Unfortunately, we talk about retirement when it’s almost too late.
For decades, we’ve treated retirement as something that just happens — a stage we simply step into, as if we have no control over it.
We ignore it while we’re busy building our careers, raising families, or chasing goals. And then one day, HR sends us that email: “Please attend your pension briefing.”
Is it an institutional flaw?
Because for most of us, we just rely on our companies provide us with retirement funding .. after all it is required by law.
And as such, we really never laid our eyes on retirement until we’re almost there.
That’s when HR sends us an email about our “retirement benefits.”
Or when someone from accounting mentions “pension options.”
And maybe reality becomes more palpable during the send-off dinner.
In my experience, I get to speak about retirement to employees who are about to retire.
And my talk normally revolves around, the question “How do I stretch what I’ll receive?”
I personally would have wanted to talk to younger employees so that we have more time to plan. We simply cannot do much with late retirement conversations.
What If We Flipped the Conversation?
What if we start talking about retirement the moment you start earning — not when you’re about to stop?
Just like companies set long-term goals, you can set your personal financial goals early.
This allows you to
- target your RETIREMENT number
- Compute how much you want to save (monthly or yearly)
- Identify the investment vehicle that can take you there
Hearing this retirement approach in itself is actually liberating.
Because Retirement isn’t about age ….
Retirement is about financial freedom.
It’s about stepping into the life you’ve always wanted — with time, health, and options still on your side.
So let’s start the conversation early.
The sooner you plan, the sooner you get to live life on your own terms.