New Year, New Focus
January 3, 2025
Episode Highlights
- [00:00] Introduction: Cleared for Takeoff
- The episode begins with a friendly welcome from Bill and Pete Bush.
- Reflecting on the transition into 2025: New beginnings, fresh plans, and the excitement (and challenges) of the New Year
- [02:00] Why New Year's Resolutions Fail
- Pete discusses Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art and the concept of “Resistance,” the internal force that challenges personal growth and improvement.
- How to recognize and overcome resistance to stay committed to your goals
- [04:00] Start the Year with a Financial Check-In
- Bill shares his habit of tracking account balances in a spreadsheet to monitor progress over the years.
- Key steps for an annual financial check-up:
- Review account balances (emergency savings, retirement plans, etc.).
- Evaluate progress year-over-year.
- Adjust contributions to retirement plans, leveraging auto-escalation or increasing savings rates after raises
- [06:30] Chapter Spotlight: "Where Are You Now?"
- Revisiting the book chapter that emphasizes the importance of reassessing your financial position regularly.
- Discussion on adapting to changes, such as career shifts, family events, or market fluctuations, and their impact on financial planning.
- [08:45] Health Goals: Making it to and Through Retirement
- The importance of proactive healthcare and maintaining physical fitness.
- Bill and Pete share personal habits, including annual physicals and regular checkups.
- Insights into the connection between health span (active, healthy years) and financial planning.
- Fun ways to stay active, including pickleball, which Pete is excited to pursue further.
- [11:30] The Role of Relationships in Longevity
- The hosts explore how building and maintaining healthy relationships can lead to a longer, happier life.
- The importance of socialization: spending time with friends, family, and community members.
- Encouraging listeners to connect with others and avoid the isolation often amplified by social media.
- [13:45] Who Not How: Leveraging Your Network
- Discussion on Dan Sullivan’s Who Not How and the value of enlisting the help of others to accomplish goals.
- Using this approach to strengthen relationships while lightening your workload.
- [15:30] Pickleball and Social Fitness
- Bill and Pete share their experiences with pickleball and how it blends fitness with social interaction.
- Pete jokes about his deceptive left-handed gameplay and encourages listeners to challenge them to a match.
- [18:00] Three Years of Podcasting
- Celebrating the upcoming three-year anniversary of The Runway Decade Podcast.
- Encouraging listeners to revisit earlier episodes featuring unique and inspiring guests who shared insights into navigating their 50s.
- Reflection on the commonalities and differences in experiences among people in their 50s.
- [20:45] Looking Ahead to 2025
- Bill and Pete express excitement for the year ahead, both for the podcast and their work at Horizon Financial Group.
- Setting goals for the future and the importance of reassessing plans regularly.
Notable Quotes
- “Resistance shows up when you're doing something meaningful. Recognize it, and push through.” – Pete Bush
- “You’re saving for retirement, but are you going to make it there in good health? And when you do, will you have people to enjoy it with?” – Bill Bush
- “Health span is about living an active, healthy life for as long as you can, not just extending a sick life.” – Pete Bush
Resources Mentioned
- Books:
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
- The Runway Decade: Building a Pre-retirement Flight Plan in Your Fifties – Buy the book
- Tools and Strategies:
- Auto-escalation for retirement contributions.
- Setting phone reminders for periodic financial or health check-ins.
Call to Action
- Explore Past Episodes: Visit TheRunwayDecade.com to listen to previous episodes featuring inspiring guests.
- Contact Us: Have questions or want to connect? https://www.runwaydecade.com/#contact