Here I am again, in Beaver Creek, CO — the place where, two years ago, I first connected emotionally with the idea of retirement, and where the concepts for my latest book, Living Off Your Acorns, began.
In the book, I write about the shifts from Pre-Go to Go-Go, then Slow-Go and No-Go. I’ve already heard from many readers that it has profoundly impacted how they’re thinking about their own retirement journey.
It has also been the catalyst for many discussions in our household about our own retirement plans. Even though I had these concepts in my head, I don’t think we would have gone this deep if my husband hadn’t read the book himself. That’s been a surprising and delightful outcome I didn’t anticipate.
So, how have our thoughts and plans evolved since my light bulb moment two years ago?
We now have the underpinnings of a plan — not yet a fully built plan, but a framework. Inspired by Fritz, I’ve begun to formulate our own “Pre-Retirement Manifesto.”
While I'm in the Colorado Rockies, I'm building my Pre-Retirement Manifesto. Here's what I have thus far... Share on X
5 Key Concepts in our Pre-Retirement Manifesto
Here are our five guiding principles for the transition from Pre-Go to Go-Go.
1. Follow the Energy
I have an incredible amount of work energy lately. It’s a bit off the charts. I’m jazzed about the things we’re working on.
In July, I had the opportunity to deep-dive into AI (Artificial Intelligence), attending an in-person, three-day course at Stanford on AI for Financial Executives. We’re in a time of great change. While that can be scary, I feel up for the challenge of navigating it — and of leading others through it. I’m grateful to feel this way about my work and my daily role.
At the same time, I have more energy than ever around the idea of retiring one day. It’s a strange juxtaposition: having more energy around work and around retirement, simultaneously.
So, what does “follow the energy” look like for us? It’s something my husband and I talk about a lot lately. Here’s where we’ve landed.
For the next few years, it means more weeks like the one we’re having now: out of the Arizona summer heat, pickleball, a hike or the gym in the morning, followed by a solid half-day’s work, then more activity in the early evening.
This is my second full week in Beaver Creek this year. We also have a week booked in Hawaii this fall. We may work a bit on some of these trips, but we’re following our energy — and that feels good.
With this plan in motion, I feel like I’m making real progress on blending more Go-Go fun into my Pre-Go years. It wouldn’t have happened without intentionality.
Following our energy is a key mantra for us over the next few years.
2. Follow Your Heart
While we’d love to permanently spend summers in Colorado, it isn’t work holding us back from that. It’s our hearts — specifically, our love for our dog.
He’s ten, and we have joint custody. For most of Bullet’s life, he’s spent a week with us and a week with his other family. We miss him when he’s not with us, but the arrangement is incredibly convenient for all of us.
We’ve realized we don’t want to miss one single week with him. If we’re lucky, he has five more years. That means longer travel excursions and summers spent elsewhere are, realistically, off the table for now.
We’re at peace with this timeline. Having clarity around it — and around our “why” — brings a real sense of calm to our thinking.
We know that when Bullet passes, it will mark our first significant inflection point: a time to rethink our travel and summer plans, and perhaps begin a transition into slightly less work.
Our hearts rule here, and we feel good about that.
3. Choose Intentionally
In my teens, one of my favorite songs was “Freewill” by Rush, which included the line, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.”
Choice is powerful.
I want work and retirement to be intentional, not a default. That means choosing.
Since becoming more intentional about planning my eventual transition to retirement, I no longer feel the unknown abyss ahead. Instead, I feel empowered — even giddy at times. I can do this! As a still-struggling “workaholic,” that feels powerful. Planning more remote, half-work weeks along the way has already boosted my energy and my enthusiasm about an eventual life shift.
Another place I’m choosing more intentionally is health and fitness, particularly strength training. One study I came across pointed to a strong correlation between leg strength and cognitive aging as we get older — correlation, not proven causation, but it got my attention. While I’ve always maintained a respectable level of physical activity, it cemented my commitment to regular weight training in the gym.
My friend and recently retired colleague, Scott Stolz, put it well in his blog: he described meeting a woman who told him she was training to be 80 — and he realized he was doing the same thing. I love that framing.
