When I launched my first startup, on the way to my rented office in Mumbai’s Bandra, I would see a house where two retired-looking men would be sitting, listening to vintage Goanese and English songs.
Their faces had no joy, no expression. All they had to look forward to was for the day to somehow get over.
Seeing them, I started dreading an idle, retired life. Then why do people clamor to retire early?
Two reasons:
1. When people hate their jobs, ‘retire early’ becomes an escape fantasy.
2. People hugely overestimate the pleasures of an idle life, after having made good money. Idleness is good for a week, but after a few months, it becomes a prison.
You don’t really want to retire — you want work that allows you to express your talent, be with good people, and make good money.
Then how do you get there?
To start with, figure out your strong likes and dislikes. Do you like talking to people or prefer solitude to do some deep thinking? Do you like closing deals or solving technical problems? And so on.
Once you have a sense of your preferences, the next step is developing depth and mastery in something that resonates with you. When you achieve mastery, you will start loving your craft.
So find your craft — don’t seek an escape in a ‘retire early’ fantasy.
– Rajan