Interesting Questions Rich!

I guess if I could never retire and I had to continue with my current schedule I would die an early death. What you are saying makes sense - I can see how this could even ruin my current productivity although I don’t know what the solution is. I am looking forward to your next post - I am really curious how you are going to answer this.

Wow Rich,

I know I wouldn’t want to be working like GP for the rest of my life if I couldn’t retire.

If I had to live the same pattern for the rest of my life, I would probably not want to work as much and work on something that I really enjoy doing. I would also probably take time off more often.

I think you make an interesting point about “hoping it will be better later” We spend too much time concerned about the future instead of creating the life we want now.

This concept does present itself in a very unique, yet ackward manner. For most of us to succeed, we either must work extremly hard and put in a lot of hours or else have a unique idea that we can sell to someone else, then walk away.

The issue is finding something that will allow us to be able to spend our time as we wish and desire. Having fun, spending quality time with our families and loved ones is certainly important to most of us. Yet it is not always practical, even for those of us who are able to have our own business. Working when and how we please and making a sufficient income to allow us the basic luxuries of life are difficul to attain.

I look forward to seeing other response to this question.

Hey Rich,

I live in a neighborhood where everyone is doing good by mainstream standards… nice house, BMW’s, 3 kids, couple of vacations each year…. the funny thing is, I was out in front of my house this morning at around 6am as I watched my neighbors all drive off to work… I live on Long Island - rush hour traffic is murder here… anyway… it’s funny you posted this today because my neighbors always marvel at the idea that I have a virtual business from my home and I go play golf during the day with the “retired” people - my wife works with me - so to most folks - it’s hard to understand how we do it.

Regarding the idea of being able to have free time… that’s the magic I learned from being in your course… currently I’m building my business virtually and have freed up a lot of time… everyday I have conversations with GP… all I want to do is help them, because retirement is so obviously an illusion…

Great Post Rich… keep’em coming

For the past 40 years (25 to 65), with the exception of a few days off during Christmas and a few days per year for camping trips, I’ve pretty much worked 12 - 14 hours per day 7 days per week.
It’s been an interesteing life being an electronics instructor, oceanographer, consulting engineer, author, publisher, lecturer, inventor, etc. but now, at 65, I hope that my intense interest in the internet coupled with my passion for writing will allow me to work less and have more time to enjoy life.
Besides the books already written (www.woodfoundations.com) and 4 more that are in the process of being written, I hope to establish a number of websites that will, hopefully, run mostly on ‘automatic pilot’, providing income for both my son and daughter (who also works with us).
I am blessed having a son that is a whiz IT guy (20 years experience) that can handle all the technical stuff while I spend my time on the writing.
At my present age, there is not a lot of ‘later’ left, but I hope to implement this plan soon so that I can pass on the wisdom that you have to my children so that they won’t make the same mistakes I’ve made.
Keep up the good work.
We all need your wisdom.
Looking forward to your next blog.

Very difficult questions to deal with Rich!

First response is I’d probably drop dead on the spot, at least
spiritually - the spark would literally go out. I hate what
I do for a living.

Time to really think on this.

Rich - I retired several times too - and found myself working long days again because I love what I do… so I get joy out of the way I spend my day and yes, I could be doing other fun “retirement” things - but really, they got boring too… so working and taking fun trips and just doing what I love is not work at all…

I would definitely do something that requires less hours per week than I currently do while maximizing the growth of my business. Basically, it goes hand-in-hand with what you’ve explained over the last year about the importance of systemitizing and automating what we do day to day. I think more people have to embrace the concept of enjoying a “retired-type” life now and not waiting until they are too old to really enjoy it. Creating a business that requires you to run it constantly is a long term recipe for burn out. I recommend anyone read the new book by Tim Ferriss called “The 4-Hour Work Week”. He has a lot of great ideas on how to create an autopilot business that uses systems, outsourcing, and automation to enable the business owner minimal involvement on a weekly basis. This creates the ability for people to design their business AROUND their preferred lifestyle and not the other way around- which is something you’ve also recommended.
Rich, thanks for the interesting post.
Kurt Hagemeister

Rich,

The answer is time effectiveness. You made that very clear in your recent webinar and it was a wake up call for me. Imagine–I teach this stuff all the time and had gotten away from using my time as effectively as I could myself!

