By Dickson Tumuramye
It is well known that some people do not prepare enough for retirement.
They work very hard and give it all to their employers and businesses.
Some people never even have time to go on leave or days-off. Even when they are given their 30 days’ leave, they prefer to remain in the office working.
Some people work from Monday to Sunday throughout the year, with no days to rest.
There is little time given to their families. Parenting is a holistic process that needs your total availability in all aspects of life.
The children you are claiming to be investing for today, without being in their lives, will grow up and have no time for you because there was no relationship with them.
They might only know you as their daddy/mummy, who was too busy working for them.
Or perhaps always remember to send you money in your old days, but you might never sit together to share light moments because they have nothing in common to share with you.
Just like you were absent, they are also now absent children, even when they are still under the same roof.
Absurdly, such a way of life has an impact on the psychological well-being of the parent and children as well.
When you fail to plan
Some men work hard all their lives, but they fail to plan for their retirement.
But each day that passes by is bringing you closer to your retirement, and that means there will be a time when you will be at home not working, yet you need to survive.
You will need to be close to your children, but you did not make time for them, and they too will now have no time for you.
You wish they could send you grandchildren, but you can’t afford to take care of them in the state you are in.
You feel lonely in the house with your wife, but have nothing to do about it.
You have no office anymore, no influence like before, no allowances, and no friends to call or visit you.
You did not have any projects, businesses, or consultancy to keep you busy in your early retirement and had no cash flow.
All these circumstances can be avoided when one plans earlier for their retirement.
Considerations
Never take things for granted and never plan without a time frame.
Just understand that you will one day retire and be at home.
If you are in formal employment today, do you know your retirement date?
Have you made a plan to take you through your retirement period?
If you were to live more than 20 years from your retirement date, will you survive on your own without being a burden to your children or anybody?
Plan regular cash flow
Have you thought about things that will keep your cash flow apart from your pension or NSSF?
Do you have any planned sources of income for your retirement period?
Do you have any projects that will keep you busy when you no longer have that office, monthly salary, allowance, and other job benefits?
Please plan to put up income-generating projects like farming, consultancy, real estate, or any business and learn their dynamics today so that when you have enough time at your disposal, it will not be complex for you to run them.
Get to know how much each project or business will bring in future.
Know where you need to inject more cash, increase your savings, and invest wisely for your future.
Use your time wisely
Whatever you do in your spare time now is likely to be what you do later.
If you use it to invest in projects/businesses and you monitor them today, it is what you will be doing tomorrow. You will never be idle.
Spend your time productively. If you are using it to read newspapers or watch TV and sleep, it is what you will do in your retirement.
If you spend it with your children, that is for your tomorrow. Start now and be happy tomorrow.
Work hard knowing that you need to invest for and in your children.
Both aspects of investment are important, and they should be done concurrently.
Your presence in their lives today determines their presence in your life tomorrow.
The writer is a child advocate, parenting coach, and founder-Men of Purpose.
tumudickson@gmail.com
