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Phased Retirement: Ode to a Writer
After I’d been writing this blog for a few months – sometime in early 2022 – I took a slight risk. I’d been an avid reader and fan of Jonathan Clements’ well-read blog, the Humble Dollar (https://humbledollar.com/), and I had known of Jonathan even before that, when I was a fan of his writing on personal finance in the Wall…
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Phased Retirement: The Great Divide
I remember hearing about the Great Divide on road trips through the mountains in Montana when I was growing up. Also known as the Continental Divide (of the Americas) it separates the watersheds that drain to the Pacific Ocean from those that drain into the Atlantic Ocean. My dad would say, “A raindrop that falls on the divide could split…
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Phased Retirement: The 3 Baskets
Planning for retirement is both exciting and challenging. We weigh big changes in our lives and big decisions that shape those changes. There are obvious financial considerations which get most of the attention. There are discussions and decisions about where to live – both geographically and whether to downsize in the same area. And, of course, there are big decisions…
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Phased Retirement: Book Smart
As I’ve been writing and thinking about this different approach to retirement – a phased approach where there’s a blended time of working and more personal time – there are some books that have been very helpful. Other resources like articles are helpful, as is talking with people and hearing their perspectives and insights. But, there’s something about a full-length…
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Phased Retirement: A Strategic Approach
For active professionals, the concept of retirement has undergone a significant transformation. Traditionally seen as a definitive end to work, retirement now presents an opportunity to leverage personal strategic planning for continued productivity beyond a full-time career. Retirement shouldn’t be viewed as the end of one’s productive life, but simply as a transition into a new phase. To make the…
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Phased Retirement: “Start with Why”
Why Retirement Isn’t the Answer (But Finding Your Why After Work Is) Forget the retirement brochures promising endless sunsets and golf courses. These images paint a picture of leisure, but what about purpose? Simon Sinek, author of the popular business book, “Start With Why,” would argue that true fulfillment comes not from escaping your work, but from finding your “why”…