LIVING THE WORK-OPTIONAL LIFE
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Living The Work-
Optional Life:
REAL CONVERSATIONS WITH MAILI WONG
By: Maili Wong, CFA, CFP, FEA
www.smartriskinvesting.com
DO YOU look forward to
a stage in life where going
to work is by choice?
We call this the “WORK-
OPTIONAL LIFE”. It’s
a way of life where you
no longer need to work
to sustain your lifestyle.
Instead, you have built a
source of sustainable cash
flow from your portfolio of
stocks and bonds, real estate
or other investments, and
you work because you love
what you do. Do you want
to become Work-Optional?
It’s possible.
Consider the five Ps, or
“guideposts”, in what I call
the Smart Risk Investing
Roadmap—Purpose, People,
Plan, Perspective, and
Positive Action. I created this
roadmap after many years
of gleaning lessons from
self-made wealthy individuals
who have achieved this
Work-Optional Life.
Meet Dr. Ellen 1 , a retired
doctor who practiced family
medicine for more than 35
years who recently faced
some of her own fears about
retirement. These fears
included:
“SMART RISK INVESTING ROADMAP—
PURPOSE, PEOPLE, PLAN, PERSPECTIVE,
AND POSITIVE ACTION. ”
1
A different name was used.
•
•
•
giving up her medical
license, them?
downsizing her home
that she had lived in for
the past 30 years, and My first attempt at retirement
was a failure. After six
months of retirement, I went
back to work as a locum
doctor because I felt very
comfortable and safe in my
role. I missed the interaction
with others. Honestly, I loved
what I was doing. I took pride
in helping others as I felt I
was making a difference in
others’ lives. Having a sense
of purpose and direction was
embedded in my daily
routine. Over time, however, I
realized that it was my fear of
change that held me hostage.
I wasn’t allowing myself
permission to step back.
running out of money in
retirement.
Dr. Ellen sought our advice,
discovered and followed this
Smart Risk Investing
Roadmap, and is now living
her Work-Optional Life. Read
on for a conversation with Dr.
Ellen as she shares her
perspective…
MAILI WONG:
What were some of the biggest
emotional or financial
challenges that you faced
when approaching retirement,
and how did you overcome
DR. ELLEN: