Workcation is the New Norm for Retirement
This post is #14 / #17 post series about workcations. The learn more about workcations and see the full eBook, check out Workcation. Have the best life now! on Amazon. It's free to borrow, if you have a Kindle device or Amazon Prime.
Retirement sounds boring and in many cases unfeasible. Are we really expected to stop work completely and resort to a life of relaxation? On the flip side, why do we have to wait until we retire in order to have the freedom to pursue our passions? Let me pop the bubble of waiting until you have worked 30 years and are living off fixed income in order to start living your dreams. If we continue to live a balanced life and enjoy workcations at your discretion, we will be able to enjoy a balanced and accomplished life now, instead of waiting for a lifetime to pass.
If
you are planning to wait for retirement to enjoy your free time or afternoon,
just how prepared are you? Several studies have found many Americans are not
prepared for retirement. In fact, The Federal Reserve shared in 2014 that just
under one-third of US households reported having no retirement savings or
pension, including approximately 20% of households aged 55 to 64. The study
also found that out of the people who have started to plan for retirement, 25%
don’t feel that they will have enough to pay for their monthly expenses. Our
culture has been engrained to work hard and spend hard. The focus on saving has
shifted to the immediate satisfaction of spending in the moment to provide for
our current lifestyles. As we start to plan our lives and plan out future
interests, such as workcations, we can start to plan for the future as well as
be okay with working for an extended period of time. It’s a cold hard fact that
many of us will have to work well into our 60’s and even longer to provide for
ourselves. However, if we enjoy workcations along the way, it will help make
our daily lives more enjoyable as we are able to experience and enjoy life in
the moment.
When
I had my bicycle accident, I realized that life is just too precious to spend
it working the entire time. I want the ability to travel and do anything at
will. However, part of me also enjoyed work. I enjoyed the team collaboration,
being part of something bigger than myself, seeing progress in the advancement
of a company, and achieving goals. I realized that work fulfilled me as much as
taking time off. It was the balance of both that brought satisfaction to my
life.
As we continue to
advance at various stages in our life, it’s important to realize the importance
of finding balance in yours. The reality is many of us will not be the next
Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson, or Elon Musk. And, if we do have the
foresight, strength, and aptitude to become one of these elite revolutionary
business minds, the reality is we will more than likely continue to work hard
and not retire. These business leaders all have enough money to stop working
completely, but it’s the pursuit of exploration and creativity that drives
them. They are able to pursue their individual and company goals, while finding
time to relax during their busy work schedules. In fact, some of these leaders
have been known to take breaks during their workweek to pursue athletic
escapades, such as sailing extended distances, running marathons, or enjoying
outdoor festivals, such as Coachella and Burning Man. The key is that they have
found balance and are taking their own workcations in the midst of their lives.
To learn more about how you can enhance your life, check out Workcation. It's available to borrow for free via an Amazon Kindle.
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