How to Retire Early

John Rogers — Jan 20, 2020

Early Retirement

Retire early with financial freedom. It’s more than a goal. It’s a strategy. A system. The creative method of thought taught by Napoleon Hill, Wallace D. Wattles, Abraham Hicks, Earl Nightingale and numerous others is the roadmap to retiring early.

This article is part of a Retirement Income series. The topics are:

1. Creating Retirement Income
2. How Much Do I Need to Retire?
3. Jobs for Retirees
4. Things to Do After Retirement
5. How to Retire Early (this blog)
6. Generating Passive Income for Retirement
7. Ideas to Boost Retirement Income

Retirement Planning

How old are you? Retirement planning is all about age. If you are 50 – 55 telling you that you should have begun retirement planning when you were in your 20’s or 30’s is fruitless. It is like telling a kid not to leave the back door open after the family dog has already run away. It’s good advice, but it’s too late.

Instead of relying on savings and investment to fund your retirement you need a different strategy. To get an idea of how much you’ll need to retire, read our blog, How Much Do I Need to Save for Retirement.

Even if you are like the majority of others who do not have enough in retirement savings to consider retirement, there is still good news. There are a number of ways for you to make up for lost time.

How Can I Retire Early

First of all, you need to know how to do it. This is the same as having a roadmap to guide you to your destination. In addition to knowing where you’re going another requirement is to have a plan. Furthermore, your plan has to give you the action steps required to reach your destination. Finally, to reach your desired early retirement target only one last thing is required. Execution. Action.

Retiring Early

The benefit of being able to retire in your 30s, 40s, or 50s is freedom. The ability to do what you want. When you want to do it, for as long as you desire. Having plenty of flexibility expands your life. You can travel, learn, engage in the world to a fuller extent. Additionally, early retirement with financial freedom allows you to make a bigger difference in your community. Contribute your time, energy and resources to things you are personally passionate about. In addition, your chance to have a bigger impact on the world rises. In short, retiring early provides you with the opportunity to become self actualized.

Evaluate yourself and ask this question. If I keep doing for the next five years what I am doing now, will I be able to retire? Begin to think about money and income in a different way.

Are You a Wage Slave?

Active income is one way to earn money. This is the strategy most people who are employed by others use. It is also the approach taken by most small business owners. What do you do to get a paycheck? If your income is dependent on investing hours of your time in exchange for dollars, you are earning an active income.

Here’s an idea of the kinds of jobs that pay an active income:

• Uber driver
• Dentist
• Surgeon
• Accountant
• Landscaper
• Farmer
• Chef
• Waiter
• Restaurant owner
• Bar tender
• Mortgage banker
• Stock Broker
• Veterinarian
• Pilot
• Physical therapist
• Fitness trainer
• Stone mason
• Carpenter
• Auto mechanic
• Cashier
• Photographer
• Fisherman
• Doctor
• Heavy equipment operator

You get the picture. Anything that requires time in exchange for money makes your income dependent on the number of hours you spend doing what you do.

Yes, there are some very highly paid active income earners. Pediatricians, radiologists and orthopedic surgeons earn $315,000. per year on average. Of course the flip side of that high annual income is the requirement to spend 12 to 15 years in higher education before being fully certified and begin to earn a living. That is a steep time and money commitment.

The Down Side of Trading Time For Money

The bad news is that the active income strategy just isn’t working for the majority of wage earners. Almost 80% of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck. GOBankingRates conducts a survey annually. In 2019, 69% of those interviewed said they have less than $1,000 in a savings account. That compares to 58% only one year earlier.

Most Americans simply are not doing a very good job of saving for retirement. If you think the government will bail you out with Social Security benefits, think again.

Social Security

According to the Social Security Administration this government funded entitlement program is designed to replace only 40% of your income. Just $4 out of every $10 earned by the average American worker’s pre-retirement salary will be replaced by Social Security. If the average employee can’t generate enough excess income to establish a robust savings plan while fully employed, what hope do they have after retirement?

Chart Your Own Course

Most financial advisors admonish their clients to beginning investment accounts and life insurance in their 20s, 30s or 40s, at the latest. Invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate and precious metals. Continue to build your nest egg through your 50s and 60s. Furthermore, be frugal with your living expenses to boost your net worth.

All for the sake of having enough in retirement savings to sustain you in your senior years. To those who either are unable or unmotivated to follow this course, there is a different way to generate the income streams to enable you to be part of the cadre of early retirees. We encourage you to chart your own course to early retirement by generating multiple streams of passive, residual income.

Income Streams

The key to being able to retire before 65 is obvious. It’s all about being able to afford it. Money. Either invested or as monthly cash flow. Regular readers of our blog know the Wealth Creation Mastermind advocates generating multiple streams of passive income. Furthermore, we actively advocate starting a Network Marketing business. When done right, Network Marketing presents an enormous platform for a win, win relationship between you, and everyone you serve. The obvious benefits are financial freedom and having the free time to enjoy it.

