Retirement

What is yours?

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Mine was finances and fulfilling purpose

The creatives in the house can attest to the fact that we are unstoppable when it comes to ideas generation. The entrepreneurs will agree that when you think profit and possibility, the music changes to \”let\’s go there\”. Being a creative serial entrepreneur, you find you are constantly on projects without end.

Couple of years ago, I did some soul searching and concluded that I must die empty. Share all my acquired skills and knowledge with as many people as I can, and make sure the grave does not get anything except for my carcass. To this end, I also became a donor carrying card and made sure my family are aware of what to do with my body in the event of my passing.

What brought this about was my finding out the number of unfulfilled talents and gifts that people end up taking to the grave because of fear of venturing out, fear of what people would say, what if it does not work, and many other inconsequential reasons that have no roots or foundation.

I discovered my fear was not being able to fulfill my purpose in life and not having finances to carry out my actions in fulfilling purpose. I did an overall self check and concluded that if others can, so can I. My action plan I will be sharing in detail at some stage. But first, I selected my desired date for an early retirement, embarked on a couple of self development courses, invested myself in multiple streams of income and committed myself to service to help others see the possibility of what is achievable if you believe.

As a serial entrepreneur, I have enjoyed both sides of the fence. When it was very good and when it was very bad. Including having to file for bankruptcy at some stage and coming out of it on the brighter side, starting afresh and stronger. How did I get myself there? How did I get myself out? and How did I start all over to being on the winning side? (Stories for another day).

What do you think is holding you back from becoming your dream self? What do you think is the stop between you and your self in achieving your desired level success? You think you are too old to go after your dreams? Or you think you are too young to start? Age? Finances? You think the resources are not available to get you started? You will be amazed at what you have and can do, when you think deep enough.

Where do you need help getting fulfilled? Is it in finding your purpose or fulfilling it? Or having the support network or family to get you there? There are different reasons for different people. I have shared mine with you. Mine was finances and fulfilling purpose. What is yours? Drop your thoughts on your fears and stumbling blocks in the comment below. A problem shared is a problem half solved.

Above all, remember always that #YHTK

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My Narrative

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What do you see?

People close to me know very well that I am a strong advocate of early retirement. Each time I mention early retirement among people my age, the reaction is always the same. It comes in the form of brows going up, a bit of a frown and a singular thought saying \”Really?\”.

We were raised to go to school, study hard and achieve but were not told that the world of work consumes your life till you die, if you don\’t learn to break from it and learn to live. Understanding the very essence of living successfully has propelled me in recent years to make certain choices to change my narrative.

Like you, I grew up with a desire to be successful. Like some others or you, I got an education in a field that was contrary to my passion. Like you or some others, I find myself trying to live my passion and working myself to the bone. But, when I realized that my definition of being successful as a young one was warped and discovered that being successful by me was only defined by MY standards and not society, then my reality began to change.

I embarked on a journey of self discovery. I found success was on a parallel scale of balance in my chosen areas of life. I found purpose and the desire to be the change I wanted to see. I found value in people and not in things. I found the ability to create my chosen path of life lies within me and above all, I discovered the ability to manifest my chosen path. The rest became stories.

My narrative changed from being a grafter to fulfilling purpose. My narrative changed from what people say about me while I am alive but also to what will be said when I am gone. My narrative changed from striving to contentment. I am an advocate of early retirement and ways to work towards its achievement because of my journey this far, and because of the vast majority of people still chasing bubbles on the high way on a daily basis, wondering \”How do I get out of this?\”

There are loads of narratives out there in the world today such as:

  • A grafter – A grafter is a hard worker. Works 2 or more jobs, Does nothing but graft no social life. (Ref: Urban dictionary)
  • A die hard – Someone who is willing to do anything for a cause or a goal. (Ref: Urban dictionary)
  • Basic – Calling someone Basic is essentially calling them predictable or unoriginal. You\’re saying they blindly follow trends and have no individuality or style of their own. (Ref: Dictionary.com)
  • Extra – You know what it means when you call someone too much right? You mean to say they’re “excessively good or bad,” or that they’re prodigious or overwhelming. Well, there’s too much, and then there’s extra. (Ref: Dictionary.com)

While there are many more descriptive words that tells what we spend our lives doing, it is up to us to make our days count and our lives meaningful. I have shared my narrative with you. What is your current narrative and what do you hope to change yours to? Drop your thoughts in the comment below. Let\’s get the dreams moving together. After all #YHTK and it\’s never too late or too soon to start!

