Retirement.
It’s something most folks work for their whole lives, and some folks (like me) run away from as fast as we can.
Today, we’re going to be breaking down this little word: Retirement.
What a terrible word!
This word needs to be stricken from the driven leader’s mind.
We are not wired like most people.
Most people think we’re crazy.
I’ll give you that.
I’m proud of my crazy, and I embrace my crazy.
Today, we’re talking about retirement and why a driven mind, and a driven leader, should avoid thinking about it.
Security: It’s A Trap!
One of the things that I think is crazy is what some people call security or social security.
Let’s go there for a minute.
People think:
I’m going to work until I’m 65 and then I’m going to wait, and I’m going to retire.
And then the government’s gonna send me a check because the government’s always had my back.
And then I’m going to get onto my golden years.
Then I’m going to live the life of my dreams and be the person I’ve always wanted to be.
I’ll engage and build the relationships I’ve always wanted.
I’ll be free!
If only I retire.
Stop the insanity!
My friend, retirement is not for you.
If you’re reading this and you have a driven mind like me, you know that you cannot retire.
Now, what does that mean?
“Retiring” Is Not For Leaders
Maybe you’re in a sales career or a job where at some point, you leave, and you’re going to embrace this “retirement.”
Here’s what I know.
Retirement is not for you.
Why?
Because you’re not built to retire the way the world sees it.
When we think about the word, it means to stop moving, slow down, and all those different things.
This isn’t for us.
I’m not talking about running and playing full out forever.
I’m talking about staying in purpose with passion.
If you want passion, take some action.
My friend, people today are seeking passion.
They seek it and wait for it to come to them.
They avoid choosing careers until “passion” hits them.
You want to get passionate, go do some stuff, go have some experiences, and find out what really sucks in life.
Life And Learning Is About Experience
Find out what you really don’t like.
Find out what is really painful.
When did I start to get passionate?
I was sitting on a jail cell floor in Arizona when I was 19 years old.
I knew I wanted to retire from the jail system.
How about that?
I had a tremendous passion for not ever going back there to the point of leaving the whole area.
I did not stay in Havasu, where we were doing a lot of illegal activities, and the cops were watching our house.
You know, I retired from that if you want to use that word.
And I got myself in the military, and I said:
I can never go back to the way that it was.
That’s exactly where I want to go with this.
Think about retirement as a passion for changing your life into something else, not just stop.
What I want you to think about?
You’re a driven leader.
I want you to retire into your life.
I want you to retire into doing what you really want to do.
My Inspirational Stepfather
I think about my late stepfather, Richard.
He was diagnosed with early-onset dementia around 60 years old.
I’ll never forget the night.
We were having dinner at an Italian restaurant in Western, Colorado.
Richard, my mom, the lovely Christy, and I were splitting the bill.
It was Christmas Eve.
My mom’s birthday is Christmas day, and we generally go out and do something.
So we were out together for dinner around Christmas time.
I remember looking at Richard kind of struggling to do the math on the check.
And he was having a hard time figuring out the 20% tip, and I went: huh?
I didn’t think much about it, but part of me knew.
He had a glass of wine, but he’s not a big drinker.
That was really odd.
When I look back now, I realize that was the beginning of his shift in his mind.
It built from there, and he couldn’t perform in his job.
It came to a place of forcing his retirement, and he wasn’t able to do anything.
Within a few years, he was in a home, and my mom couldn’t live with him.
And then he died.
There’s No Such Thing As Waiting For Your Golden Years
Early? Absolutely.
It was too early.
I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.
But it reaffirms to me as to why we’re having this conversation today.
There’s no such thing as waiting for your golden years.
Your golden years may be right now.
You have no idea.
So wake up today!
This may be your chance.
You’re a leader.
You have an opportunity to influence.
Don’t work for “retirement.”
You have a responsibility to your teammates and families to give it your all.
This may change over the years, but you still need to act.
If you’re going to retire, retire from the old parts of yourself you grew out of.
But don’t stop and don’t wait to live the life and be the leader you want to be.
I’m going to do the things that I love to do.
I’m also going to find out the things that I’m not very good at and that I don’t love to do.
Sure, I’ll retire from those things.
But I’m going to retire into my business.
I’m going to retire into my team.
I’m going to retire into the things that make sense for me.
Stopping Your Purpose Isn’t Retirement; It’s Stopping Your Life
My friend, retirement is not for you.
That doesn’t make sense.