Since I saw that webinar I’ve e-mailed the link to dozens of small and solo business clients who are all struggling with the same time issues, and I’ve gotten back on track.

You were 100% right–it’s not always the smartest person or the one with the coolest products that succeeds. It’s the one who is an expert at allocating their time effectively that ends up with more time to enjoy life.

Thanks for sharing your always-on-target insights.

All the best,
Janis Pettit

The concept of “work” can have many different meanings If you truly enjoy what you do to earn a living, it does not carry the same meaning of drudgery. Working 8 hours at a job you despise, can seem like 16 hours. Working 16 hours at a job you enjoy can seem like 2 hours!

Interesting that I chose today to come home early and read this particular email, because the questions you pose were running through my head.

I AM looking for something more fulfilling and less time consuming than what I am doing–besides the fact that the business I work for is failing and I’m likely a short-timer there anyway.

So, maybe this is my lucky day.

Looking forward to your next post.

Thanks.

Hi Rich,

Unfortunately, I also work 12-14 hours a day, 7 days a week, since ….. four years !!

It’s not because I enjoy doing what I do, not at all. It’s because I am 55, unemployed, with no resource, and I am struggling very, very hard trying to make this internet thing to work.
Whith no success at this time.
I tried all that the gurus tell me, I tried everything that could be done and each time that a small success happens, it doesn’t last for a sufficient time to launch an other thing. So I have to redo it as the first time.
In that condition, I can’t actually automate anything, because each day I have to try an other thing, expecting it will works this time ?

The retirement is not even a dream for me. I have to work to make my day…

And I wonder how everybody else make millions on the net…

Wish you the best
Jeff

Rich,

you are making probably the best point ever. All we do is about a good life - NOW! Who knows if we are blessed with a TOMORROW.

I start EVERY DAY with a one hour walk with my wife in one of the most interesting parks of our town. This is so good for our health, relationship, feelings, mood … And guess what - the park is almost empty besides the Sundays. Who of all rich people is that rich that he can have a one hour walk every morning?

Good luck with all your projects, Rich!

JAn

Wow!

Your point hit me in the stomach!

I would definitely use my time at my business way much smarter, and spend much more time with my family, hobbies, friends, recreation…

I will.

Thanks Rich

ps.: I love module 2 - it’ll also help with this same thing

For me it comes down to a question of efforts vs. results. Your masseuse is forced to continually put in a certain amount of effort in order to maintain her income level. When she stops working, she stops making money. Her income is a direct function of the number of hours that she puts in.

In the same situation, I’d put my focus on decreasing my own effort while still maintaining the same results. For me that is a question of investing in my business in order to decrease the number of hours that I work while maintaining the same level of output, and income. That would naturally include leveraging the time of others. Although that initially decreases profit margins, it increases the value of my time and frees me up to focus on building my business.

Rather than ramble on any further, I’ll sum up my answer in a single sentence:

You don’t want to be another wheel in the machine, you want to be the guy (or girl) who pushes that big red start button

Rich, what’s your schedule like?

Here’s what I would choose for the rest of my life:
More time making a difference in people’s lives and less time messing around with petty details.

Ironically, I realize that the choice is mine, but it’s hard to break free of the familiar and seductive pull of the way I’ve always done things.

It’s just a matter of overcoming the inertia and blazing a new path.

Here’s the way I see it:

By the time you’re in your 60’s you should at least have enough money saved/invested that you only need to work a few hours a week. Or you should have some kind of passive income or enough income coming in where you only need to work part time hours every week. I think the notion of retiring and then not having to work is unhealthy. Think about it, other than working, what else will you do with all your free time? Sit on the couch like a vegetable all day, everyday watching TV? That just destroys the mind and body. You can’t play golf and fish all day everyday. That gets old afterawhile. You can’t travel non-stop. So some kind of work, on a part time basis will keep your mind sharp and your body in better condition than someone who doesn’t. That’s my two cents.

If you enjoy what you do, you really love it, you could work at it until the day you die.

How may people can say they love what they do. I don’t

Rich,
Your questions come 4 years after I was forced to make the life changing decision. Having toyed with the idea of “doing my own thing”, the corporate that I worked for dispensed with my services with no warning. The opportunity to grab life with both hands and run with it does not come often enough for most of us!

