Job Optional – The day you don’t have to work

What if today was your retirement day?

So, the day has come. You are retiring! What does that mean? Are you giving up your day job entirely or are you just taking a step back? Are you going to pursue other options like non exec work or maybe some type of consultancy? Or will you now start that business venture that you always wanted to do (similar to our co-founder Karl Daly – check out Humanli.ie).
 
Or is it time to be a man or woman of leisure? To spend more time in the garden and maybe get that golf handicap down. Or is it time to take the world cruise or visit your son in New Zealand? Is that long held bucket list trip to Costa Rica going to become a reality?
 
So many options. So many different ways to describe retirement. We prefer to call it “job optional”. It’s the time in your life where working becomes an optional endeavour. Here’s the thing … it’s different for everyone. Not one single person has the same goals, dreams and aspirations. Mine are different to yours. Thank goodness for that! If we were all the same, life would be very boring indeed.
 
But one thing is for sure. When you get to job optional, you will have done years and years of planning. Sometimes this is ad hoc planning and using your gut instinct to establish when and how much is enough in terms of your finances. But there is a better way. Fail to plan, plan to fail and all of that!
 
Yes, money is simply a means to an end. But, your investments, savings and pension pots are crucial to getting you to that job optional date. It is so important that you have a good handle on how much money is enough. That’s what great financial planning does – it matches your goals, dreams and aspirations with your money and allows you live the life you want to live. Get yourself a great financial planning firm. It is the investment you owe yourself and your family.
 
And finally …. If you don’t know how much is enough and someone asks you how much money you want to have in your various pots, the answer will always be more. And that will only lead to trouble.
 
Carl Widger
Managing Director