Retirement.

It is the dream we’ll never catch, right?  It’s hard not to read an article about how working adults don’t save enough for their retirement, how much longer they’ll have to work (if they can stop at all), the “gloom and doom” forecast of Social Security and Medicare, or the staggering amounts of accumulated assets pundits say you’ll need to survive (which are grossly inaccurate, by the way).  You get the idea.

All my life, I’ve tried to prepare for that notable day when I could finally say “I think I’m done”, and following a checkpoint meeting with my financial advisor last week, I can say with assurance – “I think I’m done”.

It’s a big milestone, and I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around it.

Still, as of today, I’m planning on exiting the “formal” world of work sometime in 2025, or as they say around my neck of the woods – “God willing and the creek don’t rise”.

What does retirement mean for me at the ripe “old” age of 57?  Well, there are some things I’ll still have to figure out.  I’ll still need health insurance to “bridge” my time until I’m eligible for Medicare.  I need to update my will, and I still have to wait for Social Security (withdrawals from that system don’t happen until I’m at least 62), but with the help of my financial planner, we’ll figure out the answers to all of those questions.

Your next question may be, “how are you able to retire at 57”?  (Confidentially, I COULD retire tomorrow, if I wanted, but I’m choosing to wait until 2025 for a number of reasons).

While my wife and I have not deprived ourselves of things in our daily lives, we also certainly do not live an extravagant lifestyle, so that helps.  I’ll also say that there was some “work” involved to get to this point.  I’ve followed a disciplined savings and investing strategy since my mid-20’s, trying to sock away around 15% of my annual income for my retirement needs (ALWAYS pay yourself first) since the beginning of my working career, and I’m happy to report that after all of the figures and number crunching, I’ll be able to live out my golden years in comfort – without worrying about money or finances.  Best of all, if anything should ever happen to me, my loving wife will be taken care of for as long as she lives as well.

It’s as if a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.  Hopefully, our health will hold and we’ll be able to travel, dine out a little more, or just enjoy each other’s company – uninterrupted by those annoying jobs.

It’s also amazing how this information has suddenly changed my entire attitude at my current job.  The stress level doesn’t seem as bad anymore, annoying people or situations don’t seem as bothersome, and quite frankly,  I feel like Matthew McConaughey  in the movie ‘Dazed and Confused’, driving my car around town (just “L-I-V-I-N”, man) and purring “all right, all right, all right” in any departmental meeting.  It’s quite liberating.

For those who might say “won’t you get bored?”  Oh, I’ll find other things to occupy my time, don’t you worry, but the best thing is – it’ll be what “I” want to do, not someone else. 

So, if you see me sometime in early 2025 (and onward) out at the golf course, at a restaurant, or even sitting on my porch, you’ll probably notice a big grin on my face.  That’s because I’m out, peeps (drops the mike).  No more Monday morning blues, no more commute, and best of all, no one will be expecting me in some office cubicle.

It will be glorious.