Work seems to be compulsory. But it doesn't have to be that way, according to Tanja Hester and her book Work Optional.
It's essentially a guide book; showing you how a Work-optional life can be done and giving you the practical and psychological guidance to achieve it.
We work full time, with increasing hours and responsibility. There go most of our prime years. We spend our money to "soothe the stress" and get a few years of retirement at the end. That's the script we're given.
But what if we write a different script. That's what Tanja's book is all about. She found that even in her chosen career, working full-time forever is not all it's cracked up to be.
Her alternatives include full early retirement, semi-retirement (part-time, seasonal or low-stress work) and having a career intermission. The book is part inspiration, but mostly a helpful guide to the strategic, psychological, emotional, practical and financial aspects of a work-optional life.
Know what you're aiming for helps you plan. It also gives you extra motivation to get there.
Tanja says it doesn't require an enormous salary to have a work-optional life. Many wealthy households have just one salary and/or kids. It's more about avoiding mindless spending, the "spending traps" (there are tips for that) and "lifestyle inflation" (constantly wanting better and better stuff). Her example of mindless spending was $10 each workday on lunch. That's $2400 per year. She decided to switch to making lunch.
There's also general advice that works in many countries. There are tips to earn more, tips to save more (including hiding your money from yourself), and some detailed maths around working out your saving target.
The tips for adjusting to this new life address the three biggest dangers from finishing work - the loss of community, life structure and personal identity. They also identify four priorities for well-being - staying healthy, intellectually engaged (learning new things), connecting with others, and continuing to use some of your best skills.
It's essentially a guide book; showing you how a Work-optional life can be done and giving you the practical and psychological guidance to achieve it.
We work full time, with increasing hours and responsibility. There go most of our prime years. We spend our money to "soothe the stress" and get a few years of retirement at the end. That's the script we're given.
But what if we write a different script. That's what Tanja's book is all about. She found that even in her chosen career, working full-time forever is not all it's cracked up to be.
Alternatives to tradition
Traditional retirement, and the pension, were first invented to entice older workers to quit and open up jobs for younger workers - not for the benefit of the retiree. It's "no reason to shape our entire lives in a conventional way on a made-up timeline that says we must work full-time until age 65", says Tanja.Her alternatives include full early retirement, semi-retirement (part-time, seasonal or low-stress work) and having a career intermission. The book is part inspiration, but mostly a helpful guide to the strategic, psychological, emotional, practical and financial aspects of a work-optional life.
Define it
The key is working out what you actually want from life. Not what advertising, tradition or others tell you, but what you actually want. There are some deep questions to help prompt you in thinking this through.Know what you're aiming for helps you plan. It also gives you extra motivation to get there.
A new view of money
Money is a repository of time. We trade our time, energy and brainspace for money - and can use it later to buy back future time. Seeing money as a measure of time makes it easier to determine what is worth the price and what is a waste.Tanja says it doesn't require an enormous salary to have a work-optional life. Many wealthy households have just one salary and/or kids. It's more about avoiding mindless spending, the "spending traps" (there are tips for that) and "lifestyle inflation" (constantly wanting better and better stuff). Her example of mindless spending was $10 each workday on lunch. That's $2400 per year. She decided to switch to making lunch.
Investing in yourself
The financial section of the book is most helpful to US readers as there's intricate detail about US healthcare system, retirement savings system and housing market. However it was interesting that 64% of Americans live in areas where it is more affordable to rent rather than buy - yet many still buy.There's also general advice that works in many countries. There are tips to earn more, tips to save more (including hiding your money from yourself), and some detailed maths around working out your saving target.
Psychological and lifestyle tips
The journey towards a work optional life requires more than finance maths. There are tips for keeping your patience and sanity along the way. Once you get there, "the gift of abundant free time will likely reveal a whole new side of yourself that you may not know very well. And now you have time to get to know that person."The tips for adjusting to this new life address the three biggest dangers from finishing work - the loss of community, life structure and personal identity. They also identify four priorities for well-being - staying healthy, intellectually engaged (learning new things), connecting with others, and continuing to use some of your best skills.
It's about purpose
The book finishes with inspiring words about living our dreams and taking the opportunity that "most people through history have never dreamed of".This is about living lives of purpose entirely on our own terms.The author looks at the Japanese concept of ikigai (reason for living) and encourages us to follow our mission, be a force for good, with generosity and gratitude. She paints a picture of a world where early retirement is mainstream. Younger and healthier people freed up to consider and tackle the deeper questions and issues of life.
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