Retire A Little

Way back in 2012 I attended an event where the legendary Ricardo Semler spoke. I’d read his book ‘Seven Day Weekend’ and was looking forward to seeing him live. He didn’t disappoint. He was epic - maybe the best speaker I’ve seen to date, and I’ve seen a LOT.

You can check him in action in this video.

Awesome, right?

One of the things Semler back then that really stuck with me was that life is short, so don’t wait to do the things that will enrich it.

Semler observed that we put the awesome stuff out, like learning a language, acquiring a new skill, or taking your kids on a holiday. I’ve been putting off a trip with my own kids for years now, and this past week I managed to make amends. Mikael (16), Chrissy (14) and Helena (12).

When I was a kid, my dad took my brother and me to the Wilderness so that we could experience some of the natural wonders in that part of the world. South Africa is so rich in adventure destinations, yet we get so caught up in our daily lives that we neglect to enjoy them.

Yesterday we returned from hopping around the Western Cape, traveling to Barrydale, Wilderness, George and surrounds. We set up camp for five days at the drop-dead gorgeous (and very affordable) Treedom Villas self-catefing accommodation just outside Wilderness. Each day for five days we chose a destination that we could drive to, setting off early in the morning and returning sometimes late at night.

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Such a privilege to get away for a week with my hooligans to explore the most beautiful country in the world. We picked the extraordinary #treedomvillas in Wilderness as a base, hosted by the amazing @debbienortjecpt and hubby Marc (you guys have created a paradise!) and then explored the surrounding areas. I remember going to Cango Caves as a kid, but I forgot how epic it actually is. We saw white lions, cheetahs, lemurs and crocs at the Cango Animal Park; swam for days at Vic Bay; danced with wolves at the Knysna Wolf Sanctuary; rode trains; hung out at markets; shopped malls, drank epic coffee and mixed with crazy locals. Treedom Villas @treedomvillas is WELL worth checking out. When we chilled, Treedom provided the perfect spot to chill in perfect solitude, in amongst the trees and natural pathways Debs and Marc have created. Wilderness, see you again real soon. #southafrica #imstaying

A post shared by Fred Roed (@frikkiepad) on Oct 12, 2019 at 11:51pm PDT

How amazing?

The weirdest thing is, I almost didn’t go. I was stressed that my entrepreneur education business would shut down for the time that I was gone.

It didn’t. It carried on, thriving despite me not being there.

The team took over my tasks and I now realise that it’s stronger for the experience.

The most important thing, however, was that we had the holiday of a lifetime. Relatively speaking, it didn’t cost too much, in terms of time or money; yet the investment has reaped a salient memory that will last forever.

So now, looking forward, I embrace the philosophy of ‘retire a little’. Life is stressful enough as it is. The secret is choosing how we respond.

Peace.