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Wednesday 3 June 2015

Learning to Retire

You do not retire when  you are rich. That is a myth.


Image Credit: Shutterstock


You retire in your mind first - Things you absolutely cannot do without is the propelling force behind that move.

Can you do without a corporate job, a label, the brands, the sycophant empire around you, the travels, the steady check, that cozy corner cabin, the urge to prove a point, the need to be recognized - Is this drifting towards sainthood? Then let me stop here and explain

It is just anti validation theory or call it disruptive thinking, where you create a sound and sensible lifestyle for yourself against all conventional patterns and seek no validation from the external world if you are doing right because you learnt it the hard way - all this while you were not doing right.

Alternatively you can call the period Sabbatical - time to introspect, soul search and reflect - Pick your favorite word. It is almost like a trailer for retirement. The earlier you take that break, say - mid thirties or late thirties, the better the learning. I was ready for the trailer when I touched forty. I worked hard - very hard to retire early and do my pet projects - write a book, make a documentary, long walks or just stay away from the gadgets. Familiar?

Financial

Your learn to live without anticipating a pay check or a bonus or an incentive or increment. The retired life sans the insecurity of never being hired again. Because you know you are physically still able, mentally active and can go back any time you want. You will get hired after a few rounds of salary hiccups and justifying why you took a break.

Credibility

You are initially not taken very seriously about what you are trying to do as the world is full of left brain dominated people - the logical ones -  who have no idea why you would do a crazy thing like quit a job. I still face those raised brows - What NGO? What learning framework? Why? I know the answers. They will know soon enough without my telling.  That is your second learning - to deal with people who mean well for you and are constantly wanting you to live their life. I had neighbors even come to me with Newspaper so that I apply for an advertised vacancy. Bless them.

Priorities

I was not there in my native home when I lost my father three years back. I flew home after he was gone. I realize now, the last few years it was just them - my parents in that single bed room flat in Kolkata -  and me busy making a corporate company rich with my skilled services and buying houses, in another city. 


In the past eighteen months I traveled with my mother - That is the final learning, priceless - to know when to stop and why.

Learning to retire is about drawing your energy towards the center and not moving towards the circumference. It is about altering habitual thought process to focus inward. It is about that self awareness, self discipline and achievement with you as your own yardstick

As part of the foundation that I am associated with, that promotes Dignified Ageing, I was preparing a learning module for active seniors with ways to earn from home - I will use the same module to prepare others in their mid thirties and mid forties to fast forward their lives and learn what could possibly be their priorities then.

Pause. Reflect. Learn

P.S Did I write a book? My debut novel Still Beyond will hit the stands by this year. Edits in progress.

The book the senior man is reading in the image is a tourist guide - Now that should get you thinking, dreaming and visualizing! 


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