So am I!
I want to hike, ski, play pickleball, help move furniture, carry groceries, and handle walking a strong 60-plus-pound dog — and all the other daily-life things — for as long as I can.
That won’t happen by accident. I have to choose a path that makes it possible.
4. Focus on My Path
I love seeing possibilities and getting ideas from what other people are doing. But sometimes I get caught in the “shoulds.” That’s when I start placing too much weight on what other people think I should be doing, because if they were me, that’s what they’d be doing. Maybe they think…
- …I should retire.
- …should sell the business.
- …should work less.
Whatever it is, I am not them.
When my thinking gets fuzzy, it’s usually because I’m caught in the net of shoulds.
My path is mine, and mine alone. This new manifesto gives me a measuring stick: if I’m following my energy, my heart, and choosing intentionally, I know I’m on my path. I can measure a decision against these principles and know whether it’s right for me.
I still want to explore other people’s paths and mentally “try them on” to see if they fit. But I don’t have to carry the extra weight if they don’t. I can let them go.
That’s their path, not mine.
5. Recalibrate as a Way of Life
While I believe the principles I’ve outlined will hold true over time, I want to stay open to recalibrating. In a sense, for me, this is just another way of saying, “Don’t get set in your ways.”
In hindsight, I’ve spent a lot of energy over my lifetime resisting change. If only I could go back and talk to my younger self. If that energy had been repurposed toward adapting and moving forward instead, what a difference that would have made.
Change is natural. Technology will spark new ways of doing things. Work conditions will adapt. My industry will evolve. Aging will occur.
I’m getting better at floating down the river, accepting the changing view and weather as I go, rather than trying to anchor against the current to keep things “just this way.”
Building recalibration in as a natural part of things shifts my mindset to a better place — one that’s more accepting and open, and less tense and stubborn.
This feels good.
Conclusion
Developing our own guiding manifesto for our next decade has moved us away from “when will we retire and what will we do” and toward a set of principles to live by. That’s what I admired most about Fritz’s work when I first read his Ten Commandments of Retirement, where he laid out his principles shortly before he retired.
My retirement path will look different from his. But the process — following a philosophy rather than a rigid plan — I suspect will be quite similar.
Your Turn: What about you? Where are you in your own thinking about retirement, and the way you want to approach it?
We’d love to hear your thoughts, so we can all learn from one another.
This is wonderful. I’ve been thinking about intention as well in my pre-retirement phase. And that has meant reflecting on my current life. Time is a currency that we spend and never get back. That’s where the choices I make must “pay” the greatest dividends. I realize I’ve operated on autopilot during my life as well as chased others ideals rather than my own. I’m truly reflecting on how my choices reflect my truths. Movement, frugality, kindness, love for those who matter most to me, presence are all notions in the mix.
Thank you, Chris! Maybe we all go on autopilot at times. The awakening is a amazing thing. Love hearing about your reflections. -Dana
Dana, this may be my favorite thing you’re written here (so far!). I resonate with a lot of it (in hindsight now). I’m mid-60s and retired last year. Husband is still working but cutting to half-time in October.
Once we became empty-nesters at about your age, we made an intentional commitment to NOT waiting for retirement to have fun and travel. We checked a lot of destinations off the list between 55 and 65. I was a professor and definitely a workaholic, but my job allowed me specific periods of the year (summers and holidays) when I was more free to travel, plus occasional sabbaticals. My husband changed jobs ten years ago and in that new job is able to work a lot remotely. Many of our trips, like your Colorado weeks, have involved one or both of us working for parts of the day while having fun and taking time for ourselves the rest of the day. We’ve also tagged along on each other’s work trips (and added a couple of days for fun) when feasible (and if the destination was attractive).
We are leaving later this morning for Maui. He will work from the room for parts of each workday, but because Hawaii is three hours earlier than California, where we live, he can be “off the clock” by 2 p.m. there, and the rest of the day is ours.
I also resonate with the dog part!
