“Retirement is when you stop sacrificing today for an imaginary tomorrow. When today is complete, in and of itself, you’re retired.” - Naval Ravikant

I only recently realized that Naval’s advice is a lot more actionable than I initially thought.

It’s actually a practical way to live your life.

For me a rich life consists of four core elements:

• Being useful (helping others, “work”) • Exercise • Learn • Social Interaction

A mistake I made for a long time is to dedicate days solely to one of these elements while neglecting the others.

Many days were 100% focused on work.

Other days were purely centered around social interactions.

Exercise and learning were crammed if there was any time and energy left.

I’ve now realized that a better approach is to try to hit each core element every single day.

This is what it means that a day is “complete in and of itself”.

I’m trying to have an optimal day every single day.

I work out every single day.

I spend time with friends and talk to strangers every day.

I work every day.

I learn every day.

Another useful related frame is to ask yourself: how can I make every day feel like I’m on holiday?

Make your home look and smell like a room in your favorite hotel.

Hire a cleaner and housekeeper.

Make time for spa experiences.

Go on long walks.

Eat at fancy restaurants.

Try that new bakery.

Read fiction.

Play boardgames.

Whatever experiences you usually only reserve for holidays, you know, you are allowed to implement them regularly into your normal life.

And that’s how you can effectively retire today.