I DON'T HAVE A RETIREMENT PLAN.
One of my favourite people on the hive blockchain happens to be in his sixties. I am not mentioning his name because I don't want this to seem like I am pandering to him, but if you are active on the blockchain you should know who I am talking about (maybe).
This said person is one of the most active individuals on the chain. He surpasses my activities by almost 70%. He is an active creator and curator, a community leader and so many other things. Some community members liken him to a machine because of his work rate.
He is very much passionate about the future and technology. For someone his age, I find that quite refreshing because most people his age want to sit on a yacht reading newspapers all day. That is the life most people dream of in their sixties--retiring, but not this guy and that for me is quite admirable.
So how does this relate to not having a retirement plan? Well, I do not fancy the idea of working all my life to retire, why? I think work and leisure work in tandem. In other words, I do not believe there should be a prolonged designated portion of our lives where we are either just working or having just having fun.
Just like my favourite person on the blockchain, I want to be actively engaged in the things I love, continuously building without having a timeframe for these things. I strongly speak against the concept of ignoring one aspect of one’s life for another. What’s stopping us from having both?
Many people take delayed gratification to the extreme and out of context. Not investing in yourself and your family just so you can have a decent life in your sixties is messed up to me. What do you have left to enjoy when you’ve neglected everything else that is important to you?
I do not have a retirement plan because I don't plan to retire. I will continue to invest in myself, my finances, relationships, etc. I believe investing is something we do continuously throughout our lives and when it becomes second nature we grow exponentially without much conscious effort.
So rather than sitting in my yacht gloating over all the money I have in my sixties or seventies, I want to actively engage in the things I care about without having to worry about money.
My financial goal is to get to a point where I have enough not to worry about money. I also don't want to have too much that it defines who I am. Based on my estimation, I am less than a decade away from financial freedom.
Even when I become financially free, not much will change because I believe I am currently living a life of abundance and gratitude that enriches not just me but also the people in my sphere.
POST BANNER
My name is Chinonso Ekpemandu. I am a digital nomad. I create opinion pieces and share my life's journey on a decentralized platform called hive, whilst exploring the digital landscape for opportunities.
Below are links to some of my recent posts:
- TECHNOLOGIES THAT HAVE INFLUENCED MY LIFE
- MY PREDICTION FOR THE HIVE BLOCKCHAIN
- STAKE AND CONTRIBUTE
- MOVIE REVIEW: HEAT
CONTACT AND SUPPORT
Discord: nonsowrites#0031
Twitter: iAM__NONSO
Telegram: @nonsowrites
BSC wallet: 0x88B30Cfe2cC50c84A673E7e0befF6b865D362E01
Bitcoin Address: bc1qprsj8vk576nev278ymqnxuc67vredaz0wjxymp
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta
I really like your perspective of investing both in our relationships and work at the same time. For some other people with really tight schedules, that can be hard, reason why the work years are separate from the fun years.
I am not oblivious to the reality of many people and to be frank, I consider the life I live a luxury, which I don't take for granted. Most of us are caught up in a system that is not in any way for us and the quicker we get out of it the better for us. Being here alone guarantees that we all will live better lives than most people, pursue our passion and become stupendously wealthy (if we make the right investment choices).
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta
I was recently telling one of my students about @johntamny's book The End of Work: Why Your Passion Can Become Your Job. The essence of the book is that we are entering an age of entrepreneurship wherein now, more than ever before, individuals will be able to make a living by doing the things they truly enjoy.
When you are fortunate enough to reach that point, then retirement becomes a non-starter. Why would I stop doing what I thoroughly enjoy?
Not everyone has that opportunity (yet), but the proportion of people who do is growing day-by-day. And the advancement of rapid, fee-less, trust-less, peer-to-peer transactions combined with smart contracts will explosively amplify access to those opportunities -- and many of those opportunities will know no geographic boundaries.
It all boils down to creating value for other people through the things we love. The reality is that for many of us, the things we value have been deemed valueless. For instance, our social interactions. Most people don't believe they can gain any monetary or social value via their social activities but this is what platforms like facebook and twitter are built on and they are worth billions of dollars.
True that. If someone had told me years ago that i would be able to take care of my family through my activities on a social platform like hive i would have doubted. Getting out of the system has provided me with more opportunities than i would have had doing a regular 9 to 5. And it is beyond money at this point because what i value the most is social capital. Just by being here i have access to people across the globe who can support my ideas and vice-versa.
You're right about this all. Especially when we know that it's not sure that we will survive to that age !
These are my two favourite parts of the writeup... and I'm totally in line with this energy. For me it was something like this;
Imagine walking on a treadmill that's moving backwards at the same speed you're moving at. Even though you're moving forward relative to the treadmill, you're actually still on the sam spot. In order to progress, you'd have to move faster than the treadmill is moving your back. If you stop walking, you'd begin to regress, so you have to keep moving. That's the life most people lead.
Now, what happens if you simply get off the treadmill? Now all your walking efforts actual go towards moving your forward, and if you stop, you just stop - no regression.
I think for many the fear is not having the direction and certainty associated with the treadmill. Navigating on your own without any systemic aid or structure can be pretty scary, but from my experience, it is worth it.
A step at a time.
That's a great point!
I do not want to retire as well, being actively alive at the oldest of ages is what I desire so much.
For example, few years ago I saw a man, he would be in his 90s and with his wife(probably in her 80s or 90s as well) beside him, he was driving his car by himself.
They both looked so healthy and active, most men in their 70s would have employed a driver to drive them around and by their 90s due to lack of petty exercises like driving, they might not even be healthy enough to do things for themselves.
There is a man in my street, he surely would be more than a 100 years, he still takes care of his garden, i have known him since I was very young and I always admire him when ever I see him doing his things.
That's great! Seems I am not a lone on this one
Sometimes what we tag as luxury is poison to our body and soul. People think they need to change with their status and most times they take on poor habitats that impact their lives negatively. Hopefully, that's not our case.
Thanks for stopping by.
I agree with your point of view, success shouldn't be a destination, but rather a journey. I know I still see myself playing games even in my sixties😄
There is nothing wrong with playing games. I know pro gamers who make a living from gaming and it is fulfilling for them. We have demonised a lot of things that are fun and provide people with value because they do not match our idea of what work should be.
I think am going to retired when I do something that I don't like just because of money,like government jobs or working under boss,there is word like do what you love to do best and you will never work a day in your life ,if am still doing what I like till am old I won't think of retirement
Great write up nonso
It is advisable to find what you love and if you can do it now, find a way around it. Never give up on your dreams, or you live an empty life full of resentment towards yourself.
Thanks for reading. I appreciate the comment