Wait! I Thought You Retired!

I DID Retire, But…

I got my first paid job when I was a freshman in college, and I have been working consistently (part- or full-time) ever since. Even when I was a teacher and had summers off, I almost always worked another job for several of those off weeks.

Throughout all of those years, I actually had three separate careers: first as an educator, then as a sales professional, and finally, as an entrepreneur, where I combined the experiences and expertise of my first two careers.

For many people, including me, “retirement” has a new definition.

There is no way to write one definition describing today’s retirement. It’s traveling. It’s community volunteering. It’s starting a business. It’s a second job or working in the gig economy.

Retirement? What’s That?

It’s all these things that throw old ideas about retirement out the window. The notion of retirement has changed. It’s no longer defined by a date or an age. It’s more of a mindset. And it’s not about leaving one’s job. It’s about planning a future and the pursuit of passions.

When I officially retired last fall, I actually did stop everything business-wise, closed down everything in my businesses, and just pursued some of my hobbies. I actually finished some…