Hey everybody, it’s Charlie—founder, lead trainer, and probably, by the time you watch this, former president of Growth Dynamics.
I haven’t seen or spoken to many of you in a while. I know Sarah Waypel has been picking up the slack while I’ve been away, enjoying a little seniority and working on planning a 70th birthday party. But I wanted to drop back in, share a couple more Fast Tip Fridays with you, and wish you all the best.
I’m not leaving completely—I’m just slowing down and doing a bit less here at Growth Dynamics. That’s part of the reason I wanted to share this message with you today.
If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.
So what I’m asking each of you to do is to define success for yourself. Don’t wait until someone tells you it’s time to go, or that you can go. Have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish, what you want to build, and what kind of wealth or financial freedom you need to live life on your own terms—to do what you want, when you want.
To me, that’s the real definition of retirement. It’s not when someone hands you a gold watch and says, “Thanks for all you’ve done—now get out of here.” Retirement is freedom.
It’s the freedom to keep working if you’d like.
It’s the freedom not to work if you don’t want to.
It’s the freedom to travel, to rest, or to sit and watch TV if that’s what makes you happy.
No matter your age or where you are in your career, take some time to think about what that day would look like—what it would mean to you to say, “You know what, I don’t want to come in tomorrow,” and to know there’s really nothing anyone can do about it.
If you don’t have that end game in mind, you’ll probably stay too focused on the short term. And too many short-term decisions can actually pull you off course instead of helping you reach your goals.
As I sit here—just a few days away from turning 70—I can honestly say I’ve been fortunate enough to have this kind of freedom for the past couple of years. But I also know it didn’t happen by accident.
So know what it takes. Know where you want to get to. And know what you need to do to reach that point. Don’t wait for someone else to tell you you’ve made it—you define what success looks like.
Set your goal. See the finish line. And put your heart and soul into getting there—not just for yourself, but for the people you love, and for those who love, rely on, and look up to you as an example of what success can be.
Take care. Be your best. Enjoy life. Love your work. And no matter where you are or how many years you have left in your career, make every day count.
Take care.
