I retired from the corporate world at 52.
When my friends, classmates and peers knew about it, they were confused and curious.
The consistent first question they asked me was “Why so early?”. Followed closely by “but you’re still so young”.
My response is always the same “I didn’t retire from life, just the corporate grind, so that I can transition to my LIFE 3.0”.
I explained that my LIFE 3.0 is this season of my life where I want to:
- direct my energy, time, skills, experience, knowledge, and network to projects and opportunities that are, to me, exciting, purpose-driven, and fulfilling,
- spend more quality time and be more available to the most important people in my life,
- invest in holistically wellness, beyond my physical health to emotional, mental, social and relational health
- share my experience, skills and knowledge, and learn new ones so that I can continue to make a difference, and
- do less of things I do not want to do and with people I don’t like to do with
What then is LIFE 1.0 and 2.0, they pressed on.
LIFE 1.0 and 2.0
LIFE 1.0 is the period of our life when we were in school. The goal then was very simple - study hard, graduate and find our dream job.
The support system in LIFE 1.0 is amazing – from parents to teachers to tuition centers. Our parents were super-involved in every aspect (sometimes too much) and celebrated and cheered (with a sigh of relief) when we completed this phrase and transition into LIFE 2.0.
In LIFE 2.0, the focus and goals shifted and you’re pretty much on your own.
Now it is to build a successful career, find love, get married, start a family, grow our finances and wealth, and create our dream lifestyle.
But there is plenty of help in LIFE 2.0 – self-help books, advisers, and “gurus” – to help us plan and navigate our career, manage our finances, grow our wealth, strategize for our children’s education, etc.
LIFE 2.0 can get frantic, pressurizing, and some days, we feel torn between multiple priorities. In 2.0, we are extremely time- and attention-poor. As a result, some sacrifice their health for wealth, family for career.
Many assume that their LIFE 2.0 will naturally grind to a stop at the official retirement age (currently at 63 in Singapore) and they would sail into retirement.
Consequently, many don’t give much thought, much less plan for their LIFE 3.0.
Being intentional about LIFE 3.0
But if you step back and look at your life timeline, LIFE 3.0 will take up a similar number of years as LIFE 1.0 and 2.0 – about 20-30 years each.
This realization of the duration of LIFE 3.0 was instrumental to igniting my planning journey for 3.0 at 40. It was logical to me that since it’s going to last for almost a third of my life, I need to invest time and energy to develop a solid LIFE 3.0 game plan.
As a result, my transition to LIFE 3.0 at 52 was an intentional pivot:
- It was not an accident (I did not get a windfall or strike lottery – wish I did).
- It was not an “early retirement” – so that I could slow down, take it easy, go for perpetual vacations or play golf every day.
- It was not because I was made redundant
- It was a deliberate decision and action, executing on a gameplan that has been in the works for more than 10 years.
Have you started planning for your LIFE 3.0?