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Table of Contents:
1. The Year of _____?
2. Your Story in a National Magazine
In the Chinese calendar, 2007 is the Year of the Pig. For the United Nations, it is the Year of the Dolphin (www.yod2007.org/en/start-page/index.html). 2007 is the European Year of Equal Opportunity for All. And for Australians, it is the Year of the Surf Lifesaver. How about making the next twelve months the Year of ____ (fill in the blank)?
Some possibilities:
The Year of Financial Independence. Or at least, creating a plan that will help you get there.
Of course you know about the 4% safe withdrawal rate from your portfolio? Here’s the basic rule of thumb: you need $1 million in investments to yield $40,000 a year.
For expert advice, consider setting up an appointment with a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Planners (www.napfa.org). This organization is made up of fee-only planners who assume fiduciary responsibility for their clients. Their compensation is derived solely from their fees and not from commissions on sale of financial products. They can help you with investments, insurance reviews, as well as taxes and cash flow planning. Best tool, NAPFA’s Financial Planning Checklist: http://www.napfa.org/consumer/FinancialPlanningChecklist.asp
For our money, The Motley Fool’s Rule Your Retirement newsletter at $99/year is a bargain, (http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/13/index.htm?source=irredtlnk455217)
The Year of Getting Fit. Here’s the skinny: 30 minutes a day of exercise won’t cut it! This is especially true the older we get when gravity and inertia combine to exact a potentially lethal toll on our bodies.
If you haven’t already, get a copy of Younger Next Year: A Guide to Living Like 50 Until You’re 80 or Older, by Henry Lodge, M.D. and Chris Crowley, the doctor/patient duo who turn many of our assumptions about healthy aging upside down. Most important take away from this groundbreaking book: the concept that our behavior sends signals to the body for good or ill. Here’s the crux of it. Humans are meant to be active, eat certain foods, and connect socially. If we ignore these basics, we signal our bodies that we’re ready to throw in the towel. Here’s the math: high calorie diet + no exercise = famine approaches. This in turn causes low-grade depression. The doctor’s prescription:
- Break a sweat. Exercise six days a week, including strength training.
- Don’t eat junk (we all know what this means, especially during holiday time)
- Care. Connect. Commit. Find people, causes, work to ignite your passion.
- Live within your means. Few things are more stressful than worrying about money.
The Year of Making Waves. Through midlife, we are often wedded to safety and security for obvious reasons. But if you are approaching or already in the phase of life when your responsibilities to shelter, feed and clothe your children are over, this could be a time to take some risks. What would it take to bring your work (learning, community service) into line with your dreams, your values, and your desire to leave a mark?
If the idea of a business startup turns you on, first read Michael Gerber’s The E-Myth: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It. Most important take away for us from Gerber’s ‘franchise model:’ Ask yourself: Is my business scalable, in other words, have I set it up in such a way that it can be duplicated by other people and – more important – survive and thrive without me? See also http://www.e-myth.com/
If you’d rather save the world, you might take inspiration from one of the Purpose Prize winners or fellows, http://www.leadwithexperience.org/prize/ Who knows, you could be in line for the Prize yourself or for Fast Company’s “Social Capitalist Award” that honors “nonprofits that combine creativity and ingenuity with business solutions to address social challenges.” (http://www.fastcompany.com/social/)
For 2young2retire, we look forward to the Year of Living Courageously. We are at a cross-roads with our business. In March, we’ll celebrate nine years since www.2young2retire.com was launched. We are investigating strategic partnerships that will enable us to become ‘scalable.’ If you have thoughts on the subject, let’s hear them: howard@2young2retire.com
Media Alert
A national magazine approached us seeking people on the cusp of a major life change to participate in a major story. Their wish list:
We want to find people who can fill in the blank in this sentence: "I've always wanted to______" with a specific fantasy or goal that other people might relate to. We want a mix of stories, from career-focused dreams, like starting a business or changing careers to something more satisfying like teaching to learning a new skill like learning to fly an airplane. Dreams might include:
- Opening a bookstore
- Going back to school
- Running an inn
- Publishing a novel
- Starting a winery
- Founding a non-profit
- Sailing around the world
- Climbing Mt. Everest
- Living on a boat
- Driving a race car
- Becoming a teacher
- Opening a restaurant
- Traveling around the world for a year
- Building a beach house
- Working in the Peace Corps
- Living overseas (Paris, Mexico, Rio, Rome, wherever)
- Running a farm or ranch
IDEAL CANDIDATE: We want Baby Boomers, those folks born between 1946 and 1964, which would make them 43 to 61 years old. Ideally, we're looking for people in their late 40s to late 50s. They should be willing to be photographed for the magazine.
LEVEL OF FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE:
We'll need to know the basics of their finances - such as roughly how much money they earn now and how much they have saved for retirement and/or for their specific goal. We want to make sure they're comfortable disclosing that information.
Please only contact us (howard@2young2retire.com) if you fit in the age bracket, are willing to share financial details, and are in the planning phase not yet actually living your dream.
From 2young2retire, all the best for the season of light and a happy, healthy and courageous New Year!
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