Are You A Vagabond?

There’s a term being used by the millennials, the generation of workers newest to the workforce: ‘lifestyle design.’ While there’s no single definition, it roughly translates to designing the work-life balance that is ideal for you. By being intentional about making work fit your lifestyle aspirations, and vice-versa, the outcome of lifestyle design is one where there’s a sense of balance achieved.

As an example, there’s a rising, but still quite small, group of people who practice a form of lifestyle design called ‘vagabonding.’ They essentially build a business or a vocation that allows them to live anywhere in the world while continuing to earn an income sufficient to continue the adventure. As you can imagine, the concept is very alluring those new to the demands of a working career. Perhaps to the generation whose lives centered around a factory or 8-5 job for 40 years, this all sounds like absurdity.

When I read of lifestyle design, I can’t help but see the fact that while touted as the next killer app by the millennials – those who are typically in their 20’s – it’s the exact same thing you’re trying to do as you near the end of your 50’s and begin your 60’s. It’s called retirement planning!

Increasingly, I see vibrant 60-somethings retire from a decades-long career, and soon after, choose to work part-time again at a lower-stress job or as a volunteer. These are the same objectives of the lifestyle design camp: find a way to do things you love while keeping clothes on one’s back and a full belly. With this in mind, I dare to say that you aren’t so different after all, the boomers and the millennials. You – we – all want roughly the same thing. We want to work and we want to play; neither is fully sufficient on its own.

Retirement planning, when done carefully and thoughtfully, is simply lifestyle design for grown-ups. Money, as an ingredient in retirement planning, is a means to a very specific end. Money allows you to do the things you’ve always longed to do, without worry that you’ll be required to go back to work.

In the spirit of lifestyle design, consider your response to this question:

If you were to describe the retirement of your dreams, in as much detail as possible, how would you describe it? Write out in vivid color what retirement looks like to you.

Your answer to this question is the very point of retirement planning, of lifestyle design. My job is to help you dream a bit and line up your financial matters in such a way that this dream comes true. Your role in the process is to dream in as much detail as possible and commit to carrying out that dream. Together, lifestyle design and retirement planning are a very noble end, money is simply the means.

Dream big,

Adam Cufr, RICP®

Discovery Sessions

You may have heard that we’re beginning to offer something called Discovery Sessions. What is a Discovery Session? Well, I’m glad you asked. It is a free 60-minute experience designed to help people learn the tools, strategies, and methods necessary for building a detailed blueprint to allow them to balance both financial and lifestyle goals alike.

Designed for people new to Fourth Dimension, attending one of these no-obligation sessions gives them the opportunity to learn, for themselves, what they want their retirement to look like and the options to consider when designing their plan. It’s a really thought-provoking process and we would love it if you were to introduce the session to friends who may be considering their retirement options.

Please click here to view a detailed flyer that you can share with a friend.

Upcoming Sessions:
Thursday, May 21st at 5:30 P.M.
Thursday, June 4th at 5:30 P.M.