Transcription
[Music] Five important things to do if you're in your 50s as you prepare yourself for retirement or your senior years.
Now, when you're in your 50s, this is a very important time of life because what you do right now will determine in great part how the rest of your life is going to go. You have to be deliberate and very intentional about some things because you're you'll be amazed at how quickly time flies and this decade will pass you by. So, let's talk about five important things to do if you're in your 50s.
But first, if you're seeing me for the first time, my name is Ronnie. Thanks for stopping by and welcome to the channel.
Number one, if you're in your 50s, recognize that your remaining time is very limited. You may not feel like it is, but it but it's the truth. You have less road in front of you than what you already have behind you. Now, I remember what it was like for me whenever I was in my 50s. It was probably one of the best decades of my life. I felt like I was on top of my game. I was mature. My earnings were good. Um, I had achieved a certain measure of success both personally as well as vocationally. I was more confident in myself. My self-confidence had never been higher. And plus, my retirement years were nearby. I mean, I was just on top of my game, and I was really enjoying myself. But I was astonished at how quickly that decade just went and it flew out the window. I turned 50 years old. I was on top of things and I was just enjoying myself like I never had done before. I went to sleep one night, blinked my eyes back open and I was now 60 years old.
And let's face it, when you're in your 50s, even if you feel like you're on top of your game, you're not young anymore. You're just not. And your time is beginning to run out. And here's how you know that. By now, your grandparents are probably long gone. By now, one or both of your parents has probably passed away or is close to passing away. By now, some of your aunties and uncles have also passed away. So, when you look around at your family tribe, you know that it's coming and it helps you realize that your time is now limited. It's inevitable. It's just the rhythm of life. Therefore, you've got to estimate how much time that you've got left based upon your family history, your personal lifestyle choices, as well as your current health condition. And this helps us realize how precious uh time really is as well as how quickly it runs out. We're racing against the clock and this is a reality that we cannot ignore. If you're in your 50s, right now is the time for you to really prioritize the things that are essential and most important, and you've got to be deliberate about these things.
Number two, recognize that your health is the most important asset that you have, but it is a diminishing resource. Now, when we're younger, we don't pay much attention to our health because we got it. Plus, we're just coasting along on the strength of our youth. But when you get into your 50s and you get sick from something as simple as a cold or perhaps the flu, it's a lot harder on you than it used to be. I mean, you catch a cold or the flu and you're stuck in the house for weeks at a time and it might even take you one or two months to get well. You used to be able to bounce back from those things in a couple days or a couple weeks, but now when you catch a cold or the flu, that thing hangs on for for 6 to 8 weeks and just will not let go. Furthermore, as we get older, common sicknesses like that can even land you in the hospital and threaten your life. And so, we're just not as strong as we used to be or as healthy as we used to be. And our immune system is not as strong as it used to be when we were younger. And by the way, the average health span in America, not lifespan, but health span in America is 66 years old. That means by the time you get into your mid60s, 65 or 66 years old. Health issues are going to begin showing up. Chronic health issues or either age related issues. So what we do in our 50s is going to really help set the tone for what our health is going to be like when we get into our 60 in our 60s. At this point, it doesn't matter how much money you have, what your retirement portfolio looks like, or even if you have a second home on the beach in sunny Florida, because without our our health, we can't enjoy ourselves the way that we would like to. While we when we're younger, we take our health for granted, but once we lose our health, it becomes the most important thing of all. Someone once said, "You can have 100 problems and you're worrying about every single one of them at the same time, but if you get sick, you now have one problem." That's how important our health is to us. So, invest in your health. Don't leave it to chance. Be proactive about these things. Don't be the person who takes better care of your car than you do your own body. You only get one body to live in. And you can't trade it in for a newer model. At least not this side of the resurrection anyway. So invest in your health.
