Background to my Early Retirement from Formal Employment

If I were asked what time I have enjoyed the most in my life, I would answer that it is life after formal employment due to the fact that it has become a big turning point in my life. In total, I worked for other people for 24 years since I left University. My first job was in a national institution, and the second and last in a regional insttitution. Before the year 2004 ended, I took a very challenging decision of opting for early retirement and go out to experience what happens in the other world. I still had eight years left to retirement and most of my friends were surprised. Some encouraged me and some felt very sorry for me. One relative said “How can you leave such a nice office to go into early retirement?” Another said “But you are still young, why retire early?”, My boss asked after a long talk, “are you sure you have made the right decision?” He took the letter in his hands after I had assured him that I had thought over the matter very carefully and for some time.

Like we do when making business plans for projects, I had planned to be my own boss by end of 2004, something I decided when I read a book called Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki in the year 2000. I have also been reading personal development books and learnt that one of the keys to success is positive thinking. During my last employment, a consultant named George Andre taught us various lessons on empowerment and positive thinking. His lessons also helped me to be more determined and positive thinking, and these skills are helpful when you are taking risks like the one I took. With careful planning, the risks are minimized to zero and you start living and enjoing a non stressful life.

My last employemnt was very challenging with a lot of things to learn and solve everyday. I am grateful to my husband and family for the support and encouragement they kept giving me in times of stress or difficulties faced while carrying out my duties. Secondly, I would like to thank my employer for allowing me the opportunity to work with and learn from such an outstanding group of professional staff. I am grateful to have contributed to the institution in return for the skills and knowledge I gained.

For the future, I am now setting up a business that will have a system and not require my full presence. Such a business should be able to allow me to be away on holiday for two or three months while it is operating efficiently. This is my plan and I am determined to make it. Every success I have had was not a matter of chance, but a culmination of years of study, hard work and real life experience. These accumulated gifts will never leave me, I trust them and my successes will always repeat themselves.

A friend of mine has asked me now and again what success means. I have come to realize that there are various meanings to the word success. From the various books I have read and from the various people I have talked to, I have come to learn that success can be looked at as follows:-

Success is created by performing simple tasks consistently.
Success does not come to those who wait, and it does not wait for anyone to come to it.
One important key to success is self confidence and an important key to self confidence is preparation.
It is said that Success is 20% skills and 80% strategy. For example, you might know how to read, but more importantly, what is your plan to read?
We all fear success with good reason. We’ve got a lot at stake. Success brings change and change is uncomfortable. The list goes on and on.

My advice to you is that you need to start make your retirement plan now if you have not yet done it. The earlier you do it, the better.