A bit of musing;  Not long ago, with advice from here, other places and with a few habitual and mental adjustments I read about and subscribed to “having a plan” (Ref. Reset by David Sawyer) perhaps not necessarily for retirement but to provide a little more flexibility and choice in the mid to later stages of our lives.

It’s working well so far, and despite current stresses we all have I’ve noticed our natural decision making – almost like Universal Law – now seems to naturally defer to said plan.   So, we started to visualise Phase 2 – what we’d like to experience in retirement.

I though it must be interesting to ask other STWers what your post mid life visions might be?

It’s mostly cakes if i’m honest.

Dignitas.

My mates dad has retired and is mostly riding his road bike. 100’s of miles a week. From his house, from his kids houses, before lockdown in Spain loads.

So as above, but with a mountain bike.

Possibly an electric one : )

when is mid life?

Currently doing as little or as much as I want presently. However Boris is threatening to lock up us over 50’s now.

Hows that gonna work for MPs etc?

Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Pretty much sums it up at the moment.

It’s nice to have a plan but there is still every chance of an ambush.

Snap. Laughs with Kilo 🙂

without a plan, though, there’s more chance of being ambushed by the unexpectedly sudden passage of 15 or 20 years.

I’m 51. About to go back to working more hours with a promotion that brings me up to around average wage, to help support kids through uni and tip up pensions.

My old private pensions and my original CS pension I can start to draw with no penalties at 60, so I’m thinking partial retirement in 10 years maybe. Then riding and volunteering more.

Subject to kids, aging parents and a disabled wife all throwing spanners in the works.

My family has a long history of heart attacks and dementia. I choose heart attack.

without a plan, though, there’s more chance of being ambushed by the unexpectedly sudden passage of 15 or 20 years.

Yup,but who could have seen that Covid ambush coming, that has now royally messed up our plans for the next few years. Maybe we should have had pandemic in our contingency plans, right next to the terminal disease section.

without a plan, though, there’s more chance of being ambushed

This for me.   Having a plan has a least stopped the wild thrashing around of work/life in the main.   This year is of course a setback – Mrs K now redundant, my Sales job is compromised at best and at end of year will no doubt be corporate stress based hell on earth, but we know there’s a purpose we are working/adjusting to; its not aimless and I know there’s and end to that in sight.   Is Mark Cavendish would say “theres always an end” and knowing that helps bear the brunt of the current effort.

We have a to do list for things outside of of the bigger goal – we need a new bathroom, we have some window frames that need attention etc, but we just focus on which of those things are important, which can wait and adjust according to our circumstances at the current time.

I could well be mistaken but I think it’s a Terry Pratchett thing; the idea that we are great at looking back, viewing the past and what has already occured, and great at looking forward, imagining or planning what we are going to do in the future.

The bit we’re not good at is now.

I was tempted to give up bike racing when my kids were pre-school and there were never enough hours in the day. The father of one of my friends heard me grumbling and said ‘If you don’t do the things you want to now you’ll end up as a 40 year old wondering why you never did them’. So yes, plan for the future but don’t forget the here and now.

Having 3 young kids (youngest just a few weeks old) retirement seems a long way off indeed at the moment. I’m in a decent pension scheme and I have added a bit extra over the last few years as I could and because I’d had a bit of a career break. I would like a retirement like my parents managed, dad got 18 comfortable years, healthy for most, couple of holidays a year, new car every 5 ish years, not extravagant but no financial worries and could have spent much more. However having had kids late I’ll likely be working 5 or 6 years longer than he did, after that if I live long enough I’d hope to be comfortable, but it’s too far off to make plans in detail

plan for the future but don’t forget the here and now.

I’m not sure its the same thing but the guiding principal of the Reset book is have a plan, but live the best life you can today with that plan in mind.   A lot of people are having a shit time and we need to be grateful for what we have, but enjoying boiled eggs with soldiers this morning with my daughter was just as and if not more important than what we hope to achieve in 5 then 15 years time, no matter what happens tomorrow.

You’ll know from my posts I don’t always remember to be as forgiving or sanctimonious(? my own example of a better self to myself) at myself as this, I’m still learning, mainly with the help of David Sawyer and Mark Manson – worth a google.

I’m hopeless at planning, but my brother does it for a living and has convinced me to join his plan to sell our houses and use the equity to buy somewhere abroad and live our grumpy old men lives out together. He’s actually been sending me properties recently 🤪
Sounds great. Not quite got my head round it tbh, but it does sound a hell of a lot better than working in the same job for another 10 years to pay off the mortgage.

Sounds good Dez 😉

DezB, I’d ask; Is that what YOU want to do?     You may want spend time behind closed doors thinking about that carefully, before working actively toward your decision.

