Retirement – Dave Glardon

Celebrate the Small Wins Before You Try Something Real

September 11, 2026September 12, 2026 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good afternoon, and happy Friday! Yeah, I know … I normally send these things out in the morning, but I just retired a week ago today. Gimme a break!

I won’t dwell on this, but to answer a few of the questions I’ve been asked:

How does it feel to be retired? AWESOME!!!
Do you feel different? Yeah … I’m not working every day.
Will you get a pension check? LOL. You’re kidding, right?
Has your wife accepted it yet? The jury is still out on that one.
Do you know what day it is? I’m retired, not stupid. It’s today. Duh!!!

I’ve been trying to get up early and stay active. So far, I’ve met some of those goals. I get up early. Not as early as I used to, but it still takes some effort. I just don’t want to sleep away my remaining years. There are things I wanted to do but couldn’t before, and now the only excuse is me. Can’t blame this on the boss any longer.

What are your plans for the weekend? I just built my own “To-Do” list, with ten tasks I need to complete by bedtime Tuesday. In other words, I won’t be going to sleep until sometime Thursday. But when you have too many things going on in your mind all at once, the average life span of any given thought is 2.8 seconds. I need a list before my wife starts writing one for me.

For what it’s worth, I’ve already completed the first three. Okay, in fairness, the first one was “Make a To-Do List.” This is all part of a concept I wrote about several years ago – achieving at little things to build the habit of success. When you repeatedly succeed at small things, it builds confidence as you try something a little harder. You know, like mopping the kitchen floor.

Here’s something I’d like you to try over the next few days. As you drink your morning coffee tomorrow, make a list of the things you plan to accomplish over the next few days. Simple stuff you know you can do, like getting the kids dressed (or keeping them dressed), taking out the trash, checking tire pressure on the car, or cleaning the grill. Oops! That’s one more for my list.

The idea is, write this stuff down, and then cross it off as you do it. Will it feel stupid at first? Absolutely! If not, you can join my chapter of the Procrastinator’s Club. I’ll even sponsor you. But the point is to give yourself a set of small, easily attainable goals and make a point of crossing them off as they’re completed. Then give yourself a small treat at the end of the day.

The treat is to get you do actually do it. Ice cream and bourbon work for me. But in doing these seemingly frivolous things each day, you begin building confidence in your ability to execute. When you promise your wife you’ll fix that slow leak under the kitchen sink, you know you’ll actually do it because YOU accomplish everything YOU set out to do. You’ve proven it.

And when, sometime down the road, you decide to take on a bigger project, you’ll know you can accomplish whatever you set out to do. Unless your goal is to sprout wings and fly. Even positivity has limits. You may need help. You may need funding or special training. You may need a stroke of luck. But you’ll always know you can make every one of those things happen.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome evening and an even better weekend. Before you go to bed, put that pen and paper where you can find it in the morning. And let me know how it’s working for you!t that pen and paper where you can find it in the morning. And let me know how it’s working for you!

No More Work Days, No More Clocks …

September 4, 2026September 4, 2026 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning, and happy Friday! I hope your day is off to a great start, and your week is sliding into a fantastic end.

This is a special day for me. Today I will turn on my work computer for the last time. At the end of the day, it’ll be shut down, packed up, and shipped back to my employer. My desk will be rearranged to accommodate a single computer, a new keyboard, and dedicated space for a cocktail glass. Yes, I’m allowed. I asked my wife.

While I have no plans of sitting around all day, it will be a change waking up Monday morning to my own schedule. I intend to get up the same time I do now, no later than 5:30 AM. I’ve found over the years that my creativity peaks very early in the morning, and writing is something I plan to do. That, and walking. I can’t just sit around. I have to do something.

I once read that if you ask a woman to tell you about herself, she usually begins by telling you about her family. How long she’s been married, how many kids, how many grandchildren … you get the idea. Ask a man the same question and we’ll invariably start by telling you what we do for a living. That’s just how we’re wired. It’s how we identify with ourselves.

