I retired in July 2015 and not 2014 ! Sorry about the typo
Best regards, Valsa On 24 January 2017 at 17:32, Valsa Williams <valsa.willi...@gmail.com> wrote: > Interesting thread ! > There was an earlier thread on ‘To retire or not ‘. It motivated me to > retire in July 2014. At Intel there is no retirement age, so I could have > continued the 30 km commute, innumerable emails to respond to, a good > salary package and trips to the US and rest of the world for many more > years. The email thread on retirement had many comments, two of them which > struck in my mind is – “No regular inflow of money into your bank” and “You > get to see your spouse 24x7”!!! Both very true. > However, I have finally found my space. slowed down from work but not from > life ! I have enough time for my long walks, swimming, music, watching > movies, hanging around with friends, staring at the rain with a cup of > coffee. I can take off for a holiday whenever I want. I plan to learn the > piano this year ! I spend my time on few topics of technical interest. > However, it is not easy to earn as a Consultant. I am lucky that I still do > some work for Intel. Others that asked for my help, did not offer > anything! > My advise to those who plan to slow down is to ensure you keep developing > your skills or learn new ones. Most importantly, have enough finances to > back you up. The next big question would be 'how much' ?? > > > Valsa > > > > On 24 January 2017 at 16:39, Charles Haynes <charles.hay...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> > the above probably doesn't apply to the typical intelligent, >> multi-dimensional silk lister. >> >> Hah. It especially applies to people who think it doesn't apply to them. I >> found when I first started "slowing down" that my partner and I, as much >> as >> we love and are devoted to one another, need a certain amount of "our own" >> time. That if we spend all of our time together we are less happy than if >> we spend a certain amount of it apart. So we have that built in. >> >> For me "slowing down" has meant spending more time doing fewer things but >> really paying attention to the things I do. >> >> -- Charles >> >> On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 at 21:51 Shyam Sunder <shyam.sun...@peakalpha.com> >> wrote: >> >> > Fascinating thread. I have a slightly contrarian view. >> > >> > Probably not very relevant to silklisters but I am very wary when my >> > clients talk about early retirement. Not because they would put their >> > financial independence at risk, but because they hugely overestimate >> their >> > ability to fill the day with meaningful pursuits. A typical conversation >> > (which occurs very frequently, I might add) would go along the lines of >> > >> > Client - I would like to explore retirement by 50. >> > Shyam - Given your financial situation, it is quite likely you will be >> > able to do that from a financial perspective. But what do you plan to do >> > after you retire? >> > Client - I really want to make time for the things I enjoy. I want to >> > spend more time with the family (First red flare), travel (second red >> > flare), and volunteer my time with NGOs (big third red flare) or >> coaching >> > young professionals or start-ups >> > Shyam - Great. How specific are your plans? >> > Client - What do you mean? >> > Shyam - Is there a specific NGO you have already been associated with? / >> > Do you currently mentor start-ups or coach? >> > Client - Not really. But I am sure I can easily figure that out. I >> mean, I >> > don't want any money for it. >> > >> > I fear that the above describes someone who will wake up six months >> later >> > with nothing to do during the day, and drives everyone around him / her >> up >> > the wall! For someone aged 50, they need a plan that will last decades, >> not >> > months. Their family perhaps doesn't want them hanging around all the >> time. >> > Their life's travels can be completed in six months, and reasonably >> > well-run NGOs want a volunteer who comes and wishes to >> > optimize/streamline/improve the set-up like they want a bullet to the >> head. >> > For many, work gives them identity and self-worth. My advice for someone >> > without specifics is to work for as long as they can. For most people, >> > there is 20% of the job that makes the remaining 80% worth it. >> > >> > Like I said at the beginning, the above probably doesn't apply to the >> > typical intelligent, multi-dimensional silklister. >> > >> > Warm regards >> > >> > Shyam >> > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: silklist [mailto:silklist-bounces+shyam.sunder= >> > peakalpha....