Guys, I screwed up. I left Wall Street at 35 without a plan. I was constantly told: > “You’re throwing away your Peak Earning years.” The haters were right. I’m now 43 and my net worth is exactly the same as it was at 35. I screwed up my retirement. And that’s great news. ## It’s time to watch TV ![Blog post image](/images/blog/image-1024x855.png) The Wall Street Journal broke down [how retirees spend their time](). It’s a preview of what you can expect after 40+ years of the 9-to-5 grind: 🛌 9 hours of sleep 😌 6 hours of relaxing/leisure 📺 5 hours of TV Wait, it gets better: 📚 34 mins of reading 👥 31 mins of socializing 🏋️‍♂️ 17 mins of exercise 🏥 10 mins of volunteer work This – my friends – represents the great dangers of [the Deferred Life Plan](). ## Be careful of just living for tomorrow I’m not arguing [against delayed gratification](). You should maximize your 401k. [Work on the weekends]() for that promotion. Respond to work emails into the wee hours. But you also shouldn’t forget that __1 hour TODAY is worth more than 1 hour in a DECADE__. (Especially if you’re trading that hour today for 5 hours of TV!) Because here’s what’s guaranteed to happen in a decade: Your kids [will be 10 years older](). (And thus mom and dad will be 10 years “less cool.”) Your [health will be more fragile](). Skiing from “first tracks” to “last run” may no longer be an option. You will lose friends. > [ View this post on Instagram ]() > > [A post shared by Khe Hy (@radreadsco)]() ## The simple promise of retirement At end of the rainbow, lies a pot of gold. A pot of gold overflowing with [time freedom](), [life satisfaction]() and [inner peace](). But what if that promise is a broken one? (5 hours of TV, yay!) What if the better approach is to cash in the chips a bit earlier? Not all of them. But yes, hitting pause during parts of those “Peak Earning” years. Cash them in while your kids still WANT to spend time with you. Cash them in when you can still play pickle ball without pounding the Ibuprofen the next day. Cash them in when your friends and parents [are still here](). Those work emails can wait. ## Here’s how RadReads can help you * [The Life Operating System](): Focus on what matters most with our turn-key system for productivity. * [Supercharge your Productivity](): The only course that connects the pursuit of productivity to life’s larger questions. * [The RadReads Newsletter](): Sign up for 5 actionable insights each Saturday for a life well-lived.