And when you take away that portion of our identity, we lose our sense of worth. It’s like, for the very first time in our adult lives, nobody has to rely on us for income. In fact, the money would go further with us out of the way. (I sure hope my wife isn’t reading this. She watches too many crime shows anyway. I’m not sure if it’s entertainment or apprenticeship training.)

I’ve been through some of these emotions during previous layoffs. “Oh, Dave, you were great! It’s just business. Now call your wife and tell her you’re unemployed.” Of course, back then I had to find a job as quickly as possible, and every day I didn’t, I became more and more discouraged. This time is different. My resume has seen its final edit.

Oh, I’ll continue to work. I don’t think there’s enough bourbon in the county to let me sit around the house all day. Besides, she prefers rum. My brother-in-law told her, “You’re getting twice the husband at half the pay!” Thanks for having my back, bro! Already she’s dreaming up projects to get me out of the house. So far, none have a thing to do with the pool.

But that can all wait until next week. Right now, I’m working through my final day on the job, and hoping to leave on a high note. My goal was always simple – pass on some of what I’ve learned over the years and leave the place a little better than I found it. To the extent I had any influence, I think I’ve succeeded at both.

So, with that, a very long and satisfying career comes to an end. It’s not the end, but a beginning. As I make my own place in my new world, I’m leaving behind a place for someone else to fill in the old. Okay, three or four someone elses. It’s my blog.

Finally, as this day begins, I’d be remiss in not thanking my wife for her support over the years. I stuck my neck out a lot and took some calculated risks others may have advised against, and she was there every step of the way. In fact, the only thing we’ve really disagreed about is today – retirement. I think it just reminds her she married an old man.

Anyway, that’s it for now. Have an awesome day and an even better weekend. And sometime this evening, let’s hoist a drink together in honor of my retirement. Any time zone works. As a wise old sailor once said, it’s five o-clock somewhere!

Predictability in Life – There’s More Integrity in Politics

August 31, 2026August 31, 2026 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning! It’s been a while since my last post. I’d like to say I just got lazy again, but life demanded my attention in other areas. It happens.

We said goodbye to a dear friend at the start of summer. She was only 56 and had so much more life ahead of her. But it was her choice to forego treatment this time around, and I know she’s at rest now. That’s the downside to living in a community for older folks. We’re all at that end of life, and saying goodbye gets harder each time.

After a trip to Ohio to watch two of our granddaughters graduate high school, we came home for a couple of weeks before my wife underwent intense abdominal surgery. She spent 26 of the next 28 days in three different hospitals. Two months later, we’re still not there. Anything you’d like to know about the Tucson medical scene? My advice is to stay healthy.

With over $500k in bills starting to come in and a wife needing nearly constant care, I got to navigate the Family Medical Leave Act. I can tell you two things. Caregivers and form filler-outers don’t get paid enough. Those forms are as confusing as they could possibly be, all with the goal of denying your request. Mine was denied four times before they finally gave in a little.

Meanwhile, half of my team at work was laid off. I was likely on that list until my FMLA was approved. Watching 15 people, all younger than me, lose their job while I’m this close to retirement has been hard. They’re all solid professionals and I know they’ll somehow rise to the top. Life is full of detours, but sometimes that’s how we reach the best destinations.

So, how does this all wrap up? Well, one of my granddaughters just had her first day at Ohio State University, and the other just started a new job. My wife has been home for close to six weeks, and she’s still on oxygen 24/7, but she’s getting better week by week. Since my department was dissolved in the layoff, I got moved to another department. For exactly three weeks.

Today is my last Monday in the traditional workforce. I’m officially retiring the end of this week. This is what I’ve worked for the past 54 years, and I’m ready for it. There will be no big celebration at work, no gold watch, likely nothing more than a few emails from coworkers with the requisite “it’s been nice” sentiment. But that’s okay. A week from today, they’ll move forward without me.

