For a long time, I had wealth management clients in their 30’s and 40’s who told me that the moment I informed them they had enough money to retire, they were going to walk out the door and really start enjoying life.
As they hit their 50’s and 60’s, I told them what they wanted to hear. They had made it. They had an ample money to quit working without financial worry. They had worked hard, saved lots and no longer needed that income to support their lifestyle.
Find out what's happening in Dunwoodyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
A funny thing happened when I started having those conversations. Nobody left. Everybody kept working. What had seemed so appealing in their 30’s, the idea of kicking back and just enjoying life, was no longer desirable. Why not? What happened to change their minds?
Find out what's happening in Dunwoodyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
They had become wiser.
Confucius, a man known for his wisdom, once said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
They had learned that although they no longer needed to work, they wanted to work. For them, like so many of us, jobs are about so much more than earning money. Our jobs provide the avenues to being happy, to feeling engaged in the world and feel like we are making a difference.
The right job gives us the chance to build close, mutually supportive relationships where we work with others to achieve a common goal. Working as a high-functioning team often allows us to use our Signature Talents ™ and engage in activities that grab our complete attention so our workdays fly by.
The right job gives us a chance to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Sometimes that difference is obvious, such as when we are working for a nonprofit whose mission we embrace. Sometimes that connection is less obvious. But if we look, it is almost always there. Maybe we make a difference for our work colleagues by being positive and upbeat. Maybe we make a difference for our customers or clients by providing superlative service, allowing them to worry less and enjoy life more. Maybe we make a difference by driving innovation that improves efficiency and opens opportunities.
Continuing to work is good for our health as well. According to an article in Reuters, a recent study done in France of 429,000 people showed that for each additional year a person worked, there was a delay in the presence of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.
Rather than counting off the years until you can retire and finally enjoy life, find a job you can enjoy now, one that offers the supportive relationships and opportunity to make a difference. Instead of feeling burned out when the time comes to retire and you no longer have to work, you might find yourself feeling energized and looking forward to the next challenge.
Like my clients, you may find that you don’t need the job the make a living. But you want to keep the job to help make your living worthwhile.
David Geller is the author of Wealth & Happiness: Using Your Wealth to Create a Better Life. He is the CEO of Atlanta-based GV Financial Advisors and is available for professional speaking engagements.
