Retirement...that magical time when all of our dreams come true! We are conditioned to work through the prime of our lives, building up this pile of money, then when we finally reach that magical age when the kids are on their own, we get to go do aaalll the things we've dreamed of doing. You know, the pictures we've looked at for forty years on our cubicle wall hoping and waiting for.
But there's a problem, several actually. We're not as young as we used to be. The dreams we had when we were 25 are not entirely possible at 65. We contributed to our retirement fund and the stock market didn't pay out like it was supposed to. We're now on a fixed income and to qualify for the meager amount that we've stockpiled for 40 years, we're not allowed to supplement. All the dreaming and planning was for nothing.
It's a rigged system and I refuse to be part of it. I will never retire. I figured this out at age 40 and decided to screw the system and start living my life while I still could.
Here are my top 3 reasons why I won't retire and what I'm doing instead
Reason #1 Lack of Purpose
Retirees often feel a loss of purpose and report an increase in anxiety and dissatisfaction. A 2019 survey of 1000 newly retired Londoners found that the words they most commonly used to describe their lifestyle were boring, lonely, and quiet. Not exactly the golden years we have imagined.
This is why you see so many older Walmart greeters. They retired, got bored, lacked purpose in their lives, then decided to go down a familiar route and got a job. It's extremely common for retirees to go back to work. When we lack purpose, there is no motivation to live. Without the will to live, we die. It's a sad story, but very real.
Reason #2 Expectation
There is an expectation that when you retire, this means you're old and will die soon. It messes with our mindset and starts a belief that we're on the way out. This also contributes to decline in health, much like the expiration dates doctors place on people. When the doctor gives you bad news and says you most likely have X number of months left, you start believing it and it becomes true.
Reason #3 Decrease in Value
As a retiree, people tend to feel lack of purpose and value. Their worth diminishes because they no longer have a "job." As living beings, we are wired to grow and increase. If you're not growing, you're not living. If there is no value, you're worthless.
What is the solution?
When my son reached his teenage years, I realized that my worth was wrapped up in being a mother and I had forgotten my personal dreams and goals. I spent years trying to figure out what I enjoyed because so much time was spent making others happy, that I forgot myself.
Once I learned what I really wanted, we started taking steps to living our best lives instead of waiting for retirement. We sold everything and moved to the beach. We are now in the process of building our home business that we can run from our boat.
Take some time to discover what lights you up and brings you joy, then start working toward your big goals early on.
Decide that your purpose is not wrapped up in your job. Your job pays the bills, it's not who you are. If you can, work for yourself and never quit.
I want to hear from you! What if you had your dream job that you could work from anywhere, what would your life look like? Let's hear it in the comments!
About the Author:
Julie Lewis, Gamification Expert | SEO Specialist | Online Business Strategist | Tech Nerd
Julie has been developing websites for 23 years. Growing up as an online gamer and fascinated by psychology, she merged her "nerdiness" into an online business. Using her technical skills and gamification research, she teaches female entrepreneurs how to develop their online strategy to engage their customers and LEVEL UP their online business!
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