When I was in the army, I would watch 40-year Sergeants and Majors forced to stop by the military.
40 years in, and then the military finally forces them out.
They’re doing 10-mile runs before they’re forced out of the military.
Then they drop dead six months later, after “retirement.”
What the heck?
Why did they drop dead?
They were just doing 10-mile runs 6 months ago.
Because they stopped their purpose.
They stopped living.
If you’re stuck in a situation, if you don’t like your business, if you don’t like your team members, if you don’t like what you’re selling, if you don’t like how you go to market, retire from that now.
Get into something that you have passion about.
Step Into Your Greatness
Step into your greatness.
Retire from the things you don’t like, so you get into embracing and living life.
Most people plan their whole life out by years.
I’ll go to school for 6 years, I’ll work for 30, and then I’ll retire.
Those days have sailed, my friend; they’re long gone.
Don’t retire from bringing some value to the world.
Retire from the commute that you can’t stand.
Retire from the people that you don’t want to interact with.
And retire from the dumb tasks.
Don’t retire from life.
You and I are business leaders.
We have the opportunity to create life and business, and our team counts on us to create that.
If you don’t have the best seat in the business, what is your team looking at?
What does it look like for them?
What is their path?
If you want to be done from what you’re doing, be done.
You’re not doing anybody a favor.
Action Makes Passion
I know I’m coming out strong.
I can’t talk about Richard’s life without finding passion within me.
Because every day I’m alive is a day that he’s not here.
It’s a day that he doesn’t get a chance to wake up and play the game.
Sure. He’s probably in a better place than you and me right now, but what’s the point for us here and now?
Let’s make this place the most amazing place right now.
We start by making choices and taking action.
What do I want to retire from?
I want to retire from guilt.
I want to retire from shame.
That’s what I want to retire from.
And then I want to retire into my unique ability.
I want to retire into my primary purpose.
I want to retire into those things that make so much sense to me.
If you’re with me on this, join my email list by filling out the form on the top or bottom of this page (depending on your device).
Let’s connect and help you retire into the life you want right now.
When change does happen, here are my 4 steps to taking control of change triggers.
Quit Wasting Time
If you’re just waiting for one day to tap out the time, don’t. Stop now.
As I write this, I’m about to turn 50 years old.
People think that 50 is old; that is a lie.
It’s just absolutely mind-blowing to me.
I remember the days when I was younger, and I thought 50 was old.
Friends, I am just getting started.
I’m going to live to 146 years old.
I’m barely a third of the way into my life.
That’s what I know and believe.
I’m choosing a different future.
I’ve got bigger plans.
When you’re looking for retirement, when you’re waiting for something else, you are making your future smaller than your past.
Why would you do that?
Some people blame it on the changes in energy.
I need to spend my energy while I have it to make money NOW, so I can do the things I want to LATER.
We are trying to play the game to where we have enough money.
Check out the 5 principles of the Think And Grow Rich mentality.
I don’t believe in playing that game.
I play the game to live my life NOW.
Making Life Happen Now
You have responsibilities, yes.
You can’t just quit and run off and expect things to be fine.
But you retire from a job that you don’t like.
You sell the business that you don’t love.
And what do you do?
You go volunteer, and you create a job.
I look at people they’re so busy in their church, in their community.
Now, all of a sudden, they’re sitting on boards and doing all these things.
Guess what?
It comes with a scheduling conflict.
It comes with responsibility.
You pick up certain things that you need to do.
Why wouldn’t you just go ahead and do that while you’ve got your own business? W
Do it while you’ve got your ability to create the career you want within a business and your driven mind.
I want everybody on my team to be free to create their dream life on this team.
That’s the reason this company exists.
Everybody’s coming at different places, different growth opportunities, different levels.
That’s what it’s ultimately all about.
Retire INTO Your Dreams
If my team can retire into their positions, into their careers, great things happen.
It’s about tapping unique abilities.
It’s about tapping primary purpose, and it’s about playing to win.
When we think about:
Oh, I’ve got to have enough money to live on.
Yes, you’ve got to have enough money to live on, but money is simply energy.
Money is a currency for you to create energy in the world and do different things, and the world will pay you dividends on your energy.
If you’re so worn out, if you’re so tired, if you’re disconnected from your purpose, from your spirit, from your community, you need to retire from that place.
Not stop. Not that kind of retirement.
You’ve got to get clarity.
Live your best life RIGHT NOW.
Until next time, my friends, make it a better-than-fantastic day!
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