BA50 TalkersSome people think that early retirement is for tech geniuses or burned out Wall Street wizards. But lots of people these days find themselves considering an early exit from their careers. If you’re one of those people and you’re weighing your options, here’s some food for thought.
You may dream about lazing about in the sun or finally having time to read War & Peace, and that will be wonderful. But there can be more to retirement if you plan it right and know about all the other wonderful aspects of retiring early. This article will walk you through a few of them. Take a moment, pause to consider, and imagine what retirement could really look like when you set your sights higher!
If You Love Your Career, You Can Still Work – But Without All the Stress!
Lots of people who quit their careers early don’t do it for the reasons most think. Rather than quitting because they hate their jobs, they quit because their jobs were killing their lifestyle. It’s often the case that the higher you climb up the ladder in your field of choice, the worse your lifestyle becomes.
Remember all those dreams you once had? Where you’d go camping in the deep wilderness or immerse yourself in learning a foreign language while living abroad? Those dreams get put on hold when you’re working. They’re put on hold until you reach the age of 65, in most cases. That’s a long wait to start checking things off your bucket list and living a more casual, carefree lifestyle. Retiring early shortens the wait – by a huge margin!
But retiring doesn’t mean you need to stop working completely. It just means that work is now optional. You can become a private consultant and make your own hours. You can work part time. Or you can quit your job and start a new business. This will allow you to make time for all the things in your life that bring you true happiness. Your options are endless, but your stress? That can end.
You Can Actually Be Better at Your Career
Without the pressure of deadlines, promotions, commutes and competition, you can begin to really enjoy your career. You can approach “work” on your own terms and delve deep into the areas you never had time for before.
You can even try mentoring others in your field. Helping others is immensely rewarding and fulfilling and it’s something that many retirees say they lack after they stop working. By mentoring, you stay current with new practices, tools, and strategies that come along after you’ve left the formal work environment.
Your Relationship Will Begin to Thrive All Over Again
We all know what happens to relationships when everyone’s busy working hard all the time. You have to schedule Date Nights, your romantic life suffers, and there’s never any time to do the things that you love to do together. Unfortunately, lots of couples who retire at the traditional age (65) find that they’ve grown apart during all the decades since they first got together.
Retiring early means you can still enjoy one another’s company while you’re still young!
You Get to Wake Up and Say, “What Do I Want to Do today?”
Although it may seem awkward and overwhelming at first, managing a schedule that’s wide-open can be wonderful for the soul. If it’s snowing, you can stay under your down comforter and read a book. Eat a late breakfast and maybe enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. If it’s raining, maybe it’s time to start one of those Pinterest-inspired home renovation projects you’ve always dreamed about completing. Whatever you feel like doing, it’s yours to choose when you’re retired.
You Won’t Be Spending All Your Healthy Years Working
Healthcare technology and research have come a long way and people are living longer, but health is still a concern as you age. You could become injured, contract a chronic condition, or experience any number of health concerns at any moment.
When that happens to people, it’s common for them to wish they’d enjoyed their lives more while they were healthy. Even people who age gracefully still have to deal with the limitations of their bodies, no matter how healthy they might be.
Retiring early means you get to take advantage of feeling like a young, vibrant, healthy person for as long as possible.
You Can Work on Becoming the Most Fit Person You Know
Having the time to work out and the flexibility to get fit on your own schedule is a priceless asset that you get to enjoy once you retire. And retiring early means you’re doing yourself a favor by getting a jumpstart on that healthy lifestyle. Those extra years of staying fit will really pan out as you age.
You Get to Live Anywhere
Retirees are famous for moving south or moving to independent living communities. You can do either, but you can definitely go wherever you want! From the deserts of Arizona to the forests of the Pacific Northwest and from the cobblestone streets of Boston to the glamour of New York or Paris, you really can make the world your oyster.
Click here to view a list of the most retirement-friendly states.
Scheduling Time to See Family is Easy
Early retirement means there’s more time for everything that makes life good. For many, chief among those things is family time. Fly across the country to visit family, spend the summer with parents, or have your younger niece stay for a week during her Spring Break and get to know everyone a lot better. Cementing family bonds is one of the best gifts offered by the freedom to travel and slow down the pace of life.
You Have Lots More Chances to Meet New People
Visiting cafes, taking classes, volunteering, joining community groups, attending local sports events… wherever you find your passion, you’ll get to meet new people and enjoy socializing in totally different, new and exciting ways.
Early retirement may mean you have to save up for a while, live within your means, and invest for the future. But as you can see, the benefits are immense (and we haven’t even covered them all)! If you make it, look forward to these and more benefits to come.
For more information about retirement, read these articles by Acts Retirement-Life Communities: