Is our idea of retirement outdated? Is it absurd to have an arbitrary age, a mark on the wall, for retirement? Mitch Anthony makes the case that the retirement of our parents isn’t, and shouldn’t, be our ideal of retirement in the latest edition of his book, “The New Retirementality: Planning Your Life and Living Your Dreams…at Any Age You Want
Age is just a number. Do you love what you do for a living? Why end your career simply because you hit 62 or 67 years-old? Why not keep working if you love it? Why not test out mini-retirements along the way? Are we doing it all wrong? Is our thinking about retirement all wrong?
I recently talked to Mitch Anthony about his book and what the new retirement mentality should look like. My questions are in bold, and Mitch’s responses immediately follow each question during the interview.
Tell me a little bit about your book, “The New Retirementality
MITCH ANTHONY: Well, the book is in its fourth edition. And, when I first wrote this book in 2001, everybody looked at me cross-eyed. And today, I think the world’s pretty much come toward me.
I’ve never believed in traditional retirement that was appropriate for the times we live in. And, so it was invented for a different time and a different reason than what is relevant today.
We don’t trade physical labor for a paycheck anymore. We trade intellectual capital and experiential capital for a paycheck. And the expiration date on that intellectual capital is in 62 or 65 years of age. So I think we’ve basically been sold on this idea of retirement in America.
So, retirement that our parents enjoy isn’t what I’m going to see? Or is it what I should be looking for or even planning towards?
The traditional retirement, or the retirement of our parents, was going from a life of total work to a life of total leisure. Neither one of those lives works that well. And, I’m guessing if your parents are happy in retirement, they’re not just playing all the time.
The only thing that keeps you happy in life is having a good balance in your life. I don’t care what stage in life you’re in. Turning a certain age is irrelevant. It doesn’t matter.
So if I wanted to keep working after 62 or 65 it’s not a big deal? A number is just a number?
People feel like it’s some sort of badge of shame to have to work past 65, and I tell them “No, it’s a blessing in disguise.” Let me tell you something that’s even worse. It’s being 65 and wandering around your basement or garage trying to find something to do with your life. The even worse fate is waking up every day with no purpose and no aim. And let me tell you, it happens to thousands of people every week.
[click to continue…]
{ 0 comments }
