“Do Something That Makes You Go To The Library”
In 2021, shortly before I retired, I found myself on a run with a friend who has always been a source of inspiration to me. We are the same age, but while I was preparing to leave behind the structure of my career, he was running several small businesses and dedicating much of his time to philanthropic efforts.
As we ran, I shared my plans to retire soon, a milestone I had worked towards for years.
But as we both knew all too well from our experience in financial services, retirement isn’t just about reaching a financial goal. It’s about what comes next. What comes next is the often overlooked challenges like loss of identity, routine, and structure.
The sudden abundance of free time, which at first seems like a blessing, can quickly become a daunting problem. My friend then offered me retirement advice that was absolutely brilliant.
He simply said, “Find something that makes you go to the library.”
At first, it sounded almost too simple. But as he explained, I began to see the depth of his advice. He knew me well enough to know that the last thing I needed was to plunge back into something I already knew how to do, like buying another business or investing in more rental properties.
His point was clear: don’t just fill your time with more of the same. Instead, use this time to learn something new, to challenge yourself in ways that you haven’t before.
He urged me to spend my time in the pursuit of knowledge. This would push me out of my comfort zone and give me something to do with my time, and mind.
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The Library: A Lifelong Companion
This advice struck a chord with me because the library has always been a significant place in my life. Long before I had a career, before I even fully understood what a career was, the library was my sanctuary.
As a teenager, after football or wrestling practice, I would head to the library and immerse myself in books about money and how to make it.
I devoured real estate listings, studied the basics of investing, and listened to books on tape from financial gurus like Carleton Sheets and Robert Kiyosaki. This was before Kiyosaki became a bit too eccentric and controversial…and too wrong
Those afternoons in the library laid the foundation for my eventual career in finance. It was in those quiet aisles that I first dreamed of financial independence and learned the strategies that would help me achieve it.
So, when my friend suggested I return to the library, it was more than just advice. It was a reminder of where my journey began.
Learning Something New: The Catalyst for Growth
Inspired by my friend’s words, I decided to take his advice to heart. I didn’t buy another business, and I didn’t add more rental properties to my portfolio.
Instead, I pursued a new adventure that required me to learn, to grow, and to step outside of what I already knew. That’s how Dad is Fire was born.
Starting this website wasn’t just about filling my time; it was about creating something meaningful that would keep me engaged and curious. I spent countless hours in the library, reading books on writing, marketing, and web design.
I watched an endless stream of YouTube tutorials, learned the ins and outs of SEO, and even dabbled in coding. I scrolled through Twitter which just angered me at the number of self-proclaimed “gurus” peddling quick fixes and shortcuts to success, most of which were pure nonsense. I call them fake gurus.
So many of these experts have never done anything. They haven’t retired young and they don’t have my credentials. They just share bad advice with no oversight.
Related: 13 Pieces of Bad Financial Advice That People Still Believe
A Full Circle Moment
In a way, going to the library to learn something new is what led me to retire in the first place. Those early days of studying money and real estate were crucial in shaping the path I would eventually take.
And now, decades later, the library has once again become a guiding light, helping me navigate the complexities of post-retirement life.
My friend’s advice, to do something that makes you go to the library, wasn’t just about avoiding boredom or keeping busy. It was about ensuring that retirement didn’t mean the end of growth, but rather the beginning of a new chapter of learning and self-discovery.
It was about embracing the freedom to explore without the constraints of a traditional job, and finding fulfillment in the pursuit of knowledge.
Related: If I had Listened To “Good Advice,” I Could Not Have Retired At 42.
The Library as a Metaphor for Life
Retirement is often painted as a time of leisure, but it can also be a time of profound introspection and personal growth, if you approach it with the right mindset.
My friend’s advice to find something that makes you go to the library is a powerful reminder that the quest for knowledge doesn’t end when you retire. It just takes on a new form.
So, whether you’re nearing retirement or already there, consider what makes you curious. What challenges you? What could you dive into that would require you to visit the library—literally or figuratively?
Embrace that pursuit, and you might just find that the best part of retirement isn’t the free time itself, but what you choose to do with it.
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