As I go through a week of “lasts” at work, I hope I’ll hear from some of the many dear friends I made over the past 10 years. I’ve been reaching out to those I worked most closely with, but some of the best are people I only worked with once or just met in passing. I know I’ll overlook several, because there are too many to list. But I’ll try to catch ‘em all.

Anyway, as of next Monday, this will be my fulltime job. Well, not necessarily a weekly blog, but writing in general. I’ve got a couple of books started, and I’m planning to find my way into some motivational speaking. That’s been my dream for years and, as I’ve said many times in the past, we’re never too old to chase our dreams. A new chapter of life can always begin.

That’s all for now. This has been a little longer than some, and I’ll try to tighten up in the coming weeks. I’ll send you another update Friday as I begin my final day of work. Until then, have an awesome day and an even better week!

Your Future Started Yesterday – Catch Up!

March 16, 2026 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning! I hope your day is off to a nice start. It’s a brand-new week. Let’s see what kind of good trouble we can stir up!

We talked last week about income and retirement and the whole concept of waiting until your body is so old and broken you can’t do much of anything to enjoy what you’ve spent a lifetime building. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t interest me in the least.

The whole retirement system is based on life expectancy, which is a nice way of saying the system can’t survive if we live too long. Comforting, isn’t it? According to Social Security’s actuarial tables, if you’re 40 today, your life is half over. And you still have another 27 years to work. How’s that for a dose of reality?

But here’s some good news – the younger you are, the more you can influence not only the time you spend on this earth, but the quality of that time as well. And the key is planning, doing something now so you don’t have to do it later. Anticipate the inevitable, and work now to mitigate any negative consequences it may bring.

The “inevitable,” obviously, is getting old and still needing money. “Oh, she can’t afford to live there – she’s on a fixed income.” You hear it all the time. And all too often, that becomes, “She can’t afford food – she’s on a fixed income.” Well, dammit, maybe we need to ditch the fixed income! Who says you can’t keep up the cash flow in retirement? People do it every day.

But they did something most people haven’t done, and that’s recognizing and taking advantage of opportunity. If we only open our eyes and ears, and maybe use our imagination just a little, opportunity is all around us. It’s knocking on your door right every day. But, unlike an armed assailant, it won’t kick the door down. I’ll knock once or twice, and then quietly move on.

All opportunity asks is that you take the time to open the door and open your mind. Sure, sometimes it’s a scam, engineered specifically to part you from your hard-earned money. Other times, it may be a solid premise without the planning and insight to bring it to fruition. But if your mind is clouded by those expectations, you’re gonna miss something big.

And sometimes, the simplest of opportunities are the big ones. I read years ago about a group of elderly women who started a business cleaning up gravesites for family members who didn’t have time do it on their own. They’d pull weeds, polish the headstone, and even leave flowers for an extra fee. And they got rich doing it. All because they saw a need and filled it.

That’s just one of many examples I could share. And the thing is, none of these require any special skills or equipment. They don’t require any specific education, and most can be started for less than most of us spend on snacks and gourmet coffee in a week. That may be hard to comprehend, but it’s true. All you have to do is open your mind and see what’s possible.

It’s been said that the mind is like a parachute – it only works when it’s open. It’s easy to come up with reasons something can’t work. But it’s even easier to imagine why it can. Not every opportunity will appeal to you, and some may not work for you, personally. But opportunity is like a puppy – if you keep pushing it away, it’ll eventually stop trying.

That’s all for today. Give opportunity a chance. Find one that looks right for you and then give it everything you’ve got. If it doesn’t work, you’re that much closer to finding something that will. Give it some thought this week. Meanwhile, have an awesome day!

A Steady Drip Can Fill the Bucket

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning! I hope your Friday is starting off well. Guess what? The weekend is here!

In my previous post, we talked about winning the lottery. Or was it giving your boss the finger? I may have quoted some people I admire. Okay, I rambled a lot. But the one thing I do remember is I promised to at least try to keep these posts to a manageable word count. Let’s see how that works.

