Who Said Retirement Was Easy?

After six months of retirement, I have to say I’m not impressed. Maybe my expectations were different. Maybe I didn’t plan it out better. Maybe others had their own ideas on what my retirement would look like. Maybe I need therapy. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been lucky to spend more time with family and friends, especially when there have been people who have needed some help. That list stacked up this year and it would have been hard to have had a full-time job and give people I care about the attention they deserved. 

I would have thought we would have traveled more too, but for some reason, traveling isn’t as appealing as when you don’t have the time to do it. 

My biggest fear was that I’d look at my calendar on a Monday morning and have nothing business oriented scheduled for the week. Fortunately, I’m on a few boards and those calls and meetings fill up some white space.  Sure, I get to the gym, play a little golf and have become one of the millions who’ve discovered pickleball. But I don’t sit and read books; books on tape and podcasts keep me entertained and informed. 

So here’s how I backed into a retirement plan that works for me. A combination of the following keeps me busy, keeps my interest and keeps investment opportunities open.

• Stay current on the fast growing ETF space and focus on the latest trends in markets, ETF issuers, white label ETF providers and ETF distribution. I didn’t want to be the old, retired guy that couldn’t stay away from industry conferences, but I kinda can’t help myself. Between seeing friends and learning new ideas, I think I’ll continue to be that guy.

• Cultivate relationships with people in the business and those that have retired or moved to other industries. There are a lot of smart people that I’ve learned to trust while creating friendships along the way. Guess what…if you like what you do you like talking about it. I’m all ears.

• Stay in touch with our private equity partners and look for investment opportunities with the companies that I like the most. PE firms can’t get enough information on what’s going on in the ETF world. But, there are few PE firms that really get it and that you’d enjoy doing business with.

• Make strategic investments in ETF companies that I’m confident enough to put my own money in.

• Help individuals who have business challenges or are looking to make career moves. There are so many people that have stepped up to guide me over the years and I’m so thankful for them being there when I needed them most. As an AARP card holder, the scar tissue I’ve built up is worth something to others and I’m more than happy to help.

The Wall Street Journal did a piece this week, The Best Thing About Retirement. When I read it, it hammered home the idea that I’m not quite ready to mail it in. It actually made me a little uncomfortable. Fortunately, millions have enjoyed a soft landing and can settle right into a completely new life. I think I’d need a lobotomy. 

So when people ask “How’s retirement?”, I laugh. Then they say “Yeah, I knew that wasn’t going to work for you.”  But retirement is working for me. I just had to find the right mix of business and non-business stuff to be happy. Most importantly, my career coach reminds me that everything should have a purpose or it’s not worth dedicating valuable time to. “Bangers Only” is our motto. 

There are too many exciting things going on in our financial world today. 

See you out there.

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