“I Just Don’t Have Time”

“I just don’t have the time.”

I hear it all the time—from hardworking, dedicated professionals who’ve built businesses, supported families, and followed the rules. Now, they’re approaching their 60s, maybe even 70s, and asking the question they’ve been avoiding for years:

Do I have enough?

Enough to stop working. Enough to live comfortably. Enough to not worry.

And yet, they keep deferring the most important work of their lives: learning how money really works.

The Flawed Retirement Model

The traditional model says to accumulate wealth during your working years, then slowly deplete it in retirement. Move your money into “safe” assets like bonds or savings accounts.

But let’s get real:

• – Savings rates are hovering around 4%–4.5%.
  – Real inflation is closer to 7.5%–10%.
  – That’s a negative return. 

You’re losing purchasing power every year—and there’s no end in sight.

Why? Because no one taught you how to create replacement income from your investments. You were taught to accumulate, not to orchestrate cash flow.

What Are You Actually Worth?

Forget net worth on paper. The real question is:

What kind of income can your assets produce—reliably, consistently, and sustainably?

This is where most people get stuck. They’re focused on theoretical numbers—stock portfolios, real estate estimates from Zillow, or perceived business value. But until you sell it—or better yet, measure what it produces—you don’t really know what it’s worth.

Stop Procrastinating

When someone tells me, “I’ll learn this later—when I have more time,” I ask:

When, exactly, will that be?

Because we both know “later” is code for never. There is no white knight coming. Your 401(k) isn’t going to magically support your lifestyle. Hoping you won’t outlive your money is not a plan.

If you’re not learning how to convert equity into income today, you're gambling with your future.

The Reinvestment Phase

You spent decades learning your profession. Now, it’s time to learn a new skill: Making your money work for you.

This is the reinvestment phase. The earlier you start, the better. The longer you wait, the less margin you have to correct your course.

True Freedom

The best assets for producing replacement income aren’t found on the front page of your 401(k) statement. They're not tied to the ups and downs of Wall Street. They’re in the world of alternative investments—things like:

• – Income-producing real estate
  – Private credit or lending opportunities
  – Cash-flowing businesses or equity with active distributions

Why these? Because they produce consistent, predictable income without forcing you to sell off chunks of your portfolio just to make ends meet.

When you rely solely on stocks or mutual funds, you’re stuck in what I call the accumulate-then-deplete model. You build up your capital—and then you spend it down in retirement, crossing your fingers that it lasts.

But what if your capital could generate enough income to support your lifestyle indefinitely?

That’s the difference. That’s true financial freedom.

It’s not about hitting some arbitrary net worth number. It’s about knowing your investments are working harder than you are and that your lifestyle isn’t chained to market volatility, another patient, or another hour clocked in the office.

When your money provides for you, you get to choose how to spend your time. That’s the real return.

So ask yourself: What are you waiting for?

Because the time you say you don’t have is the very thing you’re running out of.