@lists.hserus.net] On Behalf Of Vijay Anand >> > Sent: 24 January 2017 11:06 >> > To: silklist@lists.hserus.net >> > Subject: Re: [silk] In praise of slowness >> > >> > "Slowing down" - the phase in life when making money is not the priority >> > anymore and there is the intention to expand to other interests that >> have >> > been at best side projects, so that they get focus. >> > >> > It seems that the more i read the viewpoints, unless and if there is a) >> a >> > significant windfall that money isnt a big concern anymore or b) you >> make >> > the financial planning so that there is an insurance of sorts so that >> > something doesnt take you unaware - worse put your dependents ar risk, >> this >> > is a hard one to pull off. >> > >> > I often mind myself going back to a bookmarked linked of >> self-sustainable >> > farms. An acre or two of land, grow what you want and get away from the >> > race of making your monthly commitments, seems like a dream. BUT... >> > >> > 1. Any self sufficient farm thingerie is a lot of upfront capital - to >> > cure the land, and setup things needed for substanence - food, water, >> > electricity. >> > >> > 2. Given the scenario with the government where the apt definition is >> > "revolutionary governance", and what holds value, suddenly goes out of >> it >> > and land reform policies might be on the horizon, i wonder if any of the >> > planning we do would be free of risks. >> > >> > 3. All said and done, to keep up with inflation we need an asset that >> goes >> > up in value and creates liquidity over time, as agri for eg will never >> be a >> > commercially successful enterprise (atleast at that scale). And building >> > assets right now, take a lifetime in India. >> > >> > Vijay >> > >> > On Jan 24, 2017 10:54 AM, "Venkatesh H R" <hrvenkat...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> > >> > > It is a terrific experience reading all your thoughts. To me, it >> > > appears that most people, when talking about slowing down, are just >> > > referring to removing clutter from their lives. It doesn't mean they >> > > are actually slowing down. >> > > Indeed, in some respects they might be working harder on a few aspects >> > > of their life than ever before! Of course, there is a good chance I'm >> > > mistaken in this assumption. >> > > For what it's worth, I too am slowing down in my own way. 2012 was the >> > > last time we had TV at home. And this year, I'm planning to cut down >> > > significantly on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. There is a >> > > dynamic tension to this, because I depend on social media to >> > > distribute my work and listen to others. So I will still use these - >> > > but not on my mobile phone. For me, this is equivalent to slowing >> > > down. I've just been reading Deep Work by Cal Newport, the Georgetown >> > > Uni Computer Science Professor. And he is in praise of some radical >> > > retooling of our calendars and priorities. >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > On Tue, Jan 24, 2017 12:16 AM, Venkatesh Hariharan ven...@gmail.com >> > > wrote: >> > > John, thanks for your hones answers. It's been enlightening to read >> > > all the >> > > >> > > answers. Charles, I hope to be as disciplined as you, one day. >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > One of the biggest tensions in my life has been between the activist >> > > in me, >> > > >> > > who wants to change the world, and the recluse in me, who wants to run >> > > away >> > > >> > > from the world. Currently, I work with a non profit working on >> > > financial >> > > >> > > inclusion (www.ispirt.in & www.productnation.in). I have other >> > > consulting >> > > >> > > gigs but the iSPIRT one has been most intense and has pretty much >> > > taken >> > > >> > > over my calendar. I like the fact that this work contributes to a good >> > > >> > > cause, but there are moments when I crave intense solitude. I never >> > > liked >> > > >> > > multi-tasking and doing too many things at the same time. I stopped >> > > >> > > watching TV many, many years ago... try not to spend too much time on >> > > >> > > Twitter and Facebook... and thoroughly hate the always-on online >> > lifestyle. >> > > >> > > With age, I have realized that time is not money. Time is precious and >> > > we >> > > >> > > choose to exchange it for those things that we value the most, whether >> > > >> > > that be taking care of our health, a walk in the park, meeting loved >> > > ones, >> > > >> > > or reading a book. I find that there is great joy in doing things >> > > slowly, >> > > >> > > meditatively... However, my working life has all been about cramming >> > > as >> > > >> > > much as possible into every minute available, and doing a hundred >> > > things at >> > > >> > > once... not complaining, but just making an observation... after all, >> > > it is >> > > >> > > those jobs that gave me a degree of financial independence. For a >> > > change, I >> > > >> > > want my life to be not always about efficiency, but also about beauty >> > > and >> > > >> > > the joy of each moment. Let's see how this works out :-) >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > Venky >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > On Mon, Jan 23, 2017 at 10:32 PM, Radhika, Y. <radhik...@gmail.com> >> > wrote: >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > > Thank you so much for your honesty John. Other accounts for slowing >> > > > down >> > > >> > > > always sound like they come from wherever lotuses grow (supposedly >> > > > that >> > > is >> > > >> > > > where Vancouverites live!). >> > > >> > > > >> > > >> > > > best wishes. >> > > >> > > > Radhika >> > > >> > > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > H R VenkateshTow-Knight Fellow 2016, New YorkCo-ordinator, >> > > Hacks/Hackers New Delhi >> > > Ph: +1 646-874-9924Twitter: @hrvenkatesh >> > > >> > >> > >