Number three, live true to yourself and be authentic. Now, if you're in your 50s, this is the decade to prioritize yourself because what you do now is going to help set the tone for your quality of life in your 60s. Now, in your past, your previous decades, you spent a great deal of your time doing things for other people, your family, your parents, your children, your clients, your employer, so forth and so on. And in the process, you ended up putting others first ahead of yourself. Your own happiness, your own needs, and your own preferences went to the back burner. But when you get into your 50s, this is the time for you to really begin focusing on yourself again, being true to yourself, and living authentic. You have to learn how to say no to people so that you can keep the main thing the main thing. This means learning to say no no no no no. Every time you say no to the demands or the needs or the expectations of other people, you're saying yes to yourself and the things that you want to do. You have to respect yourself in situations like this. You have to have enough respect for yourself that you prioritize yourself in situations like this. You know why? Because you're just as deserving to be happy as anyone else is. The best investment that you can make is in yourself. So what is it that you have always wanted to do but you were not able to do during all of those earlier working years because you were focused on the needs of others? Well, guess what? Now's your chance. Now is the chance to do what it is that you want to do. And if you'll do that now in your 50s, it will help set the tone for your 60s. It's up to you, no one else, but it's up to you to do the things that that is going to bring you the most joy and the most happiness.
Number four, on the financial front, now is the time to accelerate your savings in preparation for retirement and or what the quality of your senior years is going to look like. This is the decade to double down on your financial picture because time is running out. Your working years are running out and you don't want to be on the treadmill at 68, 69, or 70 years old. Do if you're in your 50s, do everything that you can do to get out of debt, to pay off your mortgage, to accelerate your savings, and build up your nest egg. The best way to build up your nest egg in your 50s is to continue working your nine-to-five, live within your means, and if you have to, take on a second part-time job for additional income. Now, what you do financially in your 50s is going to set a big precedent for what it's going to be like in your 60s. Now myself, I paid off my mortgage when I was 51 years old. And it was in our early 50s that my wife and I, we became 100% debtree. And it was a complete gamecher for us. That means that all during my 50s, while I was still working, I was able to accelerate my savings and really pile up the cash up until I retired at age 64. You can just imagine how much money that would be over 14 years if you didn't have a house payment, a car payment, or a credit card payment. It really does accelerate and snowball very fast. And this really helped me as I prepared myself for retirement, and it became a complete gamecher. So, if you're in your 50s right now, do everything that you can do in this decade to really accelerate your savings because it will make it will make or break the diff. It will make or break your feeling of financial security when you reach your 60s.
And then number five, finally, just enjoy yourself and live your best life. That's right. Just enjoy yourself and live your best life. This is the time for you to begin living on your terms, not someone else's. Live on your terms. Focus on personal growth and fulfillment. Push away from negative people. Stop spending time with people who make you feel bad all the time. Stay away from drama. Life is too short for you to be dealing with that. I mean, your time is running out. And if you're in your 50s, now is the time to just push away from drama and negative people. Exercise every single day. Keep your body in motion. Just keep moving. Walking, climbing stairs, bike riding. Get up, walk. Just keep your body moving to keep yourself mobile and fluid and energetic. Take care of your skin. Stay out of the sun as much as possible. Whether you're rich or poor or somewhere in between, pursue living a simple life, it's good for you. Become the best version of yourself that you can become. Let go of baggage from the past. Don't compare yourself to others. That's a game for losers. Just prioritize yourself. Stop comparing yourself to others. Find a hobby. Get good at it. It nourishes your mind and brings calm to your inner man. So find yourself a hobby. You can thank me later. Your mental health and your physical health are more important than anything else. So take care of yourself. Don't spend your hardearned money on stupid stuff. Time is running out. Remove all unsafe people from your life. This includes those who are angry, toxic, fake, untrustworthy, or troublemakers. Get rid of the bullies, too. Surround yourself with safe people. People who are safe to be around. Everybody needs safe people. And we need safe places to go to. Finally, no matter what anyone else says, being true to yourself is enough.
Well, there you go. Those are five important things that we should do. inner 50s as we prepare ourselves for retirement or our senior years. If you've enjoyed this video, leave me a comment down below. Be sure to like and subscribe and take care. I'm Ronnie and we'll see you next time.