Check out Jeremy’s latest podcast on rethinking retirement by listening on “Apple Podcasts” or “Google Podcasts” or read below about How to Plan and Live a Flourishing Retirement.

#94 – Will you be happy when you retire? The answer lies in whether your plans to retire focus solely on managing your finances or if they align with your values and beliefs.

In this episode, Jeremy Keil speaks with Robert Laura about Robert’s experience in helping people look at retirement from a non-financial perspective with a set of Christian values. He dives into the importance of how your values should be reflected in your retirement plan and explains how you can create a retirement plan that aligns with those values.

Robert Laura discusses:

How to Create a Christian Retirement Plan

1) Why Would Somebody Want to Create a Christian Retirement Plan?

Retirement planning is backwards. It focuses on money first, then you.

If you want your retirement plan to focus on you instead of your money, you may want to create a Christian-based retirement plan. If you’re a Christian believer, then you know that the Bible doesn’t say to put money first above all.

We want to flip the script, let the money fall into its proper place by focusing on retirement being God-centered, centered on your values. We don’t want to retire wanting to spend or keep as much money as possible, but we want to go into retirement, keeping true to who God made us to be, faithful stewards of his resources.

Take the opportunity to fuse your Christian values into your planning process so that as you transition into retirement, you’ll remain fulfilled and not lose yourself by focusing on money.

2) What You Do Is Not Who You Are

Transitioning into retirement can be difficult. Going from focusing on doing your work and family responsibilities to having more free time gives you a euphoric feeling that you can do whatever you want, whenever you want.

But we were not made by God to do that.

Yes, retirement grants you lots of free time, but it’s not the time to reinvent yourself and become a new pleasure-seeking person. You planned for retirement for most of your life, doing your best to work hard and save; why would you need to radically change to a life of idle leisure? 

Keep to your values and beliefs and diligently work towards a new passion and purpose.

When Michelangelo used to look at his blocks of marble he would say, “the sculpture is already inside, I need to just chip away the stone to reveal it.” God has already created you to fulfill his purposes. Just like Michelangelo it’s your job to chisel away the excess. You don’t have to turn into a new person in retirement. You just need to work diligently and manage your money wisely, but within a new circumstance.

3) Reducing Retirement Stress by Aligning Your Thoughts and Actions

What about retirement causes the most stress?

Money.

The exercise Robert recommends is driving down your core values to create a “no regrets” retirement.

If you go through the process of thinking about some of the things you would regret, it brings to light what’s important to you. And a high percentage of the time, that has very little to do with money.

This lets you focus on what’s important and how your values align with God’s, and ultimately, it takes a lot of the stress off how much money you need to have because you’re focussed on your values and goals.

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To learn more about retirement planning, check out the resources below!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us or our guests Jeannette Lalonde and Mary Morency using the contact information provided below!

Resources:

Connect With Robert Laura:

Connect With Jeremy Keil:

About Our Guest:

Robert Laura is a best-selling author and nationally syndicated columnist for Forbes.com and Financial Advisor Magazine. His work has reached millions of readers through five books, twelve guides, and over 500 articles. In addition to his writings, he frequently appears in major business media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNBC, MarketWatch, Investor’s Business Daily, Yahoo! Finance, TheStreet.com, and more.

Robert Laura is a pioneer of “The New Retirement,” which includes planning for both the financial and non-financial aspects, including the need to develop a written plan for everyday life in retirement. He is the author of Naked Retirement, Retirement RX, Retirement Roots, Retirement Challenge, and Financial Karma. 

Robert is the founder of the Wealth & Wellness Group, the RetirementProject.org and Certified Retirement Coach Designation. He holds several designations, including Certified Kingdom Advisor, Accredited Asset Management Specialist, Certified Mutual Fund Counselor, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, and Certified Professional Retirement Coach.

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