OriginColo

We are trained, our lives systematized, conditioned into life-phases, a timeline established by…who knows?

Why spend your twenties through sixties grinding away your days at a job that you like, but may not love, all for dreams and goals you think you want to accomplish?  In my mind, it’s sort of ridiculous.  As I maxed out my 401k contributions, I could just see my picturesque retirement.  With my employer also contributing generously to my 401k, I was stashing away a significant amount of retirement savings each year.   I envisioned spending my retirement summers at a cottage in the south of France, while spending the cooler months sailing a catamaran close to the equator—I’m thinking Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, French Polynesia, Fiji, Thailand.  As I closed my eyes, I could almost hear the engine roar to life as I saw myself settle into the driver’s seat of that Ferrari F430 I’ve always wanted.

More recently, as I pondered my goals, dreams, and retirement plan, I started thinking about the goals that I had accomplished.  I loved that I achieved them, but I don’t really know if they were all life changing.  In my mid-twenties I purchased my 4000 sqft dream house, I had six figures in my retirement account.  By the time I was 30 I had a six figure income, I had some great success and advancement with the company I worked at.  These were all goals that I had written down year’s prior thinking, at the time, how satisfying these achievements would be.  I believed that accomplishing these goals would bring a sense of contentment.  After these achievements were carved into history, they were simply replaced with other goals in a somewhat endless cycle of accumulation.  Ultimately, I do not believe that these great things that I had accomplished made me any happier than when I was nineteen with a net worth off less than $100.

Midlife crisis | Break from reality | Meaning of life | Finding myself | Doing me

Over the past year or so, I have taken my goals and retirement plans on a test drive.  I needed to know that I was working for something that would truly make me happy.  With another 30 years to retirement, I had to be sure that all of my sacrifices to achieve these dreams and retirement goals were worth it!

Ferrari Time

I’m a car guy, and among the many cars I love is the Ferrari F430.  I’ve always been a Ferrari guy, so the models I have sought after have changed over the years, but the one that has stuck with me for some time now is the F430.  I feel like it is a perfect mix of the past and present.  The single clutch F1 transmission gives this car the feel of manual gear changes while taking advantage of the F1 technology; however, it is not too much as the later model duel-clutches that shift so quick and smooth that they feel like an automatic.   When I told my wife that I was renting a Ferrari she actually thought it was a good idea!  She thought that if it is something I really want I might as well test it out.  Within a couple days of that hurdle being crossed, I set out and rented the car.  It was amazing!  During the 24hrs I had the F430 I slept six and spent the rest driving the car, being near the car, and listening to the car.  I loved every minute of it.  Over the next few days and weeks that followed, I pondered if owning a Ferrari and being able to repeat that experience anytime I stepped into my garage would genuinely make me happier or more content with my life—I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t.  Although I still want an F430, among many other vehicles, I am now convinced that it is not worth sacrificing today to be able to purchase one in the future.  It’s an amazing car, but in the end it’s just a car.

Sailing & Travel

At the time that I decided I wanted to spend a portion of my retirement sailing, traveling the world, and relaxing on beautiful beaches, I hadn’t actually sailed.  I had been on a boat and on some pretty nice beaches, but I had been on a sailboat let alone sailed one!  Late last year I had the opportunity to spend 2 weeks sailing and exploring Croatia.  I highly recommend a sailing vacation and as well as Croatia—it is one of the most amazing trips I’ve been on.  During this trip I also had a convenient layover in Germany during Oktoberfest!  There I had a weiss beer along with weisswurst and a pretzel, much to my wife’s dismay when I reminded her later while at an Oktoberfest celebration back in Colorado, “this is nothing, I had a beer and sausage in Frankfurt last week!”  She was not able to go on the sailing/Croatia trip… Ultimately, I discovered that I truly love sailing and traveling, but a week or two at a time, a few times a year would give me my fill, even in retirement.

Family Time!

Having tested out a couple types of goals/dreams, material possession and experience/travel, I also endeavored to accomplish something that many people look forward to in retirement, spending more time with loved ones.  This past year, my wife, daughter, and I went on several road trips, spent a week at the beach and pool in Key West, and spent a tremendous amount of time together daily.  Over the past several months, I’ve been able to be a co-stay-at-home-parent with my wife and spend most days with my daughter from the moment she wakes up until she finally runs out of energy and goes to bed.  Not only am I testing out a retirement goal, I’m test driving retirement!  I defiantly love spending time with both of them, but I do go a bit stir crazy and need to have my own purpose and tasks to accomplish.  This time has allowed me to rediscover some of the things I love but had fallen to the way side.  I’ve read more books in the past few months than the cumulative volume over the past 30 years or so of literacy.  I love being creative: painting, graphic design, writing, designing, and I love helping people.  This retirement plan is defiantly more satisfying than owning a Ferrari.

Test driving my goals and retirement plans has helped me identify how I truly want to spend my time and what I am going to work for.  My goals and retirement plans have officially changed.  I like having a purpose each day and accomplishing tasks.  I love visiting new places, but I like to come home to Colorado where my friends and family are.  I love spending immense time with my wife a daughter.  I love reading and learning continuously.  I love being creative, and I love driving amazing cars (not necessarily owning them).  Test driving my goals and retirement plans has completely restructured how I look at retirement—in fact, I learned that I want to have a very flexible working schedule, but ultimately I do not think I ever really want to retire.   Additionally, I cannot wait until my retirement-years to spend unlimited time with my daughter and literally watch her grow up.  Rather than sacrificing now for hefty amounts of money when I’m sixty plus, I’m setting new goals that allow me to immediately spend more time doing what I love.