What is your retirement strategy? Do you have one? A strategy is born from a process and tactics are born from that strategy. This is why it is so important to make sure that you have a process and strategy in place when planning for retirement. Your strategy will help you drive those important decisions. 

Your decisions during the accumulation phase of life were much different than they will be in retirement. This is why I’ve got Dan Miller joining me to discuss his book 48 Days to the Work and Life You Love. 

Why did Dan decide to change the title of his book?

Dan Miller recently changed the title of his best-selling book from 48 Days to the Work You Love to 48 Days to the Work and Life You Love. He changed the title to reflect the fact that work is just one tool in a successful life. What people really want is a successful life. His book can help you discover what drives you and how to dig in and strive toward building a life you love. 

Why 48 days?

Dan mentions that although 48 is a somewhat arbitrary number, it is enough time to get you on the road to change your life. No, it isn’t scientifically tested, but if you work at it those 48 days can give you a roadmap to build a life you love. It is enough time to assess where you are, create a plan, and act on it. When making decisions and changes in your life it is important to have constraints. It is much too easy to sit back on your heals and wait for changes to act upon you. By setting a deadline of 48 days you are able to take control of your life. 

How do you deal with your identity when you leave your work behind? 

Our identities are so wrapped up in the titles of our jobs. In retirement or upon leaving any job, it can often feel like we are leaving our identity behind. But this shouldn’t be the case. Who you are should include more than just the work that you do. I

t is important to realize the difference between these three things: vocation, career, and job. Your vocation is who you want to be remembered for, this should include your mission, your purpose, your destiny, and your calling. Your career is simply a subset of that vocation. Your job has an even smaller role; it is just what you do from day to day. 

So, what is your identity? How do you define your vocation?

There are 3 main problems in retirement

In retirement, three of the biggest problems that people experience are no friends, no money, and no purpose. The lack of money and friends can easily be changed, but what about the lack of purpose. It’s important to really define what your purpose is and what it will be in retirement. You can use your background, training, and network to help you figure out what you really want to do, who you really want to be in retirement. 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

• [7:31] Why did Dan Miller decide to change the title of his book?
• [12:12] Why is there a deadline of 48 days?
• [16:20] How do you deal with your identity when you leave your work?
• [27:32] Procrastination is the enemy of change

Q&A SEGMENT WITH FRITZ GILBERT

• [34:07] Fritz’s spending process in retirement
• [40:40] An planned early retirement question
• [52:35] Should they stop saving in pretax assets
• [57:30] A five year ladder strategy question

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

• [1:09:45] Do you have a strategy in place?

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

Episode 45 - Can Carl Retire?

Retirement Manifesto Resources

48Days.com/Roger

BOOK - 48 Days to the Work and Life You Love by Dan Miller

Rock Retirement Club

Roger’s YouTube Channel - Roger That

BOOK - Rock Retirement  by Roger Whitney

Work with Roger

Roger’s Retirement Learning Center