Part I: Information Gathering
Read through the six short articles linked:
Why Retirement is a Flawed Concept – https://hbr.org/2016/04/why-retirement-is-a-flawed-concept
The Basics of FIRE – https://twocents.lifehacker.com/the-basics-of-fire-financial-independence-and-early-re-1839417389
This 33 Year-Old Could Retire Tomorrow with No Debt – https://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanderousseau/2020/01/14/family-three-reached-financial-independence-over-10-years/#7ac9a1394911
Journey through the 6 Stages of Retirement – https://www.investopedia.com/articles/retirement/07/sixstages.asp
The Pitfalls of Early Retirement and How to Avoid Them – https://www.thebalance.com/early-retirement-pitfalls-and-how-to-avoid-them-2388806
8 Things to Do During Your First 30 Days of Retirement – https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertlaura/2017/05/28/8-things-to-do-during-your-first-30-days-of-retirement/#21fd40f659c7
After reading through these pieces and considering your own responses to them, write 200-300 words in the box below about what stood out to you from these articles.
Each article covers a different aspect of retirement and will help inform your own retirement comparisons.
Draw out the ones that will influence you as you consider retirement.
Identify which points and values will guide your decision-making and experience surrounding retirement.
Part II: Retirement Options
Next, based on these principles and your own goals/interests, create two different potential retirement plans for yourself in the boxes below. In one column, write about your first retirement option, and then in the second column cover the second option. In each one, you should address:
when you will retire
what kind of work you were doing before retirement
what kind of work you will be doing after retirement
what kind of goals you accomplish in retirement
what sort of activities you will continue to do
what kind of friendships and social life you’ll maintain
what family connections you will foster
what sort of lifestyle you will maintain
what things you will buy
where you will invest
what kind of legacy you will leave
Retirement Option 1:
Retirement Option 2:
After writing up the two retirement options, write one last paragraph comparing and contrasting them. Where do you stand now? Which retirement appeals to you most? Which one is most attainable? Which one are you going to work toward?
Compare/Contrast:
Part III: Retire Today
No matter when you plan to retire, or what retirement looks like to you, you are likely putting something off until much later on in life.
Write about one thing you can do today, tomorrow, next week, the week after that, and so on, that you were planning to save for retirement.
What can you start doing today, that you don’t have to spend your whole life waiting for? What part of retirement can start now?
