Your health is essentially on the decline by the time you reach 40, and by the time most people reach their 60s they’re already on a cocktail of medications, lacking the energy to do most things they used to do regularly, and also have a plethora of new health problems to deal with until they finally die.
Most retired people I’ve met typically consider a trip to Costco or falling asleep in front of the nightly news as the highlight of their day.
Some even started working again, albeit part time, just to fill their lives with something productive or meaningful.
You’re asking a question a lot of people are afraid to say out loud. And I get it—our culture LOVES to paint this bleak, gray picture of what it means to grow old. There’s this idea that life basically ends after 60, that you’re destined to shuffle around in orthopedic shoes, waiting for your prescriptions and staring at a TV until your heart stops. But here’s the thing: that’s a lie. And buying into that lie early is the fastest way to guarantee it comes true.
First, let’s be honest: Yes, your body is going to change. You might not have the knees of a 20-year-old when you’re 60. But you’re also not going to be the same scared, insecure kid you were at 20 either. If you live your life right, you’re going to trade some physical horsepower for actual wisdom, grit, and the kind of peace you can only earn by living through decades of crap.
But here’s what’s really underneath your question—meaninglessness. You’re afraid that after you work your whole life, you’ll get to the finish line and realize there’s nothing there for you. So why save for it? Why prepare for a future that looks empty and cold?
Let me be blunt: That’s on you. You decide what the back half of your life looks like. If your vision of retirement is falling asleep in front of the news and counting your pills, then, yeah, don’t bother saving. Just surrender now and start practicing your thousand-yard stare. But if you want more—if you want to travel, learn, mentor, start something new, be the grandparent who actually shows up, or just live with dignity—you’d better prepare for it, physically, mentally, and, yes, financially.
You don’t save for retirement so you can buy a La-Z-Boy and a grave plot. You save so you have options. So you can walk away from work with your head up. So you’re not at the mercy of your failing body, your broke family, or some government check. You save because you respect yourself enough to believe you’re not just cashing out on life at 60.
Look, I’ve met a lot of people in their 60s, 70s, even 80s who are more alive than most 30-year-olds I know. You know what they have in common? They planned. They stayed curious. They took care of themselves. They had a purpose, even if it was just loving the people around them really well.
You want a better retirement? Start building a better life now. Take care of your body, invest in your relationships, and save enough money to buy yourself the freedom to chase what matters. If you treat your future like a garbage dump, you’ll end up living in one. If you plant seeds now, you get a harvest later.
So, why save? Because you’re worth more than just existing. Because you owe it to yourself—and the people you love—to give them your best right up until the very end.
But ultimately, it’s your call. You can mail it in now, or you can bet on yourself and build a future that’s worth living for.
Your move.