What If One Thing Is Holding You Back from Retirement?

0:00What one thing, if solved, would make everything else related to retirement planning feel more manageable. I know it can be overwhelming to think about housing, healthcare, income, taxes, all of the things. It is a lot. But here's the truth. Trying to solve everything at once is what's keeping you stuck and not allowing you to believe retirement is possible. In today's episode, I'll show you how identifying and solving just one key challenge can open up the door to retirement freedom. because clarity, clarity with your situation starts with focus. Welcome to the Wealthy After 40 podcast, the show for Gen X women and couples who are ready to ditch financial stress and feel confident about retirement.

0:52I'm your host, Dalene Higgins, financial and retirement coach, helping Gen Xers master their money and create a personalized retirement plan so they can stop spinning their wheels and step boldly into their dream retirement. If you're feeling behind, don't worry. Continue listening to this podcast as well as be sure to grab your free guide, 5 Must Do Steps to Start Retirement Planning Now at elevatefinances.us backslash must do. And remember, let's make retirement possible together.

1:29I am so excited to discuss this subject today. So we're talking about the one thing, right? And I feel that simplifying retirement planning is what you guys need today. What your listeners need is just instead of thinking about it, all the things, right? Because there are a lot of things to consider, a lot of things to plan for, but really it can come down to one. like I said in the intro, what if you could solve one challenge, one hurdle that would help you find clarity around all of your retirement planning? One thing. And it can be that simple. For example, you might be thinking, I can't retire because I still owe on my house.

2:17Or if I had my house paid off, I could retire. I've heard that. I've heard that. And another one I hear, which I kind of chuckle, and it's okay. There's always this one thing that you feel like is something in your way, but my kids are still young. My dad retired. I was still in high school. So please don't put those parameters on yourself. But really, as you think about the one thing, you then go into the long list of what needs to happen before retirement. I've got to pay off the house. I need to figure out the medical coverage. I need to understand taxes. I've got to know how to keep my lifestyle the way it is, right?

2:57And you just keep building this list that feels endless. And honestly, this list is not helpful. You stay stuck in planning or thinking mode, not action mode. Because listing your worries, right, that's kind of what they are at this moment, is not the same as planning for your retirement. So I want you to shift that thinking of all the things and I want you to think, what if you just picked one thing? the one that is draining the most mental energy. I know you're probably already thinking, but there's so many other things I've got to figure out. I can't just focus on one. Really decision fatigue.

3:48I don't know if you've ever heard of that. It is real. And we are so caught up in so many other things as well that we're making so many decisions. it becomes so hard for us to do. So we become stressed, worried, anxious, and it feeds into these things that we probably need to be giving the time, but we don't have the mental energy, the mental space. So how do we take action? Really, we just need to solve one problem at a time because solving one problem creates more energy, takes away that worry, that stress, and we have more brain capacity to solve the next thing instead of trying to do 10 things at one.

4:36So solving one big hurdle creates momentum, right? We need to see that we're making progress to continue to believe that we can do it, but it also gives us the capacity to then take that next step and solve whatever else it is. It may or may not be the retirement planning, right there may be something other in life that is pressing at the moment but really it just boils down to one thing i was on a free call and this individual she was circling around all of the things that were you know causing her worry causing her pause giving her concern about being able to retire right she's giving me this to-do list this laundry list of things she's like i I know I need to solve this and that.

5:25And as she's going through all of this list, she says, but I know it would be easier to retire if I didn't have my mortgage. Lights, bells are going off for me, right? And I'm like, that's your one thing. That's your one thing. That's not your one and only thing you need to figure out for retirement, but that is your one thing, right? So she's circling around all of it. She ends up on taxes, which is fine, but really you need to focus on the one thing that is going to clear out and help you find momentum, find momentum. So what do I want you to do? How do you do this? You're like, okay, great.

6:14How do I figure out my one thing? So as you define your one thing, This could be mortgage. It could be healthcare. It could be your spending. It could be your savings, right? There's a whole lot that it could be. And everybody is different. I want you to remember that. Just because I've talked about mortgage does not mean that that is what it's going to be for you. So I want you to think about when you think about retirement, you're not able to because because of, or you might be using the words, if I just, you know, do this one thing, or if I didn't have this, any of those words, any of those statements, any of those thoughts you are having as you're listening to it, that is your one thing.

