[Jeff Higgins]

A couple of guys have touched on this already, but it really bears repeating. Make sure you have something to do...

Every one of us on this forum is, by definition, a "doer". It's how we attained to the cars that led us here. Don't underestimate the importance of that. I'll be retired five years in June (retired at 56). My biggest struggle has always been something to do. And you guys know I have no shortage of hobbies and interests. But, yeah, a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

One of the things my wife and I were looking forward to was travel. To be fair, recent circumstances were completely unpredicted, so had everything not shut down as it did, we would have been traveling a good deal. We have found it difficult to fill the time that would have been occupied in that manner. I guess we really didn't have a "plan B".

I will second the advice that it is imperative to get with a financial planner to help you understand your own particular situation. Even if you are a financial wizard in your own right. What's the saying about court? "Any man who represents himself in court has a fool for a client"? Same with financial planning - a second, dispassionate set of eyes in invaluable.

In our case, we started seeing one in our mid 40's. Our target was always mid 50's, and he helped tremendously in putting us on that trajectory. I had taken care of all of it prior to that, but the adjustments he made proved to be the deciding factor. We couldn't have done it without him. By the time we were 55, he was telling us we were "working for free", and it was time to go.

I loved my job. It was a veritable playground for a gearhead/mechanical engineer. Flying around the world fixing airplanes. I was having a ball. And, yes, at times I really miss it. But, you know - we now have two grand daughters, maybe twenty minutes away. They have more than made up for it. And we have our health - how long will that last? With no crystal ball, we are doing it while we still can. Like one of my old AOG buddies used to say, "what - are you waiting until you are young again?..."