Transitioning Into Semi-Retirement Can Be Scary

Maybe this newsletter can help in another way

After the paywall today, thoughts and concerns on the continued deterioration of Los Angeles.

The more I interact with newsletter subscribers in comments and via email, the more excited I get about what we’re doing here. We have such a diverse group. People from myriad walks of life in all types of situations with different past and present experiences as well as hopes and plans for the rest of their lives.

The poll questions we do from time to time help highlight this diversity. Like the one about saving (or not saving) $1 million. The results indicate a wide range of financial situations among us.

Same goes for the poll we did in the recent installment on inheritances. You still have time to answer that one, but the preliminary results look like this:

• 69% of respondents say they will receive an inheritance.

• 34% expect it to be less than $100,000.

• 52% anticipate it will be between $100,000 and $750,000.

• 15% think they’ll receive more than $750,000.

This diversity means that not everything I write resonates with everyone. And that’s okay. I do my best to blend themes and make what we discuss accessible or otherwise adaptable to a wide variety of circumstances. Plus, you don’t have to be in the situation to appreciate hearing about it.

To this end, one recurring situation I pick up through direct interaction and observations is that many of you are in or planning a transition to some form of semi-retirement. As a lifestyle.

Often, this means you’ll stop doing whatever used to be your line of work to do something new. For quite a few people, it’s writing or some form of content creation.

All of the above can be confusing, if not scary.

To cut to the chase:

I usually hesitate to write about subjects everybody else writes about. Writing about writing—everything from how to write to how to make writing a career—is one of those subjects. I try to only break this rule when I think I have something different and potentially useful to say.

And, because I have been a writer—online—for the better part of the last 15 years and I make a decent living at it, I think I do. Lots of people just started doing this last week, yet they expect the results veterans don’t even see.

This said, I tend toward humility when asked if I think I’m a successful writer. In fact, that’s an article about writing in and of itself. When I mentioned this idea to my partner the other day, she touted my pedigree and suggested I go for it. Of course, she’s not objective, but she also has a very Puerto Rican tendency to tell it like it is.

Anyway, if I do this—and I’m leaning towards it—it will be a mix of:

• The most effective ways to structure—mechanically—online writing for a largely mobile audience that skims and scrolls.

• How to actually make writing something that produces meaningful cash flow.

Of course, it’s all in my opinion and what has worked (and not worked) for me. Plus, meaningful means different things to different people. We can also get into that.

All of this content will go to paid subscribers only. And I’ll be honest and frank about how online platforms tend to operate, including this one (which I love).

So, in addition to answering the poll question, let me know your thoughts.

Now, a few things that have been running around my head—