Many people think of retirement as a date on a calendar, a point in time, or even an account balance. June 30th. December 31st. “Two more years and I’m out.” Or “once I have $X saved I am retiring.” But retirement isn’t something you arrive at — it’s something you build toward, one decision at a time. And whether you realize it or not, you are already building it. Every purchase, every job change, every move, every investment choice, every time you say “we’ll figure it out later” leaves a footprint on your future. Your retirement is simply the sum of your intentions… and your non-intentions.
Now, don’t let that bother or frighten you. It is just a statement of fact. How you respond to it going forward is all that matters at this point.
I have written about intentionality before… but this is not a retread. Rather, this article is more focused on being intentional with money — regardless of wealth. Intentionality is the quiet force behind every outcome. We like to believe our big goals are shaped by big moments — the market crash, the big promotion, the lucky investment. In reality, long-term outcomes are driven by the ordinary, often boring decisions we repeat over decades: how we spend, how we save, what we own, what we avoid, what we tolerate. These choices don’t shout. They whisper. And over time, they compound.
Spending, for example, is not just consumption. It is a vote for a future lifestyle. Every dollar says something about comfort or pleasure now versus flexibility later. But, to be clear, intentional spending doesn’t mean living small. It means your money has a job that matches your values. If you don’t assign that job consciously, your money will happily work for impulse, advertising, and (nowadays) what the artificial intelligence bot thinks you need or want.
Saving is simply the discipline of patience. It is the ability to delay a present desire in service of a future version of yourself — what would “future you” want you to be doing today? Again, saving does not equate to skimping or self-denial. You may decide that taking that big trip with your children — a vacation that will last in your memory and impact their worldview — is the best use of that bonus you got. The key is saving or spending based on goals… and purpose. Intentional savers don’t ask only, “Can I afford this?” They ask, “What am I trading away if I do this?” That single question (asked often) fundamentally shapes behavior.
Asset decisions impact your freedom more than your income ever will. Connected to the above concept of saving, asset decisions should be made with the long-term game in mind. I think about it in this way: income is loud and assets are quiet. Income can make you feel wealthy today; assets can give you foundational wealth. Every house upgrade, vehicle purchase, business venture, and debt choice sculpts the structure of your life. Some asset decisions create stability and optionality. Others may feel good or even look impressive but slowly lock you into working longer than you planned. Intentional retirement planning is not about avoiding nice things — it’s about understanding which nice things serve you and which ones eventually own you.
Investing is where time and behavior finally collide. Markets do not reward brilliance nearly as much as they reward consistency. Typically, the greatest determinant of long-term investment success is not market timing or picking the winning stock, but the ability to remain invested while behaving rationally through fear, greed, boredom… and headlines. Intentional investors build portfolios they can actually live with, because they understand that uncertainty is the price of growth and emotional discipline is the real compounding engine.
As you start another year on the ol’ calendar (whether a calendar app, Microsoft Outlook, or on your iPhone), I encourage you to make this a year of intentional behavior – across ALL aspects of your life. As it relates to your finances and retirement, be intentional with spending, saving, asset purchases, and investing and make sure those actions are aligned with your values and your future. Remember, retirement is a transition, not a date or account balance. Change your dialogue from “Can I afford to stop working?” to “How do I want my time to look in retirement”. Because, this is not just financial planning – it is designing your post-work life.
As a final point on this matter — it might be that the most damaging retirement planning mistake is not planning at all. Very few people wake up at 60 and accidentally find themselves financially independent. But many do wake up and discover they’ve accidentally built a life where they cannot stop working. That outcome is rarely caused by one mistake or a few decisions. It is caused by years of drifting. Drifting is another word for unintentional (in my view). And drifting can be expensive and unfulfilling — both financially and emotionally.
As you start another year on the ol’ calendar (whether a calendar app, Microsoft Outlook, or on your iPhone), I encourage you to make this a year of intentional behavior — across ALL aspects of your life. As it relates to your finances and retirement, be intentional with spending, saving, asset purchases, and investing, and make sure those actions are aligned with your values and your future. Remember, retirement is a transition, not a date or account balance. Change your dialogue from “Can I afford to stop working?” to “How do I want my time to look in retirement?” Because this is not just financial planning — it is designing your post-work life.
One last quick note: you don’t need perfect discipline. You don’t need extreme frugality. You don’t need perfect timing. You just need direction. Because the most powerful financial strategy is not intelligence, income, or luck. It is intentionality — practiced quietly, consistently, and long before the word “retirement” ever appears on your calendar.
Here’s to a wonderful 2026!