For most of us, retirement comes with a few prerequisites. First, you have to be old. Like, really old. Second, you have to be rich. But you have to be the kind of rich person nobody would suspect – driving an old car just because it’s paid for, flying economy coach, and dining out only if you have coupons. In other words, you can have it – but you can never enjoy it.

Why? Because you have to save that money for your kids! Oh, sure, they’re more educated and have better jobs. But society teaches us that we have to be responsible, which sounds a lot like making sure we die long before our money runs out. That doesn’t interest me a bit.

Still, what if we approached this whole retirement thing a different way? Remember when I said something about retiring while you’re still young enough and healthy enough to enjoy it? Yes, I remember what I wrote. I don’t remember what I had for lunch, but I’m sure I enjoyed it. I always do.

Now I’m hungry again. Where were we? Oh yeah, what if we could retire before we get so old? What if we could do it before the kids were grown? Or, what if (gasp!) we could do it before the kids are even born? It happens every day. I know plenty of people who retired at a very young age.

And what about all that money we need to have buried in the back yard? What if, instead of walking away from our income, we replaced it? A retirement account is great if you were disciplined enough as a kid to sock your money away instead of spending it on junk cars and beer. The rest of us are gonna need a little help.

Replacing your income doesn’t all have to happen at once. You can start small and build. Have you ever seen what happens when you keep adding little pieces of candy to a jar? Sooner or later, it fills up. Then the kids come along and eat it all, but that’s okay, because you can always do it again. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. A little here and a little there adds up.

Whether you retire at 25, 45, 65, or 85, the rules are still the same. You have to take in at least what you shell out. If sitting in a wheelchair waving at cars as they pass the old folks’ home is your idea of retirement, go right ahead. Most of us would like a little more than that. And we all have the power to make that happen.

That’s it for now. We’ll talk more about this, because I think now more than ever, we have to take control of our own destiny. Give it some thought and be sure to message me if I can help. Meanwhile, be safe and have an awesome weekend!

Too Old to Work, Too Young to Die

March 10, 2026March 7, 2026 by Dave Glardon, posted in Motivational Humor

Good morning! I hope your day is off to a nice start.

Ask anybody what’s the first thing they’d do if they hit the lottery, and there are a few standard responses you can count on. Okay, after they pick themselves up off the floor. Let’s be real, some of these jackpots are pretty huge, and to suddenly realize you’ve just become rich beyond your wildest dreams would bring most of us to our knees.

The next thing they say is something to the effect of, “I’d walk into work tomorrow in my pajamas with an open bottle of bourbon and tell ‘em to put this job where the sun doesn’t shine!” Okay, a little colorful, but you get it. I’ve often said I’ll have to work until noon the day of my funeral, but it would be nice to think I have options, you know?

No, I didn’t hit the lottery. I’m told you have to actually buy a ticket and, while that would make for an awesome retirement, it’s just not my style. Maybe because I’m not getting any younger and, with lottery games twice a week, I’m running out of time.

I believe most of us dream of a day when we can walk into work, look around, and say, “I just don’t feel like doing this anymore.” Hopefully that coincides with the day we no longer need the income, but when you’ve worked your whole life, that’s a hard concept to fathom. It’s even harder to think of the changes I’ll have to make when that day comes.

I’ve never been able to imagine not needing any additional money. But that’s mostly because we had to scrape by for so many years and, now that we’re finally living the life we’ve worked so hard to achieve, I’m not ready to give that up.

And, make no mistake, we don’t live a life of unbridled luxury. We have a small one-bedroom home in a tropical RV resort. We cook most of our own meals, watch reruns of Big Bang Theory, and pay bills every payday. But we live among people our own age who, like us, refuse to sit in the house and grow old. Besides, there are no kids to yell at for stepping on our lawn.