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Random Reflection on Time Accounting

I read a beautiful write up about time sometime during the week. It was a post shared on my old girls association platform. The reason why it resonated with me so much is because I have been reflecting on time in recent days, so coming across that post, simply opened my eyes to my other perspective of time.

The writer began with \”It is a mistake to think time is going. Time is not going. Time is here until the world ends. It is you that is going. You don\’t waste time. You waste yourself. You are finite. It is you that grows old and die. Time doesn\’t. So make better use of it…….\”

Harsh as it may sound. it is absolute sense. Which brings me back to my reflection on time accounting. There are 24 hours in a day. What do you spend yours doing? Who pays for the time you spend at work, play, family time and unaccountable time (wasted time).

When you show up at work, you have exchanged a part of your life for a fixed amount of income, that you agreed with your employer. The passage of time is the passage of life. Whatever you spend your time doing must add value to your life. it is not always monetary value because time spent with loved ones is priceless and should be memorable.

As we go into a fresh Monday week, the onus lies on you to make your life count. Think time. Think value. Think life and make sure it is worth your while.

One thing you can do this week is to evaluate the cost of your time. write out every hour of your day in one column, match each hour with an activity that you performed in that hour. In a different column write out how much you receive as income for each activity per hour. Value for each activity will vary from person to person and some activities will be priceless.

You will easily identify where you waste time, and how you can start saving on time and making good use of your life, because time is life. You will also be able to identify where you add value to other people\’s life, where you let other people steal into your life and where you steal from other people\’s life.

This time evaluation activity is a mindful exercise that you will be glad you did. Take 20 minutes at the end of every day to review your time evaluation sheet and I guarantee you, if mindfully performed, you will be a transformed human being by the end of one week.

Above all, dont mix business with pleasure unless business is pleasure. After all #YHTK.

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One month only

 

Stop and imagine just for one moment.  You have worked hard this last month, you woke up early to do the morning commute for one or two hours in to work.  You have dealt with the insatiable demands of your manager and the incessant questions from subordinates, or the queries arising from curious and unappreciative customers.  

It\’s lunch time and you take a quick peek at your email and it is that time of the month – bills coming in.  Not bad, tomorrow is payday! But, the wages fail to hit YOUR bank.  Some problem with payroll and they don\’t see a solution in sight but they have assured to give you an IOU for some amount of money that does not meet your need.  When the problem is resolved, the balance due will be paid with next  month\’s wages.

Just one month wages messed up through no fault of yours and your total financial system is ruined temporarily.  We have been conditioned to live from one pay check to the other with slim chances of breaking free, one month\’s paycheck can be the beginning of a poverty cycle.

Imagine!

It is not the payroll next time, it is ill health. You or any member of the family can fall ill anytime without notice, requiring your attention and time away from work.  Unplanned time. One month or one week.  

How many weeks can you afford without pay with no effect on your lifestyle or set you back into a poverty trap?  Do the math.  After all, #YHTK.

Save!      Invest!      Plan!     Multiple streams of income!     Network! Build!    Trade!   Sell!    Leverage!    Skills!    Character!    Attitude!

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Looking forward

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Working in the hospitality industry exposes one to various aspects of life. Corporate business people going to lunch together and discussing business over lunch, people with set habit of eating same thing year in, year out. Breakfast on poached eggs, and lunch on bacon and cheese toastie with brown sauce. Group of 5 teachers coming out to lunch every Friday and have done so for the last 10 years+.

Two men used to come out for breakfast at least once a week to a cafe in Dublin, and every time argue over who is going to pay. The younger man often winning. I once said to the two of them that I don\’t mind taking both payments and the younger man laughed and said \”that\’s my dad\”.  That, blew me away because of the mutual love and respect that I have witnessed between them.  Since then, I weekly looked forward to seeing them.

Another group of ladies in their 50s/60s come out to the Falcon in Fotheringhay weekly for lunch, to experience time out in a lovely beautiful and historical British restaurant. The booking sheet usually read \”The ladies\”. The women choosing to hang out and enjoy that season of their lives and friendship together. I call it beautiful.

To every season in life, there is anticipation and trepidation. A time to work and a time to play, a time to sow and a time to harvest. No one has the final call on life, but as long as there is breath in you and a time called day and night, every season should be filled with building happy memories.

I wholeheartedly look forward to retirement with joy and anticipation, knowing that not working but working, is filled with purposeful happy days ahead making a difference and hanging out with family and friends.

What do you look forward to?

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