I want you to focus on one word here.
Retirement
Think about it for one minute before reading on.
Retirement means different things to different people.  To some, it means the day you entirely stop working.  To some, it means you no longer work as an employee.  To some, it means you are financially free. 
The defination of the word, […]

Each time I think about the word “retirement”, all I can conjure up in my mind is a mysterious shroud. I have no idea what retirement means to me.

The only thing that comes to my mind immediately is the impression of retirement which means I am no longer working for someone else. I am sure you can identify with that, a desire to no longer be an employee doing someone’s else bidding.

Still, this does not lift the veil of mystery as to what retirement means to me. For example, does it mean I am to completely stop working?

While I may not want to work for someone else, I certainly would not mind working for myself operating my own bed and breakfast in paradise or volunteer to help with primate conservation efforts. I am sure you have something in mind for yourself.

Another piece of the mystery troubles me, what if I were to “retire” by the age of 40 but continue working for myself until I was 80? Or perhaps “retire” at the age 60 and dabble in some business part-time for myself for the next 20 years?

You and I both have heard stories of the old and new “retirees” who retired from their employment lifestyle and yet they still continue to find a way to make themselves useful working for themselves or supporting a cause.

I think the word “retirement” is a myth perpetuated by financial companies in the business of making money off you from the cradle to the grave. That’s just me.

It could be my 30-something self talking out loud but then again, it’s hard to dispute it when there are so many people out there who have shown us otherwise.

One thing I know for sure is that if “retirement” means I am no longer working for someone else, then I have free time to do whatever I want.

Either way, it is important to all of us who are interested in retiring at some point to set a retirement goal for our retirement portfolios.

Whether your retirement is in the near future or 50 years from now, you need to set a goal to have a specific amount of funds you can draw from to make your retirement lifestyle comfortable enough for you to do what you want to do with your free time.