Stay Focused

This days entry brings us back to one of the most important but often overlooked aspects of saving for, and planning for your ultimate retirement......staying focused.
It is very easy to let the CNBC talking heads and the economic outlook distract you from your ultimate goals. The drone of doom and recession has reached a fever pitch this week as it seems every news story asks the question... are we in, or, are we headed into, a recession? In planning for your ultimate getaway, do not let this distract you in the short-term from your longer term goals. I am 43 right now, and I am quite sure that there will be at least 2 more economic slowdowns or recessions before I reach 50. Nothing I have heard changes the fact that I need to save around $100,000 a year for the next 7 years and invest aggressively.
I ran a simple calculator to figure the exact details to get me to my desired goal. I would encourage you to do so as well. There are many simple calculators out there, but I'll provide the link to my favorite http://finance.yahoo.com/calculator/retirement/ret-02 . I'm sure many of you will be suprised to find out how quickly your $1,000,000 runs out in retirement, but that is another post for another day. Today is all about taking action toward your goal.
It is important to keep in mind that the "retirement" that I speak of does not mean that you are sitting and doing nothing all day, or roaming the country club for the 5th time this week. The retirement that I speak of involves possibly running your own business from your home or office, but at a much reduced level of responsibility. This will allow you to maintain some level of income, but without the responsibility of a full-time or ownership position. If you have not opened or thought of a self-employed business yet....today is the day.

Remember - "Dreams determine what you want in life....Actions determine what you get"
Take action today!

The Retirement Guy