HI everyone!
Ok, one more from Roatan! Just as I finished up writing my last blog, I realized that I needed to mention one other lesson learned from my discussion with the resort managers which I talked about in my blog on July 14, 2018. And that is, he, as an engineering teacher, truly did love his job. He didn’t feel a need to retire to get away from it, and he probably would have kept on working for at least several more years at it if the extended opportunity to present fun, ecological seminars didn’t present itself.
His wife, however, was absolutely ready to retire when the opportunity presented itself. I understood from her reaction that she wanted to retire definitively and was very happy about this chance.
So, all this is to say, if you love your job and don’t want to or don’t have to retire, then you absolutely don’t have to! If retirement is all about doing what you want and what you love, and if you are already doing it, then there is no reason to change! When and if the time is right for whatever reason, you will be able to take the plunge at that time.
But if you definitely feel the tug to retire in the next few years, and if your finances will allow for it, I encourage you to start the process of planning for what is next! It is actually a fun and interesting process…with lots of discoveries ahead!
Of course, planning for the financially part is definitely important. As I said in the beginning, I do not have retirement financial expertise and we relied on a financial planner significantly. If you have a 401(k) or other retirement plan at work, I recommend you talk to one of their advisors or seek private planners; but even if the money part is not ready yet, thinking ahead and implementing some of your desires for retirement now, even before your retirement, pave the way. There are lots of things you can start now to make things very enjoyable. Remember as we have said, the brainstorming and list making we have talked about is great for helping to make both your NOW and THEN be what you want it to be!
Take care and happy planning! Come back next time when we will talk from the angle of being in the middle of work time still!
Mary