Most of us have plans for this week, next and maybe some loose ideas for the coming month. Our family has a command center white board that even takes us out for dentist appointments, important school dates, family trips, and so on…
But what about you. What the hell are you working so hard for, and when can you stop?
Defining a Stop Day is a deep dive type task I’ve found. Just pondering the subject has me opportunity costing through life’s big choices; boat? Vacation home? New car?
But as I spent time thinking about a Stop day what dawned on me was that it’s the overall lifestyle that kills plans like this in a death by a thousand cuts way, not the big ticket items.
It is tremendously helpful that Mrs Lyons is on board leading alongside me towards our future. We have our lifestyle lean for a big reason: Every 10K I dont have to spend now translates to a 6 months earlier “Stop Day.”
Our financial planning consists of getting to enjoy our grandkids and not be tied down later in life with financial choices from our 30’s and 40’s.
So, I picked a Stop day, 6/13/2036. This is Friday the 13th in the year I turn 55.
Now, I’m the type of energy ball that will likely never stop being active and busy with a business of some sort, I am an idea guy affer all.
But my tragectory is to not need to work before I turn 55. So that’s the divining rod I used to reverse engineer the broad strokes of my life and that helps me decide how to spend my money.
The broad strokes help me have the stones to try and take my Honda Pilot odometer to 200k rather than scoop up that Land Rover Discovery my wife wants us to get (I bet it will still be a nice car in 2019…).
So, take 30 minutes this weekend and think about where you are now, and what you want your life to look like after you “stop.”
Then pick a day!