In fact, we don’t even have a lawn. We have a three-foot gravel border around our house and yard work consists of spraying for weeds. The hardest thing I do outside is walking to the pool, and that’s only if the golf cart needs charging. We spend time with friends, have drinks on the deck and bribe our neighbors’ dogs with treats, and dance every chance we get. Life is good.

Sound like a tough life? I know. We worked hard to get here and made some sacrifices along the way. And you know what? I love it! I can’t imagine spending my days any other way, other than not having to get up at 5 AM every morning to sit at my desk for eight hours at a time, working to make somebody else rich. That part still sucks.

At some point this year, I plan to join the ranks of the happily retired. When you get this old, you begin to realize there’s more to life than work. Not to mention the fact that if I keep working much longer, I’ll be too old, too crippled, and too tired to enjoy what I’ve worked for.

And I have no visions of lounging around the pool or spending every morning on the golf course. My retirement will, by necessity, involve extra income, and Social Security declined my request for an increase. They’re funny like that. So, if it’s to be, it’s up to me. Seems I read that somewhere.

That means now is the time. I’ve often said you need to dig the well before you get thirsty. Yes, I read that, too. What it means is, get moving. Build a plan, and put that plan into motion before the bills come due. Thankfully, I’ve had side jobs most of my adult life, including writing, pizza delivery, and stand-up comedy. Work is part of who I am. I just want to do it on my own terms.

Are you in the same boat? Maybe you’re nowhere near retirement, but you have this incredible sense of doom knowing a freight train is headed your way, and you can’t just sidestep it. We’ve all been there. Rita Davenport once said if money can fix a problem, it’s not a problem. Fix it! And there are more ways to do that than you’d ever imagine.

We’ll talk more about this in the coming weeks, but I wanted to plant the seed. We live in very uncertain times, and everything we’ve known about life to this point could change in an instant. But that doesn’t mean we should stop trying. No matter what, we will always be the primary factor in our own success.

That’s all for now. I’m planning to write these posts more regularly and shorten them up while I’m at it. Stop laughing! But thanks for the time you spend with me, because it really does mean a lot. Drop me a line when you have time. Meanwhile, have an awesome day!

Waiting for Tomorrow? It’s Here!

June 16, 2023 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning, and happy Friday! I hope your day is off to a nice start.

It’s been almost three weeks since my stroke, and I’m happy to report that I’m getting a little better each day. I’ve lost some strength on my left side, but that should come back. Other than a dull headache for the past two weeks, I feel pretty good. I guess God isn’t done with me just yet.

I can’t say enough about the staff at Tucson’s Banner University Hospital. Everybody there was just awesome, including the nurse who took the full brunt of my post-surgery nausea. I won’t go into detail, but if you’ve ever seen The Exorcist, that pretty much sums it up. She got two showers that day.

It’s hard going from working every day to full-time recuperation. Not that I miss work all that much, but sudden change is not always easy. I don’t plan to retire for another year, but one thing I can say for certain – I absolutely must find something to occupy my time before then. Sitting around is not my thing.

I’ve known for years that my retirement will involve some kind of ongoing income. That’s what happens when you wait until you’re almost 60 to start saving. Like most others, I spent my younger years scraping by, with little concept of the fact that time wasn’t standing still. Retirement is for old people, and only people like my dad planned for that eventuality.

Yet here I am. The young guy who used to live in the mirror has been replaced by the aging image I see each morning. Getting out of bed requires planning and pre-positioning, and even climbing the six steps into our motorhome can be an effort. Aging is definitely not for sissies. On the other hand, a little alcohol goes a long way, so that’s a plus.

The thing about aging is that, when we’re young, we wonder what tomorrow may bring. Later, we wonder where all those tomorrows went. All those things we planned to start “someday,” the trips we were going to take, the book we were going to write, the business we were going to build, the legacy we wanted to leave behind. What I wouldn’t do to have some of those tomorrows back.