My Dana cohort and a fellow workaholic! Thank you for sharing. Wonderful to hear you are weaving in the work/play times as we are. -Dana
Thanks for this great list. I’m trying to find the balance between my intentions and desires for the go-go years and my husband’s. Turns out they are quite different! It looks like I’ll be doing more adventures on my own/with friends than I expected or would like, but maybe it’s good practice for the far-off future…
This does happen. My stepmom has done many of her own adventures in retirement after realizing dad did not want to travel around in a camper van. Good for you to still pursue the things you have passion for. -Dana
Doing my own adventures was not something I had planned to do. I kept waiting for my husband to “decide” where, when, and if he wanted to travel with me. I wasted quite a few of my go-go years “waiting” before I decided that I needed to forge my own path and go without him. This was a big regret of mine, but I am so glad I have finally decided to travel on my own. I am going to Italy in October, Australia, NZ and Fiji in February. I highly recommend not only planning as a couple, but planning for yourself as well!
One good thing is now I don’t have to hire a dog sitter and feel like I can go for longer stretches since he is at home with them!
This is an awesome reflection “EHIPR” = Energy + Heart + Intentionality + Path + Recalibrate. If the order of operations does not matter, you could use the acronym “RHIPE” which would seem to go well with Juicing!;). See you in Nevada at Bogleheads soon.
Pre-Go was decades ago for me having travelled into No Go for a couple of years and now back into Slow Go. Your five principles will serve you well. Choose Intentionally was very important for me. I recall a leadership training event (Covey) back in 1990. One exercise was to create a personal mission statement. The ending for mine was “I have the power of choice. I can create my life exactly as I want it to be.” Years later I was planning our first family meeting to share our estate planning and health care desires with our children. One resource suggested creating a mission statement for family wealth. My thoughts were along the lines of not having to worry about life’s necessities and being able to choose how to lead a productive and rewarding life. That statement has since been incorporated into our Investment Policy Statement as a guiding principle.
Good guidance. Maybe next you can give us some insights on how AI fits into a retirement context (from your Stanford experience).
Great idea! Be happy to share what I learned in a future post. -Dana
Thank you for the perspective. I love hearing from people farther ahead in the journey than me. Perhaps that is why I gravitated toward my specialty. I feel there is so much wisdom we can learn from one another, if only we listen. -Dana
Your enthusiasm and positive outlook are a great way to meet the changes ahead. It all sounds great!
Thank you! I do have a naturally enthusiastic personality… but I’ve also learned it is something not to take for granted. Maintaining it requires intention at times. -Dana
Yes, indeed I agree. All the best to you
This is good stuff. I’m a semi retired financial advisor who has worked very part time the last 4 1/2 years. I spent 20 of my 25 years in this business guiding people to a goal the was numbers based. “You need to save this much and if you do you will have this much which will generate this much income.” Now that I’m pretty much a man of leisure (and my wife is a full lady of leisure) I spend more time talking about the emotional and psychological aspects of “shutting it down”. One thing I read recently that really struck me is don’t wait until you retire to get the exercise regimen in place. Do it NOW! My wife and I have been gym rats for decades so it was easy to make the gym part of our retirement routine because it already was. We just now go early in the morning vs after work. The “I’ll do it when I have more time.” doesn’t always work.
DO IT NOW! is a great motto. Love this! -Dana
Excellent read as always! We’re right there in our pre-retirement years. I’m about to hit 60. I still enjoy work but admittedly don’t love it like I used to. I think we have the financial side on a good path, and we’re kinda planning to get out at 63, but comfortable going to 65. Our chosen path has us retiring about a thousand miles south from our current home in an area we’ve spent extended time in over multiple trips and love! We’ve got our path well planned out 3 to 5 years ahead of time. Our biggest consideration now is if we want to sell our current acreage home in the foothills and scale down a bit 3 to 5 years prior to retirement. It costs money to move and are concerned about the financial hit, but we’re thinking about trading in the slippery winter roads and upkeep of our large property and kinda test a smaller home and property with shorter commutes for a few years. Kind of a lower stress pre-retirement. We’re looking at it as an opportunity to declutter and get ready for the real move into actual retirement. There’s pros and cons for sure and we’re not 100%, but planning to make a decision so we’re ready to sell next spring if we decide to go for it.
