Midlife Considerations

Midlife can bring some unrest. Midlife crisis, if you will.

About the time you realize you have been doing the same thing or working for the same company for 2 decades, you might ask yourself if you want to keep doing it for the rest of your life.

Questions arise like: Am I happy? Have I advanced as much as I can here? Can I do anything else? Can I afford to walk away?

Some people splurge on a sports car (my dad did in his mid-40s). Some seek out more education or explore business opportunities. Some change jobs and possibly relocate.

I think planning and evaluation are key to this point in life. Spending $ or resigning without careful financial consideration are foolish and can destroy families as well as savings. Counseling or other mental health professionals are very valuable with understanding unrest and unhappiness.

In our case, Bob took the offered early retirement at 55. It had been our plan all along to hold out for his pension package. Now he does work as an independent contractor. He has one major client who sends him all across the Midwest.

He is still in his field and is using much of his education/experiences but he controls his own schedule. We build in time to travel, fish, and relax at home. After 3 decades with the same company, he is quite happy doing his consulting gigs.

No sports car but some updated education and a thoughtful financial plan that we are both committed to. Bob will continue this type of work into his late 60s. He will take less contract jobs as time goes by but he loves getting paid for his knowledge and advice.

He wanted to be a teacher at one time. Now sharing his opinions and suggestions are built into his consulting.

'til later