I've been a longtime blog reader / podcast listener of the Mad Fientist, one of the more extreme pursuers of Financial Independence I follow (the other I've read for years is Jacob Lund Fisker at Early Retirement Extreme, even though he stopped creating new posts many years ago - his posts are that unconventional and mind-blowing).
I met the Mad Fientist in 2018 at FINCON, where he was in year two of a retirement from work that had begun at age 34. Since then, he's released sparse blog posts and podcasts on the premise that he only wanted to share thoughts when he had something substantial to contribute.
He recently released his first podcast in a year, revealing that he was in the life stage of being a 40-something parent of two toddlers. As he reflected on what had changed for him, he acknowledged the transition to a different stage of life - very much aligned with Bill Perkin's views as expressed in Die With Zero.
This got me thinking about the different stages of physical ability that lay ahead for me, and how I'd like to make the most of them.
My physical health has been front of mind since a triple hernia surgery a week ago. Today I followed up with my surgeon, who greenlit cycling but said no to bodyboarding and weightlifting for the next month - which will exclude me from the months with the best swells historically.
There are activities I should consider planning for the next 5-10 years while I have a reasonable chance of executing on them.
- Camino de Santiago walk with my dirtbag friends (calendared for 2028 with two close friends, one of whom I can depend on making it)
- Annual reunion with my wife's med school friends. We held our first in early fall in Utah, and it was a delight. It also led us to realize that we are going through the same struggles with aging parents,
- Attend college reunions. A shared history, an interest in the varying paths that folks take, and the every five year cadence tends to make these experiences as close as you can get to longitudinal studies of the people you've crossed paths with on the way.
- Maintain a writing practice (at the risk of disappointment, you're reading it)
- Create more - art, writing, memorable experiences, social impacts on my local community
- Enjoy more music - both live shows and incorporated into my daily living patterns
- Create music - I was an early casualty of piano lessons, was active in vocal music because our high school singing groups were desperate for male singers, and never having learned to read music - something I regret. I purchased a steel drum (used, at deep discount) and want to become more regular in exploring it, in the hopes that it will serve as a gateway to learning to make more music. Maybe I'll consider piano lessons as a post-retirement adventure.
- Work with a personal trainer? I've always considered this a luxury spend I didn't want to make, but in all likelihood the portfolio has crossed the threshold where the health I gain will feel better than the money I forego. And while I like to think I've done a decent job on maintaining my fitness, building on that foundation and learning how to avoid strain and improve balance before that future risk of fall equals broken hip appeals to me as a proactive response to an uncertain future.
There's more to add to the list, but these are my starters.
What's on your list?