Have you ever taken a wrong turn, or worse, ended up lost or out of sorts because of your GPS? Maybe you were guided into a construction zone or the signs and guideposts promised on the map weren’t actually there.
Either way, when it comes to charting your way through retirement, all of us are following someone’s directions. A set of beliefs, ideas, and concepts – that someone who claims to know the way – has laid out for us. It’s rare to find someone blazing their own trail… and heaven forbid that when they do, they’re looked down upon or outcast for not subscribing to the recommend way. But what if the place so many of us are headed isn’t where we want to end up?
What if I told you that no matter how secure and confident you felt about your current retirement plan, the path you’re on may lead to a dead end? A barren, desolate corner of life that may leave you feeling alone, out-of-touch, and like there is no turning back.
You see, when it comes to retirement, most people prefer directions that promise wealth and comforts, so they compartmentalize their retirement plan. Financially speaking, they institute certain rules for investing, mandate specific habits for saving, and sacrifice their health and relationships because someone told them that it’s the right way to retire.
But that’s not how it works. You can’t selectively plan your way to – and through retirement. At some point your health, relationships, mental strength, and spirituality will come into play. It could happen on your first day of retirement or twenty years into it, but rest assured, you will cross that path when your lack of habits and discipline in others areas of life are brought into question.
Don’t take this as a ploy to make you feel guilty about saving or investing… or to question your values or morals. The problem isn’t that you have lots of money saved for retirement, the issue is that money may not be able to save you in retirement.
We all know that money can’t buy love or happiness, but in real-life retirement, money alone won’t help you replace your work identity, stay connected to family and friends, feel relevant, or mentally and physically strong.
Let me ask you, “is it possible that you may be placing too much emphasis on the financial stuff and risking aspects of your health, relationships, mental or physical well-being or spiritual connection in the process?” Could it be time to pull-over and consider a new route? One that helps you balance the personal aspects with the financial parts. A wealth map that allows you to fully embrace life in retirement on every level.
Reality is, you can’t follow two separate sets of directions and what I know about the money stuff is that running out of it pales in comparison to running out of family, friends, good health, and ultimately time. In other words, just following the financial directions can lead to a pretty disappointing transition into retirement. It may put you in a place you don’t want to be, and you’ll miss your true retirement destination.
What’s nice is that I’m not asking you to give up or start denying yourself anything, but instead to be willing to explore the true extent of retirement. To take a look inside and make sure you’re on the right path, the one that’s best for you, and not following someone else’s directions.
Will you end up on a retirement dead end? Take our Retirement Priorities Quiz and check out our free guides, Three Things No One Tells You About Retirement and How To Prepare Your Marriage For Retirement.
Still have a question or want to share your feedback? Email me personally by clicking here or feel free to call at (423) 247-1152.