It sounds like you are being thoughtful and intentional. I find I “waffle” around in pros and cons for quite some time – and then eventually my direction becomes clear. I used to try to rush that process. Now, I’m more ok with waiting for clarity. Appreciate you sharing! -Dana
Big kudos for quoting Freewill from Rush in a FIRE article, well-played!
I knew someone out there would appreciate that! 👌-Dana
Glad I’m not the only one who is hesitant to take trips longer than a week because of my dog! We have a house/dog sitter when we travel, but after about day 8 or 9 I just want to get home to see him!
He’s nine now, so like you we’re hoping for another good five+ years. Then we plan on not having a dog for a couple of years to allow for some long, slow travel, but ultimately can’t imagine not getting another pup long term. Planning to retire in 1-2 years, so will probably focus on long road trips he can join us on for those next few years.
Yes, that is identical to our plan. Although I had a friend bet me that I wouldn’t make it more than a year without a dog. I think I’ll make it a few years to get some traveling in. But, like you, I can’t imagine not getting another one. They’re amazing. -Dana
Love the article and long time fan of your podcasts. My wife and I are in our Go-Go phase few years in and love the advice of following the energy. We are energetic about working out 3 to 4 times a week (cardio and strength) and not overcommitting our schedules. As a devout Rush fan since high school, appreciate the Permanent Waves reference (my favorite album). Check out their song “The Garden” from their last studio album as you finalize your manifesto – it’s a great introspective and inspiring song that will help you put life into perspective.
Thank you for being a long-time fan. I’ll check out the song. -Dana
Ok, just looked it up. What a beautiful song. I love it. Very powerful. -Dana
The Garden can be another retirement analogy – just like your powerful (orange) juicing analogy. Glad you liked it. The “Professor” Neil Peart was a true lyrical genius.
Thanks for the important & interesting pre-retirement planning post. But our keys were flexibility and contentment. Intentional mindset is great but sometimes unintentional things happened.
we were planning all these things we were going to do then major medical issues came into the picture and the pre-go and go-go plannings went out the window & forced us to a No-GO immediate retirement. Sometimes things just happened, we just have to go with the flow. Health and fitness are the key measures for readiness in the planning. Enjoy your writing, please keep it up. We are also very interesting in learning about AI in finances as well.
Sounds like you have already figured out life. Do what you want every morning, get lost in a passion every afternoon, love your dog and family.
You are describing what we all are chasing. Sounds like you are retired to me
Good morning. My name is Carlos, and I live in Spain. I apologize if my English isn’t perfect. I’ve been following this blog for several years, and I’m now a month away from starting retirement at 57. It’s been a very thoughtful decision, one I’ve been preparing for over the years thanks to extensive reading and, especially, the invaluable help of this blog. Reading it, along with my professional background, gave me the necessary financial perspective for calculating economic expectations using the cube method, which I’ve almost perfected. But above all, it has provided the spiritual and mental enrichment my wife and I need. It has allowed us to discover and experience what lies beyond a working life after this transition to retirement, without the children God hasn’t given us, and with the life experience of having cared for my wife’s parents in their home for eight years, especially my dear mother-in-law, who suffered from cancer for over 15 years until we took her last breath three months ago. Something inevitably changes within you after experiencing these situations, revealing what life truly is beyond daily struggles. It encourages you to savor every moment and not wait for things to happen. And that moment has arrived. I’m resigning from a well-paid job in the public sector and from wonderful colleagues who understand this decision. We have good friends who have supported us and continue to do so, and above all, thanks be to God, we have the health to begin this new chapter of life, which I hope will be sweet and fulfilling until the day we leave this world. Now, intensive English classes are on the horizon, preparing us to travel the world, meet new people like ourselves, and converse with such pleasant people as those behind this blog and its founder, Mr. Fritz, whom I deeply admire and hope to meet someday. We also have cooking classes, the dream of spending time in a small town in Portugal near Lisbon, and above all, the intention to be generous with others in our lives. Much encouragement to those of you who are following this blog now, because it will reward you as it has me, on the day you face the new and final stage of your lives. Thank you.