Not a Mid-Life Crisis But An Evolution

This is for the middle folks. Those of us that are not too old, but we’re not too young either. Some would call us middle-aged; some would call us youngins, while youngins would call us ancient. Whatever the term would be as a label for this group, one thing is for sure for this group of people from 35-55. We’re starting to figure it out. By figuring it out I mean an honest assessment of the past as you peer into the future. Some may call this a mid-life crisis. Nah, call it a mid-life evolution. For the prior half of our lives, we simply followed the rules as we went along, conforming here and there along the way and simply trying to keep our heads above water.

For the countless masses, you have labored in careers and routines that, quite simply, were not what you planned to do as young child. A glance at the hourglass seems to cause a bit of restlessness and reflection. It’s at this time that urges seem to take over what was once was pipe dreams. Cars, homes, fashion and most of all a renewed sense of bravery to take chances. It becomes first and foremost a constant dogging at your daily thinking.  By the way it’s recommended that you not find yourself being too brave when it comes to fashion. But for many, the idea of travel takes center stage.

The Only Thing You can Take With You, Memories

But thoughts of travel will only take you so far. Instead of actually taking the plunge and seeing the world as part of your mid-life evolution, you end up making more plans for the future. It’s a common theme for many. “When I retire we’re going to go here, we’re going to go there!”  And soon, that evolution you so prepared yourself for and would enjoy unleashing on the unsuspecting public becomes more childhood dreams that simply evaporate. This is when an evolution becomes a crisis. Whereas an evolution molds you, a crisis defines you.

It’s simple enough to go out and buy that car, upscale that house and wear that muscle tee, but the end result is clear. Typically, that house gets downsized, the car isn’t as convenient as you hoped and the sneers and snickers you hear as you stroll down the street in your twenty something clothing gets much louder. But then there’s travel. It’s the one thing that goes far beyond material possessions. It’s the one thing that many wish they would have done earlier in life but didn’t. But beyond the physical requirements for many locations, there’s also a timing issue. Just how much of this world do you wish to see and how much time have you allotted for those travels? Why is it that so many of us think now is not the time?

Don’t Waste Time, It’s not Guaranteed!

Getting a late start on your adventures only makes your travel wish list shrink. It’s important that people assess what they really want out of their lives in a timely fashion as there are many places to see, but not near enough time to do it. None of us are guaranteed today or any other day, so to reduce your bank account sometimes for a trip may just fill your memory bank forever. It’s common that too many people correlate retirement with traveling. It’s simply not being realistic. In my own experiences I’ve watched two close employees make plan after plan to do all of the things they wanted to do…once they retire. Neither made it. We all want to think that we have more time, but it’s the great unknown. So why not go with what we know and that is, the world is begging for you to experience it.

It’s a harsh reality to know how fragile life can be. But with reminders each and every day and from countless directions, we should all be quite aware of that hourglass. Make that list of where you want to go, begin the planning process and then scratch out retirement at the top of the page and make it happen. And when someone tells you it’s just a mid-life crisis, kindly respond back that this an evolution, not a crisis.

Live Within Your Means, Travel beyond them!