We’re all very similar in the end, don’t you think? And like you, the idea of retiring popped into my head a long way ahead of it ever actually happening. My biggest realisation was when doing all the sums. In calculating my age, money and current health situation, I had to acknowledge that there were probably only around 15 years available for comfortable travel, a bit of healthy adventure and still yet, a wide range of options available for my retirement.
As my plans to travel solidified into action and once I’d made up my mind, things really started to come together. All sorts of checklists emerged, everything from how to store my belongings, who to assign power of attorney, what countries were safe to travel, pulling bank accounts apart to see where money was slipping away unnecessarily to discovering just how difficult it was to attempt to ‘unplug’ your life for just a short while.
Over the next year the big picture started to become clearer and what was standing in my way was much easier to see. My confidence grew that this was the right way to begin my retirement journey and then something happened. Once my friends realised that I was serious about leaving for new horizons I began to spend many hours chatting over coffee, people wanted to know how it was possible to just pack up like this, they were excited for me and many questions appeared.
Then one day my bags were packed and I left. The farewell party was great but what became interesting only much later on was given the many hours detailing the ‘how to do it strategy’ – no one ever did. My exit plan was simple and straightforward to follow and peoples excitement for adventure was palpable at the time. I wondered what stopped them.
There’s never any clear cut answer of course, people that had adequate money to retire choose to work just a few more years, needing a little more safety perhaps, others had debt but never did anything to resolve it, some said they were comfortable with their lives but then divorced sooner than anyone had expected, others health unfortunately became disabling and yet some just cut off all communication, I guess it was all too much to take in….
Courage is needed when the clock is ticking. We must all anticipate what’s coming next and to hopefully try to act without our emotions taking over and then running the show. The future can get stuck, that’s because our actions right now are steering the ship. The course we travel in life will always begin with the decisions we are making in this very moment, today. Stalling important life choices, whatever they may be, creates an indecisive future and tends to shut-down our tomorrows.
