Nevin's Data "Points"

I’ve been honored with a lot of praise and congratulations over the past couple of months about my “retirement” (and not a little skepticism about my understanding of the term) — but in quiet moments, there’s been one question that keeps coming up. That question — and it generally arises once topics like “what are your plans,” “are you going to move,” and “can your wife really stand having you around all the time” have been broached — is, quite simply, “how do you know when it’s time to retire?” Honestly, it’s a complicated question, and one to which the answer is deeply, even intimately, personal.  For many it’s not their choice, of course. Surveys suggest that for significant minorities the timing is imposed on them by external factors; a job layoff, a physical impediment, or perhaps caretaking responsibilities. While none of those were factors in my decision, at the outset, it’s worth bearing in mind that the “when” is not always in your control. For most peop...