Victory Lap Retirement: Work While You Play, Play While You Work - The Joy of Financial Independence...at Any Age

by Mike Drak, Jonathan Chevreau

The key to a happy retirement may be . . . not retiring.

The rules of retirement have changed and there’s more at risk than ever. People are living longer and have to finance as many years in retirement as they had in their entire working career. So what will thirty or forty years, or more, in retirement look like for you?

The old idea of full-stop retirement—going from 100 per cent work mode to 100 per cent leisure mode—is now neither sustainable nor desirable. Besides, many studies have shown that those who stay engaged, challenged, and stimulated stay healthier and live longer.

The key is to work because you want to and not because you have to. Victory Lap Retirement shows you how to create the post-employment lifestyle that’s right for you—a unique blend of work and play that allows you to live life to the fullest, on your terms, while you are young enough to enjoy it.

• Attain the financial independence (Findependence) that will allow you to run your own unique Victory Lap—a special period in life with more balance, purpose, and fulfillment than ever before.
• Turn your paycheque into a “playcheque.”
• Create a life from which you don’t have to, or want to, retire.
• Intentionally design for yourself a vibrant, healthy, low-stress, sustainable lifestyle by staying active and engaged in a Victory Lap.
• Apply the principles of Victory Lap and Findependence at any age to redistribute your work, leisure, and retirement time: play a little more in your working years, and work a little in your post-employment leisure years . . . and have a longer, happier, healthier, more fulfilled life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Finance, Money

232 pages, Paperback

Published October 10, 2016

Reviews

[Chuck Slack · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book presents some good lessons. It is an easy read but tends to be a little repetitive.

[Lance Valcour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book and absolutely changed my philosophy about "retirement."

Years after I first retired I starting feeling resentments about "having" to keep working. As I read the book it dawned on me that I would never truly "retire" as I LOVE doing what I WANT to do!

I now consider myself to be in my FIFTH "Victory Lap" and have shared the book and its principles with a wide range of others across Canada and internationally.

Highly recommend and encourage folks to read this well before their first victory lap!

[Gail Warnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great advise and I like that the authors are Canadian.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author provided some good list of things to think about retirement planning, especially on the social and health side of things.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

good overview of the best literature on this topic

Under one cover you get the best of most of the current thinking on new retirement matters. This book covers the whole topic from finances to purpose of life.

[Codepoetz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most workers today are unhappy with their jobs, slaving to save money for an eventual retirement. But many early retirees are also bored and unhappy. This book suggest that the solution is to do a "victory lap" at the tail end of your working years and tackle more meaningful and personally satisfying paid work. I like the concept, but felt that the book was lacking any real advice on how to move from here to there. But, I suppose, it's hard to give someone else advice on how to find fulfillment because it is such a personal question. Tip: the authors of this book found victory lap fulfillment in blogging about retirement and in marketing this book to people like you and me.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is very basic and somewhat repetitive. It didn't provide any in-depth guidance on how one plans their Victory Lap. The book is clearly targeted to those few lucky individuals who were earning six figure incomes throughout their working life. There are other much better options out there that offer more detailed guidance and recognize the realities of the financial situations and life circumstances the rest of us have to manage in creating a financially viable and emotionally engaging "encore" career or transition to retirement.

[Floyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

A worthwhile book for people in their 50s and 60s as they look forward to life after their retirement. The main premise: Once you have enough passive income to meet your basic needs, you are financially independent and have reached your victory lap. You can then retire and decide what you like doing the best and do it at your own time. I was encouraged to realize that I've been in this category for a while and enjoy what I do!

[Christopher Edwards · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got some value from this book. That value probably could have been summed up in a single blog post.

The rest of this book was extremely repetitive.

The case studies are hard to relate to unless you're a high level corporate executive.

I don't recall a single case study from a woman's perspective. At one point the author's make a comment about appealing to their wife's spending habits.

Strongly recommend you find another book to read.

[Louise Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve had this book for awhile but got into it recently because a) retirement is approaching and b) the author is doing a series of talks around town that I plan to attend. Interesting ideas about retirement as a chance to do the things you want to do, including work if you like. Since I’m planning to spend the next year perfecting my retirement lifestyle it was a timely read.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very beneficial not only for self reflection but also for a roadmap forward. I will probably pick it up every few years at different decisions points in my career and through the transition to retirement. I have been recommending it both to friends that have years until retirement as well as those facing it soon!

[Greg Turnbull · Rating 4 out of 5]

A worthwhile perspective on "retirement".

[Philip Zhu]

To be frank, this is my first time to read a book on retirement. I was pleased to find actually the book is not about how to retire in the traditional way, rather how not to retire - win the Victory Lap Retirement.