So at this time I am doing exactly what I want, when I want and for who I want. I have taken on the idea of helping others find their ideal customers, delivering these “ideal prospects” back to the client’s site and benefiing from a share in the revenue that is generated.

The concept of residual income without all the baggage that is usually attached in the form of someone else’s company.

Life couldn’t be better. Doing this for the rest of my life is exactly what I have planned.

I think I’d spend more time with my family and traveling — that’s the main thing I’d change. I don’t intend to retire because I enjoy doing my “work” so much.

Rich, I am curious if your schedule is consistent throughout the years, especially when you enter launches and things that tend to be more stressful. I find the hours are sucked away very quick during launch periods.

You asked “What if the way you choose to work today would set the pattern you must continue until the day you die? What would you be doing differently?”

Thats why I joined your program! The way I was working was not going to allow me to retire nor would I be able to keep that pace in my later years.
Although my initial plan drifted towards building a business that would be self sufficient and successful enough for resale, NOW my plan has a definite path to that goal.
What am I doing differently? I’m creating a business that will support me, not me support it. One that will continue to function even if I’m not there. I’m working smarter not harder. If I am still working in my retirement years its going to be because I want to NOT because I have to.

Thanks Rich

By the way - I took my Kolbe index test and based on the results, the careers of the people who have similar scores…. I’ve been a few of those already. I want to try something different (when I grow up!) LOL

Hi Rich.
Unlike proably most of your clients, I have a pretty unconventional ‘job’ - I would call it ‘calling’.
I understood the ‘myth of retirement’ from the day I finished school.
I am going to do the things I do till the day I die and I’m very happy with that. In fact, I don’t what to retire in the conventional sense. My most desired thing is not to stay home and watch tv and chat with neighbours and go for vacation. Ugh….

Hi Rich,

Intersting to me too that you should raise this topic now. It’s a topic that I’ve been thinking about for some time. Here in the uK it was announced recently that not only do the 50-60 year olds have little or no pension to take care of them in retirement (and therefore will have to work until they die) but that they have the second highest amount of debt of all age groups.

This is a terrible situation to happen. I think one of the biggest problems is that all of our lives we are encouraged to strive for more, to advance ourselves to provide a better standard of living for ourselves and our families (as Robert Kyosaki explains in his Rich Dad, Poor Dad books) in the promise that ‘one-day’ we will be able to reap the benefit and do all of those things we promise ourselves.

When you are young ‘one-day’ always seems so far ahead so there’s loads of time to build up that nest egg. Unfortunately, ‘one-day’ suddenly arrives right out of the blue, almost without warning that day is upon us and we realise that there may not be time to do all of the things we’ve been promising ourselves. There seem to be so many that we’ve put on hold.

Having recently reached 64 years of age I have to say that it came as quite a shock to me to realise that I was in my last year before ‘normal retirement’ age.

So what would I do if I had to work the way I am now for the rest of my life? Well to start with I don’t intend to. I will focus more and use my time much more effectively. I’ll eliminate the daily activities that eat up time, like reading email all day and acting as an unpaid coach and mentor to people who have no intentions of committing to turn their lives around and spend time with the genuine ones that do.

I look forward eagerly to your next post Rich.

I’m glad Kurt mentioned “The 4 Hour Work Week”. Very good book I am reading now. Love the author’s idea of mini-retirements and the mobility of the New Rich, although he says it doesn’t take as much money as you might think.

As to your question, what if you could never retire, I can only say why would you want to? I’ve watched my in-laws who were retired from the time I met them. Long hours in front of the TV. She with some craft project du jour and his daily meeting with cronies at the local coffee shop. As they got older and friends died off, my in-laws became more and more isolated and did less and less. Going out to lunch at a buffet became the highlight of their day. Yuck!

Having my druthers, I’d rather do the mini-retirements from “The 4 Hour Work Week.” Too bad I have a husband who loves his job and will probably work till they kick him out the door.

Funny how you have come up with a post addressing what I have been thinking about for some time now. “What would you do differently?” Yes, very thought provoking. I know it would entail more outsourcing and being more mobile. That requires a life style change. Hmmm, yes. Lots to think about.

