Last Updated on July 26, 2026 by Michelle
Retirement Needed a New Definition
For many years, I thought financial freedom meant retirement.
And retirement meant not working.
That was the picture I had in my mind because it was the picture society had painted for all of us. We work hard for decades, accumulate enough money, and eventually earn the right to stop.
But somewhere along the way, that definition quietly stopped making sense to me.
Today, as I count down to leaving my corporate career in 2028, I find myself looking forward to my next chapter more than ever. Yet the surprising part is this:
I have no intention of stopping work.
Why would I?
I’m finally building something I genuinely love.
BYORM isn’t a business I dream of escaping from. It’s a mission I can’t wait to spend more time on. Every article I write, every conversation I have, every idea I explore helps someone think differently about how they want to live the second half of their lives.
That doesn’t feel like work I want to retire from.
It feels like work I’ve been preparing for all along.
It’s Not More Free Time That I Want
I’ve realised that what I truly want isn’t more free time.
I want freedom over my time.
There’s a subtle but profound difference.
Free time can easily be filled with distractions. Time freedom means choosing how every hour is spent. It means deciding what deserves my energy instead of having my calendar decided for me.
It’s waking up on a Tuesday morning and choosing to spend three hours writing because an idea refuses to leave my head.
It’s taking a long walk because that’s where clarity appears.
It’s reading for an afternoon simply because curiosity led me there.
It’s saying yes to opportunities that matter and no to those that don’t.
Freedom Without Purpose Isn’t Enough
The more I think about it, the more I realise that freedom alone isn’t what fulfils me.
I don’t want to spend my days simply consuming experiences.
I want to contribute.
I want to know that something I wrote gave someone the confidence to start investing.
That an article inspired someone to prioritise their health.
That a conversation encouraged someone to redesign their life instead of waiting for retirement to begin living.
Creating value is deeply fulfilling because impact gives purpose to freedom.
Without contribution, even unlimited free time eventually loses its meaning.
A Weekend That Made My Future Feel Real
This weekend, while planning my second annual business onsite in Tokyo with one of my closest entrepreneur friends, I caught a glimpse of the life I’m building towards.
This year, I’m organising the retreat, and as I researched venues, one place immediately stood out: Daikanyama T-Site.
It wasn’t just the beautiful architecture or the renowned bookstore that drew me in.
It was the feeling the space evoked.
A place designed to slow you down.
To think.
To notice.
To become inspired.
As I planned our two-day agenda, I found myself intentionally leaving space for long walks around Daikanyama, relaxed lunches, leisurely dinners and quiet moments to simply sit with ideas instead of rushing to the next meeting.
Years ago, I might have considered that inefficient.
Now I see it as essential.
Some of our best ideas don’t emerge because we’ve packed every hour with activity.
They emerge because we’ve finally created enough space for them to appear.
The Wealth I’m Really Looking Forward To
As I looked at the itinerary, I realised something.
What excites me isn’t simply that I can afford the trip.
Financial freedom makes the trip possible.
Time freedom makes the experience meaningful.
Knowing that we can spend another hour in a beautiful café because the conversation is flowing—not because our calendar says we have to leave—is a different kind of wealth.
It’s the freedom to linger.
To remain curious.
To have conversations that aren’t constantly interrupted by the next meeting.
To fully absorb a place instead of simply passing through it.
That, to me, is what wealth looks like now.
The Work I Was Meant to Do
When people ask me if I’m excited about retirement, I usually smile.
Because retirement isn’t actually what I’m looking forward to.
I’m looking forward to designing my days with intention.
To working on what I love.
To creating things that matter.
To having enough time to think deeply, learn continuously and hopefully make a meaningful difference in someone else’s life.
Retirement, as we traditionally define it, is about stopping work.
I’m far more interested in starting the work I was meant to do.
Perhaps financial freedom was never about buying the freedom to do nothing.
Perhaps it was always about earning the freedom to spend your time on what matters most.
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