There are two things I dislike about retirement. The first is the word itself. Depending on which dictionary or thesaurus you consult, some words synonymous with retire or retirement are retreat, recede, and my least favorite, “withdraw from service.”
In my case, I voluntarily terminated my employment with my former employer – no more, no less. We had a bi-weekly contract for many years. During that period, I sold them my time and talents in exchange for money and benefits, for which they paid me every two weeks. At the end of each bi-weekly period, our slates were clean. My life now, unlike the dictionary definition, is active and advancing. The things I do for money, if any, are because I want to; not because I need to. As Jim Rohn taught, get to a point where you work for joy and not necessity.
The second thing I dislike about retirement is its linkage to age. Many have said to me that at age 56, I wasn’t old enough to retire. Americans have become conditioned by conventional wisdom to think that retirement is directly related to some age, like 65 for example. When I inevitably find myself in these discussions, I politely tell people that retirement is about money, not age; you can retire at any age if you have enough money. In fact, had I known thirty years earlier what I know today, terminating my employment would have happened decades ago.
Well said ! On both points I have the exact same sentiment when it comes to the word “retirement.” When asked I tell people I retired from Company X vs. the standard reply of “I’m retired” which, though it’s a subtle difference, hopefully makes the point you describe so well. Life goes on ! Secondly, this notion that you can’t or shouldn’t retire until you’re 65 always seemed like a dangerous mindset to me. I knew at age 50 there was no way on earth I was going to work for Company X, or anyone else, until I’m 65 so I pulled the plug in my 50’s. The notion of sacrificing my time and likely my health were not compromises I was willing to continue to make. I’ve always been a motivated saver though a conservative investor which thankfully has allowed me to escape the clutches of corporate life and find other opportunities for continued happiness and financial freedom. Thanks for the blog post and articulating some very important concepts.
Thanks Dean and well said! I might have to start hiring you to write on my behalf. Chris