Well, today is yesterday’s tomorrow. Waiting for “someday?” It’s here. Sure, there will be others, but how many are we willing to squander before we put our plans into motion? One? Ten? A thousand? They add up faster than we think.

Thankfully, I got through this challenge with the ability to continue my plans for the future. But that could have all changed in an instant. Nobody knows when a crisis may hit, or how severe it may be. All the more reason to plan for the future now and put those plans in motion while you still can. What’s the worst that can happen? Hitting your goal too soon?

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

Are You Outsourcing Your Future?

February 17, 2023 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning, and happy Friday! I hope your day is off to a nice start.

So, by show of hands, how many of you pay close attention to your investments? Like, really close. I do. Okay, I don’t even know what my investments are, because I give somebody else a bunch of money every two weeks and they play with it for me. Uncle Sam calls it a 401(k). The rest of us call it our only hope for retirement. Which explains all the old folks working in Walmart.

I’ve tried learning the economic signs that point to ups and downs, and I’m completely lost. Gas prices, unemployment, inflation, gross national product, who’s running first in the electoral polls … I can’t keep up. And none of it seems to matter, because just about the time you think you’ve got it figured out, Wall Street comes along and laughs in your face.

It reminds me of the movie “Trading Places,” where the Duke brothers are trying to explain their business as commodities brokers to Billy Ray. “Tell him the best part! Whether our investors win or lose, Duke & Duke gets their share!” Where can I get a job like that?

In “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” Robert Kiyosaki makes no secret of his disdain for the stock market. Sure, you can make money. And you can lose it, too. Most of us don’t have the financial insight to study the Wall Street Journal and figure out the market, so we hire people who have no life to do it for us. We bet our entire future on their ability to win. Smart, huh?

I’m not against the concept of a 401(k), mostly because it’s an easy way for me to put my paltry sum of money in a pool with a bunch of other people and pray we don’t all go broke. And, over the years, it’s been pretty good to me. But if I had to retire on what I’ve got saved today, I’d have to die next January. And I’m betting I’m not alone in that. Which explains all the old folks playing the lottery.

So, here’s my question. If we’re willing to invest our own money in somebody else’s success for just a cut of the profits, why not invest in ourselves? Take a class. Read a book. Start a business. Oh, and here’s the fun part – once you’ve started, follow through! Find something that works for you, and then keep doing it.

Success won’t come overnight. It never does. But if you believe in what you’re doing enough to get started, then believe in yourself enough to finish. Take control and make it happen. You can do this!

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day, and I’ll see you next week!

What Else You Got Planned?

January 6, 2023 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning, and happy Friday! I hope your day is starting off well.

The first week of 2023 is just about behind us, and I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Getting back to work is always a challenge, especially if you had time off over the holidays. I gave serious thought to early retirement. My wife said no. She won.

But I just turned 65, and that day is out there. Like most people, my body, mind, and bank account are not in complete agreement on when it should happen. After 50 years in the work force, I’m thinking my body may win. It certainly won’t be my brain.

I know my retirement will involve some kind of ongoing income. Social Security will buy gas, and my 401k will cover one health emergency. If the “emergency” is a flu shot. Beyond that, I need a little extra. Anyone know how much Walmart greeters make?

And I’m not alone in this. Most of us will need that extra boost to keep from moving in with the kids. Sure, I know people who think they’ve got it under control. In other words, they’re delusional. And I’ve met others who think retirement planning means putting their own numbers on the lottery ticket.

None of us knows when retirement will begin or end. We can plan, and we may even hit our target date. But life can change in an instant, and all those plans go right out the window. Accidents happen. Companies fail. And that Nigerian prince may have no intention of coughing up the cash. Just sayin’.

Those of you who have been with me for a while have heard these words – dig the well before you get thirsty. The time to come up with an alternate plan is not while you’re laid up in the hospital or just got your severance notice. That’s the time to fall back on Plan B, not invent it.