7:05Okay, forget the rest for right now. All right, we don't need to forget them forever. But for right now, you have now defined your one thing. Step two, you're going to understand what that one thing means to getting it cleared up, getting it solved, right? Looking at how much does it cost you if it's one of those things? What changes can you make? When do you need to have this done by? Really thinking about this mortgage-wise, well, I want to retire in X number of years, so what does that look like? Is that feasible? Can I do that? Right? So whatever it is, you've got to get real about the numbers.

7:47Once you start seeing those numbers, so that's step two, get real about the numbers. Step three, you're going to make a plan. Make a plan to, you know, pay off the mortgage, to increase your savings, to, you know, get control over your spending, whatever it is. You're going to quit thinking about it, and you're going to actually map out your action steps to solve the one thing standing in your way. And once you have gone through those three steps to find your one thing, get real about the numbers, make a plan and track progress, your energy, your brain capacity to take on other challenges is going to come back.

8:32You're going to be able to tackle other things, whether that is retirement planning or something else in your life, relieving that and having a plan is what gives you freedom, is what gives you freedom. So as I've talked about the one thing, you're like, I just don't know because you have been weighed down. So I want you to think about, is there anything that's waking you up in the middle of the night? Is there anything that you and your spouse always say, well, if we had this, you know, really, really spend some time with it and think about it. And if after, you know, several days, maybe a week listening to this episode and you're thinking, I just don't know, I want to invite you to the retirement roadmap session.

9:23In that session, we will not only uncover your one thing, but we'll help you get clear on your entire retirement planning with the focus of your one thing. Okay. That's what we do is we take what is most pressing to you and help you get a plan in place. Whether that's your mortgage, your retirement savings plan, or something else entirely. We get clear on it within this session. Two hours. We knock out quite a bit. We help you understand if this is the first thing and what is coming next. You get all of those steps. So here's what we'll do together. If you were somebody looking with mortgage, we will model what paying off the mortgage early could look like, right?

10:17We talk about timing. We talk about impact to both current and retirement, what that looks like. We do the what if scenarios for retirement with the house payment, without the house payment, really like looking at all of the options, all of the possibilities, right? Because it's about possibilities. And we build both your current and retirement budgets side by side. As we're working through this, as we're working together, looking at all of your numbers. and then I will identify what you can do because I see that it lights you up. I'm not going to give you steps or things to do that you cannot do or you don't have the ability.

11:06It's really not written that way. I wait to see where your excitement lays and then we'll write that action plan together and give you the next steps to move you forward. This is a customized, personalized, two-hour session to support you. Really, what is standing in your way to retirement? Probably one thing right now. One thing has you spinning, circling, not doing any of the things, but worrying, right? Retirement worries, retirement anxiety. Am I going to be able to do this? All of this. So many individuals I work with just want to know they'll be okay. Right? I love that about them. They're like, I'm not amassing millions.

11:55I just want to know I'm going to be okay. This session, the Retirement Roadmap session, helps you through that and can be the start of helping you retire up to five years sooner because you have a plan. You're no longer waiting. You're taking action and moving forward. So if this episode gave you clarity, imagine what a personalized session could do. So quit with the laundry list, quit with the things, choose your one thing. And if you need help, don't stay stuck. Go book your retirement roadmap session at elevatefinances.us backslash roadmap. And let's define your one thing plus a bunch of other stuff and get you a plan in place.

12:43so you know exactly what you need to do and when you can retire. So I love this subject. I love this topic. I think it works well in lots of areas of life. So thanks for tuning into this episode. I hope it has supported you and helped you find action and ready to move forward.

13:06Thank you for spending this time with me. If you're not already following the show, be sure to hit subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. And I'd love to stay connected with you between episodes. So come join me inside my Facebook community, Retirement Ready Hub for Gen Hexers. It's where we're having real conversations about money, sharing wins, working through challenges, and building a clear path toward retirement. And remember, retirement isn't just a dream, it's a plan, and you get to make it possible.

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