I got make redundant in 2018 at 53 – enough money to live on for a couple of years. Set-up my own little online business, it pays its way now and brings in a few grand a year. I was also doing some part-time work in my LBS to help cover some bills. Had a pension review at the beginning of the year at 55 – pensions are quite good, so only real problem is next 10 years. My wife was part-time carer for her disabled mother (lived nearby). Decided that plan was to move to Scotland and self-build / buy to release enough money to pay for next 10 years. Sold house in 3 days for more than we expected and moved into a rental on Speyside 5 weeks ago. MIL moved into home down south. Talking to a builder about building a new house on Mull – sea views with big garage / workshop. Should be able to get some part-time seasonal work in the summer and have online business throughout year. These days, I’m off in the hills running with my dog or cycling. I can’t imagine what trying to find a decent job post covid is going to be like in the UK. The best piece of advice was to buy the smallest house you need, not what you can afford. Probably means we can’t afford expensive foreign trips anymore – but I have a camper van and I’ll be living on a Scottish island, who cares? I didn’t want to be sitting there in my 60’s thinking I wish we’d done in sooner.

I’m still learning

Hopefully we all are; I’m a big fan of the ‘everyday should be a school day’ thing, especially with regard to self awareness and (I have to grit my northern old man teeth to say it 🙂 ) personal growth.

You may want spend time behind closed doors thinking about that carefully, before working actively toward your decision.

Woah ,I just had a flashback of my stuffy old careers advisor at school 🙂 🙂

I’m 46 and have already outlived all the males in my immediate family, go me. Never really expected to make it this far. My plan is to have fun watching my son grow up.

Not sure planning works, I was working towards N Devon, surfing a lot and using my huge pile of 26”, 1+1/8 straight, 3×9 rapid rise spares, met a lady, now in Oxfordshire with an ebike.

DezB, I’d ask; Is that what YOU want to do?

Hence, not quite got my head around it yet.
Thing is though, it IS a hell of a lot better than the only other option in my head… ie. living here for another 10 years.

My plan is to have fun watching my son grow up.

Best plan ever that’s for sure. But I’ve done that, now mine’s 18 (next month) and the last 10 years have been fantastic. He’ll be off to Uni and I’ll be surplus (no harm in that). So, what’s next for me?

Sounds good Dez

That plan ain’t half bad

No, it’s all bad😀

So, what’s next for me?

Therein lie’s the point of the mid life planning.  Once the kids are set up and gone, what is next for us?  That’s where your plan should be helping.   It really is a mid life issue – hammering away at work for nothing recognisably tangible is a mental struggle.  Doing it or changing it for a purpose very much helps.

once junior has fled the nest id like to be able to do a couple of days a week work wise, from my motorhome #vanlife. Any ideas how to make this a reality 🙂

The median life-expectancy for my siblings and parents is only 47#. That is not going to change and I am already above it. My remaining sibling is at median age. I could retire in two years but I have two adult children to support. Looking at a slight change in career path despite being happy with what I do. We shall see.

My family has a long history of heart attacks and dementia

#Skin cancer and car crashes for this orphan…

Work hard, earn a good pension, then die in harness before I can draw it. That way, my GF gets it and she’s got a good retirement in the house we are renovating.

To be honest, I don’t expect to get beyond 60, so I really should start throwing more at my pension for her.

Best plan ever that’s for sure. But I’ve done that, now mine’s 18 (next month) and the last 10 years have been fantastic. He’ll be off to Uni and I’ll be surplus (no harm in that). So, what’s next for me?

I’m planning on pushing the MIL down the stairs and disappearing off round the world on a motorbike!

Get through today, then start again tomorrow. That’s as far as my planning goes. Maybe I need a new plan!

I do find Myself Encountering more and more Late 50s/Early 60s T.W.A.Ts through work at present, an increasing number of whom cycle on their extra days off.

Given I’m a borderline Millennial and probably won’t be allowed to retire before the age of 92 I can see me opting for reduced hours once I’m in my mid-50’s just to make the most of any remaining health, putting stuff off till I’m in my 60s/70s and fully retired is just a ridiculous idea.

My Dad is currently 70 and dare I say it He’s looking pretty good for it, but while He officially retired at 59, he’s spent the last decade working ‘part time’ for no appreciable reason other than he really likes working. As a result I do think my parents have missed the chance to do a lot of the travelling they said they wanted to and of course spend more time with their grandkids during their 60s. They’re still sort of operating like they’re mid 50 something ’empty-nesters’…

I don’t really want to end up in that boat, I like my work, but when I’m in a position to start doing the stuff I actually want without worrying about being at work on a Monday or covering the school run, then the goal would be to have sufficient resources to travel and cycle as much as I can for a decade or so before my knees are utterly gone.
I’m not totally sure what the Missus is expecting, she certainly wants to travel more (well go on more nice holidays).
I think the more detailed planning on that front can wait until we’re both in our 50s but it’s worth having an idea.

Right now I’ve got Middle age to bumble through, So far it’s actually OK TBH…

I do find Myself Encountering more and more Late 50s/Early 60s T.W.A.Ts through work at present, an increasing number of whom cycle on their extra days of

Only 49, but I go cycling every Wednesday, as that’s my day off…

Seems I could be the opposite of some on here as I could live in good health into my 90’s if I match my family. Better keep saving.