This afternoon I put my kids in for a nap, sat down in my suddenly completely quiet home and had an epiphany. Like someone addicted to playing the lottery because of the anticipation of winning, I’m addicted to saving for retirement because of the anticipation of not having any responsibilities.
Don’t get me wrong, I realize that in retirement I’ll have plenty of responsibilities, but it will pale in comparison to what I have today. I wont have two very young kids to entertain for 14 hours a day. I wont have a full time job that requires my attention mornings, nights and weekends. I wont have nearly the level of financial concerns that I do while trying to pay down debt and save for retirement. I wont have to spend all of my vacation at home.
Every dollar that I sock away each pay period is another chance to win. It’s another bet on a future where my life is simplified. As I watch my retirement funds grow, I can dream about not having to care about the school district my house is in. Or how I’ll try to finally write that novel in my spare time. Or how I’ll have spare time.
I have a solid plan in place to get to my retirement. I’m working hard to accelerate my goals. I have plans for my retirement, but all of them assume I’ll be almost 60. My sincere hope is that I have to plan everything all over again much sooner. At least for the next few years I’m going to have to stay the course and dream big.
Freed by 50 