The stage is yours for only 35 years

Retiring early might sound good at 40, but are you prepared for the 60 years ahead?

- Monika Halan

Though the Vedas divided our lives into four ashramas or stages of that of a student, a householder, a retiree and a renouncer, our lived reality breaks it down to three—the learning, earning and harvesting stages.

The first 20-25 years of an average life are spent in learning to earn. The next 35-40 in earning and the rest—it can go up to 40 years—in harvesting from the earning years.

While there are exceptions to this norm, for most people, the middle 30-40 years are the crucial years—for not just asset creation for retirement, but also meeting pre-retirement financial goals like buying a house or getting kids through college.

The early retirement dream that social media influencers have sowed sometimes forgets to fully account for the twin impacts of inflation and longevity. The middle years are all that those who did not inherit wealth have. They must make them count.

As a student, the biggest desire is to break the chain of adult control. The pursuit of higher studies is done with one eye on their earning potential. Most young adults can't wait for the day when they will begin to earn. The learning is mostly geared towards earning.