Society has been telling us that we should be saving and working 40+ years so that someday we can “retire”.

Things will probably slow down in some regard when we get older, but there is a general idea that we will stop working and do nothing at that point (which is absurd). Boredom is not a companion that I want to live with on a daily basis when I get to that age.

“stop performing one’s work or withdraw from one’s position” – Google definition of retire.

Some people want to constantly be traveling or living on a golf course when they are not aware of how much this will cost. There is no a problem with these goals, but we should be aware of how much time and resources our goals will require for them to become a reality. I have a hard time contemplating what I will want to do in 30-40 years. The only thing I’m sure on is that I want options.

After reading the 4 Hour Workweek, I related to his point on why in the world would we want to wait that long before we pursue our passion? Timothy Ferris suggests spreading this out over our whole lives in what he calls “mini retirements”. I’m not going to do something that I don’t want to do for 40 years and think by some miracle when I do get to the “retirement age” that I will know exactly what I want. I want to spend my life figuring out what brings me excitement (also known as happiness) and how I can best serve others (through time and resources).

I desire the freedom and the resources to be able to travel with my wife and family throughout the next 50-60 years.

If money or time was not an issue, what would you do?