In 1992, I ran the Richmond, Virginia, marathon. I was 26, had run distance races since junior high, and worked hard to prepare for the race. I remember the hours of preparation – the sore muscles, the achy knees, the early mornings, and hot, sultry Saturday afternoon long runs. I remember race day dawning, standing at the starting line, and running up the hill toward the state capitol as I embarked on the 26.2-mile journey. As the miles rolled under my increasingly sore feet, the thrill faded away, replaced by the grind of putting one foot in front of the other. I could only think about the finish line, a magical place in the distant future where I could finally rest from my labors.
When I finally crossed the finish line 3 ½ hours after I started, I felt the exhilaration of accomplishing a great endeavor and celebrated with my family! Then I woke up the next day wondering what was next.
That’s when I discovered the cruel truth: It was just the first finish line I’d cross.
Twenty-five years later, I crossed the finish line of the Des Moines half-marathon with my daughter, who had challenged me to do “one more race.” This time, as we celebrated together, I knew it was my last big race.
In my sixteen years working with clients pondering retirement, I’ve found many stories just like this. We often find ourselves seeking the “finish line” where we no longer need to earn more income. But when it arrives, many folks find they have only just begun to impact the world the way they want. It’s like there’s an initial finish line, which opens the door to more possibilities.
A friend of mine wrote a book about this called, The New Retirementality. The author of the book, Mitch Anthony, talks about the way retirement can be thought about differently. Nearly everybody has a desire to impact their family, community, or world in a positive way, and the skills we gain through our working years may very well be what we use to do that. The first finish line may exist as a starting point, much like Richmond served to open the door to numerous other distance races, marathons, and even triathlons over the next 25 years. My experience preparing for the Richmond marathon gave me the skills and confidence to embark on many other challenges over the next 25 years. Your years in the workplace have prepared you with skills and insight to impact the less fortunate, local non-profits, your place of worship, or someplace around the world. The opportunity to make a huge impact in the “second half” of your life is significant and can provide great meaning and personal fulfillment.
At Foster Group, our vision is to influence thousands of individuals, families, and organizations with wise financial counsel, while encouraging the pursuit of meaningful living and generous giving. You may be working toward the first finish line, cleared the second one, or perhaps are trying to figure out what to do in between. These are the conversations we love to have, so pick up the phone and call your Foster Group advisor, because we put your interests first. Every time.