Fail Fast and Move Forward

This is a phrase I heard someone use at a meeting of a volunteer committee I was attending a few months ago at United Way. I like it. It summarizes an approach to life, especially a retirement life, that I endorse. Let's see where it goes.

The first two words, Fail Fast, assumes a few things. One, that trying something new is encouraged, because without trying failure could not occur. That mindset is one that might have served you well during your working career. There are very few jobs where trying to improve something is not encouraged. Maybe you were not in a position to execute an idea, but you could certainly talk to a supervisor or someone else up the chain of command. Your idea to save money, serve clients more efficiently, be more productive, or improve workplace safety would be expressed.


After retirement, we are in an even better position to experiment: a different housing or lifestyle setup, a new hobby, a desire to learn to sail, building furniture, making beautiful quilts...whatever will satisfy you. The boss you have to answer to is you. 

The second assumption in those two words is to not dwell on something you have tried that doesn't work. Take on a new hobby, business, passion...anything and decide if it is for you. If it isn't, move on. Turn that page and tackle the next thing on your "I want to" list.  The only real failure would be to stick with something that doesn't make you happy. To me, fail fast is the harder part of  the phrase. I don't want to admit I wasn't good at something or it didn't bring me joy. I will stick with something longer than I need to.

The final two words of this phrase also give us an important message. Don't let a failure keep you from a Move Forward. Isn't life a series of starts and stops, steps forward, sideways, even backwards for a time? What is most important is forward momentum. 

Someone might argue that during retirement we don't have to grow or learn new things and add complications to our life. I agree, if we are talking about the initial phase of retirement. That is when your mind and body releases all the stress from working. Relaxation and enjoying an open schedule are encouraged. Then,  comes the time to seize the opportunities retirement gives you.

Life without change isn't really living. Things will change whether you want them to or not. That is a basic fact of life. Move Forward says take the next risk, try the next opportunity, be in control of your choices whenever you can. There will be times in our future where life will dictate what happens. When you can determine your course, move forward to whatever is next.

Four words. A solid guide to a satisfying retirement.