Feelings On Retirement

My girlfriend is taking a class called "Dimensions of Aging" and retirement is a large subject in class.

One assignment in the class was to watch a PBS documentary on retirement and answer several questions. One question was...

5. After looking at this documentary,...how do you feel about the process of retirement? Do you plan on retiring from the workforce in the traditional fashion (i.e., taking Social Security as well as withdrawals from any private pension plans you might participate in), or do you plan on working beyond the normal retirement age determined by Social Security? Do you have any other questions or feelings about the process of retirement after viewing this video?

The link to the video is Here. By the way, it's 2 hours long; so I'll understand if you don't watch it. And just in case your curious, here's my answer to the above question.

"I believe the process of retirement is as good as can be expected. The population as a whole is asked to delay gratification now in anticipation of the inability to work at a reasonable age. This request is asked 30-40 years prior to gratification. In the age we live in today of McDonald's and microwaves, asking someone to delay gratification and set a significant amount of money aside each paycheck is asking a lot.
I plan to retire in my early 30's from the sale of various independent business' reinvested in stocks and possibly real estate.
I feel that society as a whole has lost the discipline and frugality needed to endure the temptation to spend more then you earn and not save at all. These virtues need to be infused into the curriculum of pre-k through high school; until we give our young the tools to act responsibly, how can expect them to save and invest in the fashion needed to independently secure their future?"

What's your answer?

Emotion Control

If it were possible to possess the ability to control your emotions, where the individual could at one moment genuinely feel the fear, worry and panic during a stock sell off, then just the next moment experience the sober, calm, rational and reasonable feelings which are more appropriate, this individual would possess an edge capable of earning wonderful returns in the stock market.
With discipline and practice I am attempting to identify the fear brought on from this automatic human response, repress it, and exercise intelligent rational trading behavior. Taking advantage of fearful, irrational and stupid prices available during panic stock sell offs.

Leave a comment and tell me what do you think of this strategy.

The Simple Choices

The everyday choices in life become simpler when a decision is made to settle for nothing less then spectacular. When a student attends high school and he or she wants to go to one of the best colleges in the U.S., the decision is simpler then a mediocre student anticipating a position at mediocre college. The decision is much more complicated for the second example student then the first, because the choices offered to those who demand a seat at the top are very few.
The same is true when making a decision to retire thirty-five years early. The decision to live fearlessly becomes simple. The decision to try hard every day becomes simple, and the decision to actually follow through and take those leaps of faith is simple. It simply must be done. Although the option to get a real nice and cozy job where mediocrity is protected is always an option for those who want to work till 65.