My Strategy For Early Retirement

This is the introduction to a series of posts on my strategy for a successful retirement. Over the last few weeks I’ve started to write about my plans for early retirement, with each post that I’ve written I’ve started to develop a better appreciation of how my plan for retirement will shape up, but I’ve not had much structure to my writing. This post is an attempt to provide that structure, to outline my strategy and provide an index to the many posts that will eventually comprise it.  As I’ve not yet retired, these posts should not be thought of as a guide to early retirement, they do however provide my attempt at developing a strategic plan for how to approach retirement.  When I finally retire I’m planning a whole new series of posts that can be written with the benefit of practical experience.  That said I do have some qualifications for writing this plan,  due to poor health I’m already to some extent semi retired, by trade I am a strategist and I’ve read a few books.

1. First Thoughts On Planning For Retirement, the post that launched this series with my first embryonic ideas on most of these topics
2. Retirement Planning and Longevity (covering longevity, inflation, index linked pensions, annuities)
3. Retirement Lifestyle Design (covering resilience to uncertainty, flow, progress, movement)
4. Reducing Cost Of Living In Retirement (covering cost increases, cost decreases, inflation or deflation)
5. Personal Preparations For Retirement (covering strengthening relationships, getting house ready, baseline fitness)
6. Being Satisfied In Retirement (covering daily activities like fixing, creating, tending, making progress, helping, learning, appreciating, having fun, meeting people, planning for rainy day, variety)
7. Do I Want To Work In Retirement? (covering carrying on working for my existing employer, balancing health and work, doing another job, how to decide)
8. How I Plan To Spend My Time In Retirement (covering balance, will I have as much time as I think, rainy days, winter months, stay at home or go on holiday, variety, routine)
9. How Much Money Do I Need When I Retire?  (Estimating my cost of living and income)
10. Thinking About Where To Live In Retirement (covering stay home, trade up, trade down, move to a new place)
11. Planning A Creative Life In Retirement, one of the keys of a fulfilling retirement for me will be to spend more time creating, I have lots of ideas
12. Hobbies For Retirement, I can’t think of anything to say that’s not already covered in this great article
13. Learning Priorities for Retirement, when I retire I imagine that I will have more time to pursue all those things that fascinate me, learn new skills, learn new languages
14. Practicing Retirement (covering part-time work, holidays, low cost living, low cost travel, low cost accommodation, how robust is my body)
15. How long should I keep on working? (covering when’s the right time to retire, the temptation to keep working)
16. Coping With Declining Energy and Resilience (covering chronic illness, injury, muscles, tendons, energy levels, electric bikes, pacing, seaside walks/cafes)
17. Books and Blogs About Retirement (blogs and books I recommend and books I don’t)

The photo that I chose for this post is a slightly ironic Cleveleys sunset.  I certainly don’t see retirement as the sunset of my life, but even if it turns out that way, it sure is beautiful!