Posted: Mar 3, 08 9:00am
My dad dreamed of retirement. We spent long evenings talking about how he'd finally launch his hot dog truck or where we'd go on that RV trip across the country. He saved his most precious goals for his golden years. Only he never reached them. He died at 57, one month after he took early retirement. What a shame.
Given that history, I want to start my 'transition' a bit earlier. That's what I call the journey I'm on now. I don't think I'll ever retire in the traditional sense of the word. I won't stop working
It would be a disaster since I find it hard not to do something for 15 minutes let alone 15-20 years! In fact, my kids joke that I'll have to live forever to accomplish all the projects I want to start (there's the cookbook for college men, a blog for multiracial people, a magazine swap meet...)
And, I'm not alone! Statistics suggest that 80% of boomers don't plan on retiring at 62. We're a generation of 'hybrid retirement'. I define that as two parts play to one part work.
This Marriage Thing is officially my retirement project. I can see myself having so much fun researching new ideas, probing questions, maybe even having a radio show someday. And, it'll be a nice way to fund my travels.
What do you want to do in the bonus years?
PS If you thinking about starting a business, consider attending the What's Next Boomer Business Summit (www.boomersummit.com). The early bird rate is available until March 5th. It's a unique opportunity to network and get ideas.
