A numbers game...

A best selling author, Lee Eisenberg, wrote a book called, The Number. Mr. Eisenberg describes the pursuit of 'the number' as “How much money you will need to secure the rest of your life.” He asks:

Do you know what your Number is?
Do you know how to think about it?
Do you know what you want to do with it?

I think these are all important questions. But the idea itself seems overly absurd. The concept of 'The Number' has put too much emphasis on a number equalling the sum of your life. A number has become the purpose of your life. In the constant pursuit of this number, have we forgotten ourselves?

He mentions there seems to be a trend toward finding more of a purpose in life in retirement. I have seen this phenomena. People spend their whole lives working to retire. They like their work. It gives them a purpose. It may be their primary reason for being and prived a life with percieved value. An entire working life never develops an identity outside of the number and work. If one identifies with work so much that it crowds out other identifying traits, then what does one have when the work is done?

Even if you do not particularly like your work, you put some much time and effort towards it that it begins to define you. The movie, “About Schmidt” hit upon this. So great...see the movie...

But getting back to the number. Do you have a number?

If a very wealthy quirky crackpot wanted to conduct an experiment with your life and offered a check for the minimum amount of money you would need to never work again...what would that amount be? The emphasis is on the minimum. If you inflate the number...if you 'pad' the number our wealthy benefactor would know and strip you of your endowment. So the number must be a minimum you need...what is it?

Slightly different scenario. If you could collect a minimum amount of money...say $15k/year for the rest of your life with Cost of Living Adjustments, but you could never work again for financial gain, would you take the deal?

After all, perhaps freedom is the most extravagant luxury of all...