My wife asked me this morning — What do I want to do when/after I retire? And I immediately had an answer for her. I know what I want to do. And I know it well.
I listed seven things…
1. Play Ultimate Frisbee
This is pretty self-explanatory, and I want to do this at least twice a week.
2. Host Friends and Families
I have a very specific dream.
Today, my family and I don’t yet have what I very loosely label — the ‘forever home’. We’re still traveling, exploring residencies in different parts of the world; we’re still ‘bootstrapping’ — dedicating our attention and financial resources to building a business and homeschooling our children. We have apartments in Singapore, and Melbourne, and we’re now living in Silicon Valley.
Here’s my dream — at some point in life, I’d love to build a home in which there is a huge dining-and-living room, with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall (or balcony) overlooking the sea.
Just in front of it, I’d like to have a long table - not unlike a Sushi bar - offering those who sit, that view of idyllic waters.
Every day, I’ll invite different groups of friends and family to come for coffee. Better yet — friends and family will know that they can step in any day. And I’ll make the coffee.
We’ll talk — about life, the past, the present the future… we’ll talk about technology, philosophy, social justice, and micronations. We’ll not notice how a morning coffee would turn into lunch. I’ll serve wine and prepare Sushi — crafting every piece, as we enjoy day-long conversations.
3. Work on Projects that Combat Modern-day Slavery (i.e. Child Prostitution)
Self-explanatory.
4. Work on Projects to Provide Care for the Destitute
Also self-explanatory.
5. Spend a Week (every 3 months) at a Secluded Beach
Off the grid, with my wife, kids, and close friends/families.
6. Write & Publish a Book/s
At the core, I’m a writer. I enjoy writing and I’d like to write and publish (articles) at least once a week.
I’d also like to write a book. I’m not sure what that book is. But I’d like to at least complete a book that’s a compilation of letters to my children.
7. Work with Startups
I love ‘startup work’. I’m now working on the one that I founded, and I don’t think I’ll ever want to stop. Even if I’m not leading one, I’d love to help founders and builders build great companies.
Why wait?
After I listed all these, she asked (rhetorically) — Why do we wait until after we consider ourselves ‘retired’, before we pursue what we want, and dream of?
She recalled her conversation yesterday, with an elderly man who runs a (non-profit) organization that feeds the hungry in various parts of the world. You can tell that he is a man on a mission, and at his age — he doesn’t want to work on anything that he doesn’t consider meaningful and satisfying.
‘The rest of our lives’ — is a Concept, not a Guarantee.
And while we didn’t speak of this — we know that life can be unpredictable. In the past few weeks, we’ve heard of more than 5 people within our second-degree networks — that have either passed away or have been diagnosed with a form of cancer… all in their late-thirties and early forties.
We are not guaranteed ‘the rest of our lives’, and I am sure that there are many people who live all of their lives, delaying what they truly want to do — until retirement — only to have their lives end, or get upended before they get a chance to even start on those plans.
The rest of My life.
First — I’m glad that I’m already doing, or I get to do, much of what I want to do.
Second — There are a couple of things that I’m not yet doing; and I’ve kept myself from them, thinking — I don’t have time now. I have other responsibilities that should take up all the excess time I have. This needs to change immediately.
Because I’m reminded — I am not guaranteed the rest of my life.