The reality is most of us will make it to retirement without any catastrophic life-altering event. So what? Have you ever heard anybody complain that they have too much money? If so, send them my way. I can make that problem go away in an instant. So can fate.

Our future is what we make of it. Expand your options today, and you can enjoy the ride tomorrow. Opportunity is out there, just waiting for you to make the next move. You can pick the one you want today, or let fate choose it for you. I know my preference. What’s yours?

That’s all for now. Enjoy your day and have an awesome weekend!

What’s Your Backup Plan?

April 5, 2021 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning! I hope your day is off to a nice start.

There was a commercial on the radio where a banker called for a man and his young son answered. The kid told the banker his dad had gone fishing. He bragged, “My dad is the world’s greatest fisherman. And neat, too!” The banker was intrigued. “Neat?” “Yep! Every time he comes home the fish are neatly wrapped in white paper just like they do at the fish store!”

I was never that creative when I went fishing. We’d get back to the dock, open the cooler, and take out the few fish we’d caught. If my wife commented about how small they were, I had a standard reply. “They must have shrunk in the ice.” Hey, it’s physics … I don’t make the rules.

Whether you call it creativity, forward thinking, or just plain lying, there’s something to be said for having a backup plan. Things won’t always go according to plan, so there’s nothing wrong with making sure there’s a seafood market on the way home. And make sure it’s open.

In my early twenties, a business owner introduced me to a word I’d never used before – diversify. In simple terms, it means not putting all your eggs in one basket. Of course, yesterday that was the name of the game as kids around the world ran around picking up brightly colored eggs. At least those are boiled. If you drop the whole basket, all they do is crack.

But when it comes to life and finances, it’s not always that simple. Find a stock that’s performing well and sink all your money into that one stock. As long as it keeps growing, you’ll make money. But what happens if the company goes under or the product suddenly becomes obsolete? Then you’re left holding a stack of worthless paper.

It works that way in the job market as well. You get an education, find a great job, and settle back into a life of relative comfort. Well, as comfortable as work can be. But having been on the receiving end of a few “restructuring initiatives” (that’s what they call it when they send you home), it’s a lot more comfortable having a job than not having one.

But life happens. And whether you’re talking about employment or the stock market or pretty much anything besides dating and marriage, it’s good to be invested in more than one thing just in case something falls through. In this day and age, you can pretty much count on it. And according to a guy named Murphy, it’ll always happen at the worst possible time.

Now, I’m not a real fan of Murphy, and to be honest, I’m not even sure he’s a real person. But Murphy’s Law is well-known to most of us: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible moment.” It’s a little pessimistic for my taste, but reality says we need to be prepared for those times when things don’t go as planned.

If you’re an investor, it means spreading your money around a bit. Sure, focus on the one that is making you the most money today, but always be on the looking for something additional. In the job market, it means keeping your resume up to date and networking with others in your profession just in case.

And unless you’ve reached a point where you could retire today with no additional sources of income, diversification is even more critical. The days of company-funded retirement are long gone. Social Security appears to be relatively safe for now, but who knows what the future holds? And if you think your 401(k) is safe, we need to talk.

The closer you get to retirement age, the less time you’ll have to recover from an unexpected scenario that wipes out or drastically reduces your income. Success in the stock market is a long-term strategy. And retirement plans go bankrupt just like anything else. Could you withstand a shock this late in the game? Most of us can’t.

And if you’re younger, that’s both good and bad. You have more time to get ready for retirement, but you’re also that much more likely to be called into HR with unpleasant news at some point. That’s not a reflection on you, but on employment in general. Job security isn’t what it used to be, and that’s not likely to change in our favor.

Bad things happen when we least expect it. Having a backup plan can make the difference between survival and bankruptcy. What’s your plan? Could you implement it on a moment’s notice? Or would it take a little time?

Diversification is insurance against disaster. It doesn’t mean you’ll never feel the pain of income loss, but it can certainly minimize that pain. Do it right, and you can match or even exceed your current income. Then your biggest problem is where to spend it.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!