A+W Software’s Post

Hopefully, you are already enjoying your 'Prime Time' and well advanced on strategically planning for your 'Epic Retirement'. If not, the best day to start is today! Thanks Bec Wilson for allowing me to contribute to these actionable tips, and for an interesting and fun year in assisting you in your fantastic book.

If you're at ALL concerned about your ability to retire, register for and watch the short 11 minute webinar here: https://lnkd.in/gJ9PnZGE Fun fact, the average retirement account balance of those in the age range of 60 to 69 is...drumroll please... $182,000 Before taxes. Is this you? Do you even have that much? It's not too late to turn it around. You can take advantage of strategies used by the affluent and do just that. They don't have exclusive rights to them. I can show you how.

Grateful for a year of growth, challenges, and countless victories with this incredible team! 🌟 As we come together to reflect on the journey, we're reminded of the strength, dedication, and camaraderie that define us. Cheers to every milestone and lesson learned in 2023! 🎉 Here's to a team that's not just ready for retirement, but ready for whatever the future holds! 🚀 #retirementready #financialplanning #legacyplanning

We’re on the precipice of one of the worst financial crises in the history of the US. The last of the Baby Boomers is about to retire, and the average balance in their retirement accounts is $275,000. Do you know what that means? For most people, it means that they’ll run out of money by the time they’re 78, and that’s only if they can live on $54,000 a year, which is the average US annual cost of living in retirement. Can you live off $54,000 a year? There aren’t enough Walmarts to support 68 trillion retirees. Let me show you how you can boost your retirement savings. Start here by watching the My New Retirement webinar here: https://lnkd.in/gJ9PnZGE

Among many things I thought I'd miss post retirement, I never listed 'official emails'. Surprise! I'm missing those action-initiating, plan-scattering, time-consuming, etc. etc. MAILS. I realise they were part of the work day and everyone of us had a scheme for managing it, leading to many, many 'Wow! that's done' mini victories. Post retirement "Aha moment #2" Office Email isn't just a communication tool, but a deep, gratifying habit. #PostRetirement #Epiphany #EnjoyingRetirement

So many of us want to get retired early, like Arjun from ZNMD movie, without knowing what we will do in our free time. Believe it or not, it is the work which keeps us moving. Just try to sit at home for 7 days without work, you will drop the idea of early retirement :-) We humans are surviving because we have work to do. It is very hard to live without any work. Some might argue that we do the work for money. Yes, it is true, but it is also true that work gives us a purpose and it allows us to spend our time. Retirement is not about having no work. Retirement is about doing the work which you want to do. If you are doing the work with a purpose and you are happy, then you are already somewhat retired. If you don't have the right work, push yourself hard, learn something which will take you there, don't stop as you have only one life. Enjoy!! #purpose #work #happiness

2 decades ago, retirement felt like an eternity away. It had meant extended seaside holidays, random trips, long drives to no where, coffee-hopping. Because I can, we can. 2 decades later, retirement means so different to me! It is all of those and more but what's most bizarre a realisation is that I don't think I'll ever retire. Not because I can't but because I choose not to. Until circumstances change, of course. What is retirement, anyway? What are we retiring from? Living? Doing good? We actually never stop doing anything meaningful, do we? We don't retire. We just shift focus. #intentionalliving

The send-off from my G&S colleagues was really touching for me and my family. No surprise to many, that kind of attention was just a bit uncomfortable for me. Why? Because my tenure and ANY success I realized is simply a credit to the hundreds of hard-working G&S colleagues I had the honor of working with for the past 27 years, the clients that trusted us with their business, and so many others that provided support along the way. The biggest surprise gift I received over the last month? Reflection… that I hope to share as a simple reminder for business leaders, at any level, in any industry. Do not underestimate the little things you practice, say or do during interactions with your team… The welcome feeling you give to a new colleague, the outreach on a job well done, the transparency in the way you communicate, your availability to others, the care you take to deliver even the most difficult feedback or result. As leaders, we fall short from time to time, and don’t always think about these and many other leadership practices on a daily basis. Just know that in the end, they add up to the sum of who you are and the impact you have on an organization. Lead on!

Retirement is here! After 45 years spanning OEM, DoD, and Air Cargo (the last 30+ happily spent in the precursors and subsidiaries of ATSG) I’ve reached the retirement waypoint. I’m very grateful for the prosperity provided, friends made, and lessons learned. Here’s a few of those business and life lessons: ·      The optimized production of goods and services drives economic growth. ·      Work is a productive act of service to others, and a primary purpose in life. ·      Earned achievement and personal happiness are realized when work aligns with your passions and skills.   ·      Technological progress and productivity improvements are unrelenting and accelerating. ·      Technological advancements are deflationary, delivering more value for less cost. ·      Deflation is the natural state of a “free market” as competition and innovation increase value and decrease cost. ·      Consequently, pricing power falls to the marginal cost of production, globally. ·      Our debt-based economy requires inflation to offset persistently occurring deflation. ·      Inflation is a tax (≥2%) imposed primarily by federal monetary and fiscal policy. ·      Inflation = dollar devaluation = lost purchasing power = wage deflation. ·      Inflation turns cash and long-term treasuries into melting ice cubes. ·      Pricing power is maintained by competitive advantage, or by unsavory tactics such as rent seeking, regulatory capture, and crony capitalism. ·      Doing more & more, faster & faster, can bring success without satisfaction (a race to the bottom). ·      Hard assets (real estate, equities, commodities) can provide a hedge against inflation. ·      A low cost of capital often leads to poor allocation decisions. ·      Choose your customers and suppliers carefully; counterparty risk is real.   ·      Who you know is more important than what you know, relationships matter.   ·      He who reads leads, be intentional about the life of the mind. ·      Commit to a people and place; invest time & treasure in work, family, and community. ·      The world is broken; accept this, work with this, and make it a better place. ·      Be grateful, forgiving, and kind. Retirement plans: Applying these lessons. Be well. Do good work. Stay in touch.  

Retirement is underrated. If you're planning to leave the full-time, paid workforce for a more leisurely life, here are a few tips: 1 - Consider what your purpose is in retirement, BEFORE you retire. Are you serving on boards of directors? Do you enjoy consulting? Are you interested in learning a new skill or starting something new? 2 - Make time to BE. Don't take on any new assignments for at least 6 months. It's amazing how quickly you will be inundated with requests to DO something with your time. Hesitate to take on new stuff until you're ready. 3 - Enjoy taking time to do what you want to do. Be intentional about your next steps. Maybe it's cleaning up storage space, catching up on projects around the house, playing some golf or tennis or pickeball or serving on boards. Is there a new business venture you'd like to start? 4 - Learn to say NO to things that don't bring satisfaction or joy. Life's too short to endure what doesn't. 5 - Have fun. Take time to do breakfast, lunch or dinner with friends and family. I retired in July 2023 and am enjoying my redirected life. Serving on a few boards, starting a golf review business, getting engaged with some consulting and enjoying time with my family has been so rewarding and satisfying. I'm busy with things that give life and hopefully make the world a better place.