We’re so busy worrying about the last 15 years of life… that we forget to live the most important part!
We hit 50 and suddenly become retirement monks, clutching our pensions like sacred scrolls and whispering “what if I run out of money when I’m 93 and living off custard creams and Werther’s Originals?”
So we do what any rational human does when faced with the unknown:
We freeze. We hoard. We wait.
We shove our dreams into a cupboard labelled “Maybe when I’m sure I won’t be broke or dead.”
And in doing so, we miss the golden stuff, the bit between 50 and 85.
The healthy, mobile, curious, still-remember-where-your-keys-are years.
The years where you can still hike a hill, drink too much Rioja, and embarrass your kids on holiday.
But no, instead we’re mentally living in the red box on this sketch.
The “what if I’m frail at 90” zone.
The bit that might happen… but definitely doesn’t need to define everything that comes before it.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Planning for longevity is smart.
Living like you’re already in a care home is not.
So yes… plan for 100.
But for the love of God, live like you might not get there.
Spend some money.
Take the trip.
Start the project.
Make the memories your 85-year-old self will be bloody grateful for.
Because the real risk isn’t dying at 95 with £0.
It’s arriving there with £2m in the bank and a life full of “I wish I had…”