I tried retirement and found my brain started to shrink and my waistline became bigger even though the stomach was receiving less.
OOch some drastic measures needed.
So here I am learning all about this internet lark
Who says we have to eek our retirement on a measly pittace.
I still want to change the furniture ect and need better funds to do it on.
Don,t we all.
Please do not pulish my mail address as i already have loads of e-mail

Rich,

It’s interesting you should pose these questions at exactly the same time I am trying to solve them myself. Having already “retired” from the conventional mainstream, I am hoping to build an online business that allows me to not only enjoy what I’m doing, earn some residual income, and help others at the same time by providing a workable pathway. I’m anxious to see what other jewels you come up with. We’re just getting started, and having fun doing it.

Retirement to me is doing exactly what you want when you want to, and that may well include working until the day you die. However, the important element is having the choice.
Retirement may mean different things to different people but to me it is having the choice to do what I want when I want, and if I dont like what I am doing then having the ability to change that is key.

If I could never retire and I had to continue working like this I would make my peace with it. What else you can do. I have decided to change that now and working on success day by day.I am sure it is on the way.

I will never retire as I don’t even understand the meaning of the word. I love what I do too much, but at the same time, I have goals set, plans laid and actions in place to teach other’s to slowly but surely take over from me……and at that point, my whole life begins again!

I never want to retire to be honest.
I love writing, learning and growing.

What if you could never retire?
That is the case for all anyway, you really never retire, just change where you place your energies. These questions are definitely great ones for it makes one look at their perspective about “work”. You can actually retire any day you decided to. You just have to decide by what standard of living will work for you.
Once you are “there” you have succeeded. You must select what is your standard not someone else idea of what it is.

What if the way you choose to work today would set the pattern you must continue until the day you die? What would you be doing differently?
I would continually ask questions about what am I achieving for myself. The only person I can control is me and the only circumstance I can control is…there is not any. I will continually make positive actions to bettering my lifestyle, the circumstance they may arise from those actions I can not control

And that is fine. What I strive to remember daily, is, this stuff we call life can end at any second. It is best somewhere in the birth to death journey one did things that they enjoyed. The good news is money, prestige, power, position does not dictate when or what you can enjoy, your perception does. You control you.
if you recognize and accept that fact, you can retire any moment you want to.

If the way I worked today set the pattern for the rest of my life, I’d spend the first two hours of the day with God and exercising, (rather than the 30 minutes I now alternate between the two) and then three hours in the evening with my sons.

Then, I would do what Rich did back in 2002 when he hired me to write his sales letters…leverage my time by paying for the services of another brilliant marketing mind.

After 30 years as administrator for various early childhood and manpower programs, I thought I had this whole time management issue whipped…
That is until I discovered a fascination with Internet Marketing. No need to
mention the problem with “distractions” on the Internet!

We need to remind ourselves of what our old buddy Confucious said:
“Man Who Chases Two Rabbits Catches Neither!” Focus.

In my glorious experience working as a drone in the grinding machine known as American capitalism, I have found that the demands placed on workers are often inhumane. If I wasn’t willing to work 90 hours per week for the peanuts they offered, then I could just step aside and let any one of ten million younger, healthier job applicants take my place. They were usually willing to work for half a peanut cuz they didn’t have kids yet.
Due to trying to keep up with these job demands, which I saw as the only way to keep a roof over my head, my health suffered BIG time and I was miserable. There’s got to be a better way than the wage slave mentality that our current economy encourages. You embody that Rich. Of course everybody wants that. who wants to work for the man? He’s a prick.

Hi Rich

I was a massage therapist for 6 years.

Haha! No one can bribe me to do that again!…Even
if they would pay me $500 per session every day.
Waaay too much work for even the toughest cookie.

Though it can be very ‘rewarding’ the worst
thing about it as any ‘career’ is that you…
ONLY GET PAID WHEN YOU WORK!

…What kind of sillyness is that?! LOL

If I knew I could never retire, I’d probably
stop working 15 hours a day trying to
launch my project online — Immediately!
I’d still invest all my passion into it…but I would
actually go outside more and enjoy my youth.

