolutely no regrets in this downsized retired household.
Congratulations! It sounds like you know what you love doing – enjoying nature, spending time with family, friends and church and writing!
I have lots of friends that talk about retirement but they work so many hours they have no hobbies or outside interests. I wonder what they’ll do when they retire and why they are spending so many years doing something they don’t enjoy …
Oh … and I should have said that I know lots of happily retired people! I’m not dinging retirement. I’m more dinging all the years we complain about work and chalk it all up to “well, I’ll be happy when I retire.” I think if we knew what would fulfill us we could do more of it while we are/were still working.
I seem to know too many people that live for weekends and vacations.