Control Freak

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If there were a 12-step program suitable for every human being, it would be for recovering control freaks. Yes, I’m talking about you – and me – and the guy across the street. The human condition is such that we feel like we have control even when we don’t. In fact, Psychology Today tells us that we will happily deceive ourselves just to achieve that feeling. How does that pair with retirement, a time in life when work routines, family time and income all change? What do we control? J.P. Morgan created the 2019 Guide to Retirement and it’s very insightful. They break the retirement equation into three parts: Total Control, Some Control and Out of Your Control.

For those of us who are self-proclaimed “planners,” we might need a little reality check as we face the future. Or as Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Plans are nothing; planning is everything.”