In a piece called “I’ll Never Retire,” William Diehl states that before the mid 1950s there was no “retirement” as we have come to know it today. A poll in 1950 actually showed that most workers wanted to work as long as possible.
As he states, “Quitting was for the disabled.”
By the time he wrote that piece, 1997, the average retirement age was down to 62. And it is not unusual for people to retire in their mid fifties.
And here’s something that made a BIG impression on me…
Diehl said that he worked on the payroll until the age of 79 and then at the time of the piece, was working on non-compensated basis.
He went on to say that most saw him as some kind of freak. An anomaly. A poor reflection on a generation that is supposed to be enjoying the good life.
He mentioned his one retired friend that sleeps as long as he can because he doesn’t know what to do with himself when he wakes up. Others just go through years and years just floating around with no purpose.
And he said this:
“There is a sense of self-worth that comes from working to a purpose that is essential to well-being, whether the task involves major responsibility or physical exertion, as both require diligence and daily attendance.
How did we come to this slough of despondency?…
…As we observe able-bodied citizens hiking the malls or sampling the midnight buffets on the cruise ships, we are struck by their purposelessness, and overwhelming boredom they manifest.
There is no need to arise in the morning, or any necessity to go to bed on time. Their reason for existence has ceased. They have lost the respect of those who support them, and lost their self-respect process.
A story is told of one who had led a long and eventful life. When the time came to cross the deep lake, he was pleased with the skiff and the oarsman as well as his welcome and the accommodations furnished him. The surroundings were beautiful, the weather pleasant, and the food more than adequate.
After a few weeks, he wanted to try his hand at gardening again, but that could not be arranged. After repeated requests to work in the dinning hall or on the grounds, he cried in exasperation, “This is no better than Hell.” The reply came from above, “Where did you think you were?”
Irving Babbitt reflected on the nature of work, how it was seen in the past as a God-given calling, and indeed served to define a person. With the loss of vocation has come a loss of identification.”
I couldn’t agree more. And nothing would be a worse hell than stopping me from doing what I am doing right now.
I can not imagine waking up tomorrow morning with NOTHING to do. I can’t even imagine waking up tomorrow morning with not too many things to do. So many things it is physically impossible for me to get them all done.
Because I absolutely love what I do.
I love teaching doctors and other businesses how to get more patients and customers. How to be more efficient. How to make more money.
And How To Finally Enjoy What They Are Doing
So They Don’t Ever Want To Retire!!!!
And that really is the key.
You have to love what you are doing or you will not doing it to your full potential.
And, in order to love what you are doing, you have to run your practice correctly and be successful. It’s a catch 22 and everything feeds off itself.
So why am I telling you all this stuff about loving what you are doing and not wanting to retire now?
Because it is VITALLY important to your success in the current economic times. And here is why…
There is an economics trends researcher by the name of Gerald Celente. And Gerald has a website www.trendsresearch.com.
Now listen up – because this is important…
Gerald’s site is about research. They are not affiliated with any political party. In fact, Gerald describes himself as a “political atheist.”
And they do not sell one single thing on their site. They simply analyze the data and report what they find.
And Gerald has been right on the money about many of biggest economic shifts in recent history.
In fact, Gerald successfully predicted:
- The 1987 stock market crash
- The popularity of Starbucks
- The boom in Bottled Water
- The panic of 2008
- The bailout bubble
And what he is predicting right now is not pretty.
Gerald is predicting that we are headed towards the “greatest depression.” A depression worse than the great depression on the 1930s.
Sounds pretty scary doesn’t it?
Not exactly. Because listen to what he recently said in an interview just after he gave his predictions and gave all the very plausible reasons why things are going to get worse…
“This doesn’t mean there aren’t great opportunities in business… there are. There’s going to be huge opportunities on this down time.
The people that are going to profit the most are the ones that are going to understand QUALITY. Average isn’t going to make it.
If you want to open up that little restaurant have the best steak sandwich that everybody’s going to drive to go see.
The best of the best is going to make it to the top.
Interviewer: The Donald Trump philosophy: He says if you build the best…. The best of the best will come to it – don’t shortchange it. Is that right?
That’s about it.”
I have no idea if Gerald’s prediction about the “greatest depression” if going to come true. God knows, I hope it doesn’t. But that’s not the point.
The point is: no matter what happens you should be the best of the best. That way, you will be assured success and security no matter what.
If you are the Chiropractor that builds a practice that is the best… the best of the best will come to you.
I recently spoke with a long time member who had his best few months EVER. And he has been practicing for over thirty years. He’s been doing over $200,000 per month.
This is during an economic collapse. This is during a time when auto makers can’t sell a car and are going bankrupt. Businesses are shutting down left and right.
Businesses and other CHIROPRACTORS are shutting down all around this member.
Yet he marches on and is setting personal records.
And It’s All Because He Loves What He Does
And Never Wants To Retire!
Every chance he gets, he’s studying and discovering ways to give better service to his patients and run and market his practice more efficiently.
Every time I talk to him, I think there is a little kid on the other end of the phone and it’s Christmas morning!
He’s never asked me how he can stop practicing and “live the good life.” Because he know… with certainty… what his purpose in life is and what brings his happiness. He is ALREADY living the “good life”.
I can guarantee you this Doctor will be calling me when we are both in our 90s and he will still sound like a little kid on Christmas morning. And he will still be practicing. And he will still be happy.
Whatever happens in this economy will not affect him in the slightest bit.
Now the big question for you is: Can you say… with 100% certainty and conviction… the exact same thing?
Do you wake up every day and can’t wait to get into your practice to give your patients the best possible care?
Or do you dread going to sleep because you have to wake up tomorrow and get through another day?
The latter are the kinds of practices that are going to be in trouble if do have the “greatest depression.” And you better do something about it…
RIGHT NOW!
It really is nothing more than a change in your mindset. An adjustment above atlas.
Because you can choose to be the best you can be. And you can choose to do all the things to make that happen n a very short period of time.
The best thing about the life we are given is that you can change it whenever you want. You can wake up a whole new person tomorrow morning… if you really want to.
All you have to do is make a decision and then make it a habit. In Maxwell Maltz’s book, Psycho-cybernetics explains how all that’s necessary to make something a habit or change your behavior (good or bad) is to do it for 21 days.
No matter what you want to do – you do not have to see it as doing it forever. Just make it to 21 days… and you will see everything change.
That’s why I am challenging you to try to offer your patients not only the best possible care… but also the best possible experience… for the next 21 days.
That’s all I’m asking. Be the best of the best for just the next 21 days. And see what happens in your practice and life.
Wake up tomorrow with a whole new set of goals and attitude about achieving them.
None of us can change what happens to the economy… but we can change our reactions to it. You can be a happy, successful and very rich Chiropractor if simple strive to be the best – not someone who strives to retire.
Watching your back,