Also, what else would I do differently?
I’d STOP comparing myself to all the other online
stuff out there and thinking why my ideas aren’t “good
enough” or aren’t strategic enough, etc., etc. ..
Instead, I would simply just launch my idea online and focus
on connecting with and getting feedback from my target market
…then finding out how I can improve upon it.

And when my vision continues morphing and transforming
into new and other ventures…I would actually welcome it
because I’d know that I am here not to struggle, but to actually
ENJOY the process of making my online business dreams come true.

Speaking of retirement, for those of you that read and believe the Bible, retirement really isn’t something we are called to do. We can’t do the same thing later in life that we do now, but we can still serve others. It may be for free, it may just be a few hours a week, but we can always serve others. Perhaps we can counsel others on how to work from home and enjoy your family!

Well Rich

Life is short and I want to enjoy the time I have now with my kids, Don’t care if I retire as long as I am doing something I enjoy and am appreciated for, would like to apply more leverage in my life to earn more instead of trading time for money so I can enjoy more time with my family.

It seem as though if I continue the same pattern I am locked in today I will never have the time or the money to live the life I really want.

Hi Rich,

I have been a consultant to companies for the past 40 years and love it. I love the challenges that business face and helping them solve their issues. The creativity keeps me alert, and the friendship are priceless. So, retirement to me is just speaking of an age and I will never (I hope) reach that age.

Kevin

Sounds wonderful!

I didn’t realize my message would leave all
those smiley faces up there! haha. I kinda
got carried away.

I have yet to join Rich’s program. But I’d love
anyone else’s feedback on it. If I were to invest
in any online business strategy or marketing
information product…it would be something that
Rich taught. I’ve never felt such a profound “Online
Awakening” as I did when I read your 3 Manifestos.

I am only 27 and I spent the last several years
digesting everything I can about online marketing
and offline business building strategies. Retirement?
All that means to me really, is just FINALLY finding
my Vein of Gold (aka my Passion) and allowing it to
shape and transform my life everyday! I have been
an “Entrepreneur” since highschool so I don’t know
what its like to work a “normal” job longing for
retirement. I just know what it feels like to long for
a dream. And ‘working’ towards fulfilling it.

I’d love to learn from anyone on here that is truly living
their passion…like Rich!

Great post Rich, thanks for creating a thread that should provoke some people into thinking differently.

I’m going to answer the last one - what does it do to your success… It IS the reality - how you work today DOES create how you have to work in future. If you are working hard then you have thought you HAVE to work hard to succeed. As long as you’re thinking stays that way, nothing changes.

Creativity; the connection to the source is the key. Working too hard, or not enough are each as bad as each other. Find the balance, relax into the gap and do efficiently what you came here to do…

If you work for someone–especially a corporation–you have no choice. They own you. Your vacation time is very limited. You work long hours if you expect to advance, and then they screw you when it comes time to benefit from the retirement package. And it’s getting worse. The only ones with a chance to escape this are those who succeed in establishing a business of their own, or who are lucky enough to work for an exceptionally enlighted–and profitable–company. Those who are working for a company would be wise to prepare themselves for retirement, or even take an early retirement. By starting a business part-time, or by honing some skill and knowledge these people will be able to start a conulting and information sales business that will give them an income stream in their retirement age. They would also be wise to save at least 10% of their income, avoid debt and foolish consumer expenses, downsize their home and its expense, and invest their money in their business and in income property. In short, create income streams.

You’ve hit the nail on the head.
Just before reading your post I was thinking about the three stages, or levels of what defines our experience. Be, do and have. You have to be something different, to do something different, in order to have something different. I know if I carry on being and doing the same as I am, It aint gonna get better. Coincidence?

BRAVOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!! Rich

indeed, I am in situation described here by you, Bravo. I am teaching in almost 32 years of maltreatment. It seems that I am not profitable for me even in this trade and therefore I seek to convert me in the services and on my account this time.

I am in a hurry to discover your easy way….Still a faith, Rich CHEER ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

BRAVOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooo, Rich

En effet,je suis dans situation décrite ici par toi , Bravo. Je suis un enseignant dans presque 32 ans de sevice.Il semble que je ne suis pas rentable pour moi même dans ce metier et c’est pour cela que je cherche à me convertir dans les services et à mon propre compte cette fois.

j’ai hâte de découvrir ton astuce….Encore une foi , BRAVO Rich

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