What Is 28 and Retired?

“Practice thinking outside the box, you will have plenty of time to think inside the box when you die.”
–James Patrick Watson

My elementary school teacher called me retarded and wanted to put me in “special education.”
My old boss said I was unemployable.
My uncle once accused me of being A.D.D. for having too many interests and projects (he said: “If you don’t focus on just one thing, you will never be successful.”).
My dad, a university professor, thought I was nuts to start a business without any formal education or training.
My mom thinks I should be working a steady 9-to-5 job so that I have a secure income regardless of how miserable my job may be.
My brother, even to this day, rejects most of my ideas, saying I failed too many of my past projects.
My Canadian brother, who is now my business partner, used to tell me every day: “Eric, you don’t know.”

I could be working at a 9-to-5 job like my mom wanted, hating my life. But I don’t need to wake up to an alarm anymore. A typical day for me is waking up at 8:00 a.m., because that’s just when my body becomes alert. I might spend an hour doing yoga, and press some fresh juice. Some days I decide to make a gourmet breakfast. I might make an omelet, like today.

I take my time with the cooking, set the table, and then sit to enjoy my meal, savoring the beautiful day ahead. It takes roughly two hours to cook and eat, but I’m in no rush. By the time I’m finished cleaning up and have showered, it’s 11:00 a.m. Settling down on the sofa, I put my feet up, ready to ask the big question of the day—the question I get to ask myself every day: “What do I want to do…?”

I contemplate this question, sipping on the last serving of my freshly pressed juice. Meanwhile, the birds are chirping away. I am not going to lie: I love being 28 and retired.

It’s been a dream of mine to retire young—to have the ultimate freedom to do whatever I want, whenever I want. When I was in my early 20’s, I learned that the typical age of retirement is between 60 and 65. I remember thinking to myself, that’s way too long… I don’t want to wait until I turn 65 to finally start enjoying life! So I told myself that I was going to retire sometime in my 30’s. Ridiculous? No. But perhaps naive, because at the time my knowledge of how to build residual income was very limited. I thought the only way I could actualize my dream was by:

A) Build a massive company, then sell it
B) Scrimp and save all of my money
C) Forget about enjoying life; leave that to when I’m old and able to retire

Did I get to be 28 and retired by following the ABC’s listed above? Nope. Believe me, because I’ve tried the ABC’s and they didn’t work out so well for me. The business I attempted to build did not expand like I hoped—at least not enough to sell for a sizable profit. I also tried to save, save and save, but my net worth was climbing painfully slow. As for forgetting about enjoying my life, I had no life because I avoided any kind of recreational activities out of fear for wasting money and losing sight of my goal to retire young.

So how did I do it? You’re probably thinking I won the lottery. But no, I found something better. I’ve discovered how to become “28 and Retired” by thinking, living and working outside the box. Thanks to my supportive friends and family (shout out to Kara and Mitch), I’ve created this blog to share my humble experiences with you. My hope is to connect with like-minded people everywhere who share the same dream of being 28 and retired.

I cherish the freedom I enjoy every day, and it would mean the world to me if I could help other people accomplish the same thing! So in order to understand what 28 and Retired is all about, please take some time to contemplate our manifesto:

We are productive people who think, work and live outside the box. We have retired from the depressing 9-to-5 jobs, enjoying the freedom to do whatever we want through streams of residual income from multiple sources. We do not “retire” and sit on our butts; we work hard, we play hard, and experience the ultimate bliss of simple living. We are free and crazily happy. We invite the tired, frustrated 9-to-5 workers to free themselves and join us in what we do.

If the 28 and Retired lifestyle resonates with you, you’re invited to follow our blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, and share your stories with us. 28 and Retired is a club, and we invite everyone to join.

Your quest to be 28 and retired will be a rewarding and challenging experience. Being 28 and retired means you will never stop doing the things you LOVE, instead retiring from the monotony of a 9-to-5 job that you should be saying good riddance to. It’s a journey full of surprises and excitement. With every step, slowly but surely, you will be untangling yourself from the conformity and control that society has placed upon you. You don’t have to wait until you’re 65 to retire. You can start today. All you have to do is start living outside the box.