One of my blog writing prompts was to write a journal entry 10 years into the future. It got me to think about a question that I have waffled over for years. The year is 2030 and at 73 years old, I thought I would be retired by now. In 1980 when I graduated from Michigan State University, my plan was to retire at 55 years of age. My father was an engineer at Ford Motor Company and he did not retire at 55. Where did I get that idea from? It didn't come from my college professors. It certainly didn't come from the Chefs I worked for in my early career roles. The message I had in my head was that if I could not afford to retire by 55, I was a failure. I also thought I would not live much past 58, (I'm glad that wasn't true). As life moved forward, and reality set in, the target kept getting pushed farther back (58, 60, 62, etc.). I could have retired at 55 if I had made different choices early on, or was okay with lower living standards once I quit working. That was certainly an option. The major change came when I decided to get married and have children. It is a fact that it takes more cash to feed a family of four than myself, (even though I eat quite a lot). That decision was the best one I made because of all the other benefits I received from them. Lots of circumstances and factors affect your decision to retire, including the fact that we are living longer. The other big reason I have trouble retiring is that I love what I do. I will miss the feeling I get when someone comprehends a lesson that brings them value (more joy, balance, efficiencies, etc.) When do you plan on retiring and why? At some point, I should retire because I want to be full of energy, passionate about the topic, and build connections with my younger audiences. I want to remember what lesson I am teaching, hear what the participants are saying, and not call for bathroom breaks every 30 minutes. ​ Life moves forward, and so will I somewhere between now and 2030. I will hang it up, pull my Linked In profile, and take down my website. I will always have these memories....until I don't. And that is okay too.
Rein Kansman
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