What will you want to cultivate?
Guess what magazine I’m always reading?
If you guessed something targeted at 20-somethings or 30-somethings, you’re wrong. I love AARP magazine — the bimonthly publication of the American Association of Retired Persons.
It shows up in the mailbox at my 70-year-old parents suburban home, but I steal it away to my city apartment and devour it page-by-page. My parents never even get a chance.
But I’m 27 years old. Why the enthusiasm to read a magazine aimed at seniors?
Quite simply, its because AARP Magazine is a window into the future: it discusses the issues that we young ‘uns have in store for us, whether we realize it now or not.
By knowing what will weigh on our minds 50 years down the road, we can better prepare today.
What gets discussed about in every issue? Two main topics:
- Health
- Wealth
That’s it. Almost every article is devoted to one of these two topics: your health and your money. Which, by the way, are intricately related.
“Health” encompasses the broad spectrum of healthy living: from diet and exercise to living a purpose-driven, inspirational life.
This blog spends a lot of time talking about the similarities between managing weight and managing money: both are psychological. Both are avenues in which a little effort goes a long way. Both can get tougher as you get older.
“Wealth” encompasses your personal balance sheet: your assets, your liquid cash, your investments. On the surface, Afford Anything is centered around wealth creation. Beneath the surface, Afford Anything is really about living a life that’s financially free.
AARP is an association of “retired” persons, but we’re redefining retirement. It’s not a mode you slip into at age 62 or 65. Retirement happens on the day you no longer need to work for money. The day your passive income sets you free. The day you can live purely from your investment returns.
That might happen at age 30. Or age 40. Or age 72.
Work towards financial freedom. Redefine retirement, and experience financial freedom throughout your life. When you’re a senior, you won’t have regrets.
Oh yeah — and if AARP is any guide, we might want to be monitoring our blood pressure, too.