The Intangible Benefits

In an article published in Business For Home, Adonis Hoffman, attorney, business strategist, and CEO of The Advisory Council, Inc explains the top Intangible Benefits of a Network Marketing Career. They include (1) personal development; (2) self-empowerment; (3) spiritual growth and values; (4) leadership and service, and (5) belonging and community.

Personal Development

One common theme found repeatedly in Network Marketing success stories is the personal growth and evolution achieved by participants. The business is based on your ability to advance by helping others prosper. This core concept is part of the WCM nine month training curriculum. Its central theme is the Creative Method of Thought, summed up by Wallace Wattles in is iconic classic, The Science of Getting Rich. In it, Wattles states that to live fully requires developing yourself mentally, physically and spiritually.

Self Empowerment

The opposite of feeling unlimited personal power is to perceive yourself as weak and helpless. The paradox of such a forlorn perception is that it is a tragic self delusion. One of the greatest benefits of taking the steps required to succeed in Network Marketing is that it is accompanied with a new understanding of the boundless spring of resources we have at our command.

Napoleon Hill points out that an immense benefit of becoming a member of a Master-Mind alliance is the personal power gained by each member.

Spiritual Growth

When students of Network Marketing begin doing the work of personal development, a natural tangent is advancement along one’s own spiritual path. Coming into closer connection and oneness with the prime source of universal bounty is an unavoidable progression.

To learn more about your relation to original creative energy read our blog; What is Infinite Intelligence?

Leadership and Service

Network Marketing is a leadership incubator. Only by teaching others how to provide more use value than is received in cash do leaders attract the large numbers of followers required to build enormous marketing teams. In Daniel Pink’s book Drive, about human motivation, he identifies three common desires we all share. They are autonomy, mastery and purpose. A close evaluation of most successful team leaders illuminates the way they achieve this outcome. Here’s one such example: Bill Lee’s Purpose Video.

Community

Another intrinsic motivation is the need to belong to something bigger than ourselves. Examples include a peer group at work or school, a sports team or study group. This need to belong has a forceful effect on the business decisions we make in life. It is also an exceptionally sound reason to make the decision to become a member of The Wealth Creation Mastermind.

If you are unfamiliar with the basics of Network Marketing here’s a link to a 7 1/2 minute YouTube video about the business.

The Good, Bad, and Ugly

The good part about Network Marketing is the income potential can be exceedingly high. The bad element? It is a very tough business to succeed at.

It takes the right:

• mindset,
• skillset,
• method of operation,
• training,
• attitude,
• work ethic,
• mentorship,
• product line,
• company,
• team
• and timing.

The ugly. Let’s face it, Network Marketing has a stigma. There’s a reason. There are a lot of people doing it poorly. Consequently it gives this channel of commerce a black eye.

There are a lot of moving parts that must come together. Not only do you need to have the right attitude, you have to be in possession of something else. Knowledge. This is why the WCM offers a free, nine month long Network Marketing Training Course.

The Hard Way

Most Network Marketing companies train their associates to follow a specific method of operation. What follows is an example of one such approach.

• Make an initial contact with someone you know
• Invite them to meet you for a cup of coffee
• Over coffee you tell them about your company, your product and the personal experience you have had with it
• You let them know that there is also a business opportunity involved
• Perhaps you ask them about their family, occupation, recreational preference and learn about any unfulfilled dreams they may have
• You provide them with a free to them (expensive for you) “gift” of the product
• Next you set a time to follow up with your prospect to get them on a webcast or a video conference with one of your mentors
• As the process continues, your prospect is invited to attend physical meetings where they will learn more about the product benefits, the business, and the potential for generating a source of passive income.

Such a method relies on your ability to generate a large list of personal leads to contact. It is time consuming. Exposing you to a high level of personal rejection. Is expensive and inefficient. It requires the thick-skinned toughness of a door to door vacuum cleaner salesman.

A Better Way

Now imaging a method of operation that eliminates the hard way and provides a solution to all of the typical problems faced by most Network Marketers. This ideal model includes the following attributes:

• A never ending source of new, highly qualified prospects seeking you out online, who are searching for what you offer
• Adds a high degree of value to everyone, independent of any product benefits
• Has no dependency on providing expensive gifts to prospects
• No reliance on leading with a product of any kind
• Never any offsite, or hotel meetings
• Purely, a home based business
• Low cost
• Leverages mobile technology (run a business from a mobile phone or tablet)
• Very low barrier to entry
• Elimination of long, costly and unproductive “coffee shop” meetings
• Automated follow up process done for you by the technology system

Success or Failure

Top Network Marketers earn an average of $20,000 in passive income monthly. That’s almost a quarter of a million dollars per year. Yet the majority of people who get involved in this channel of distribution never earn a dime. Why? What’s the difference between those who succeed and those who fail? In a word, it’s engagement.

Tim Sales is a 30 year Network Marketing veteran. He’s taught a Network Marketing Certification Course at The University of Chicago. He is the author of numerous books, articles and training courses. Furthermore he wrote and produced two of the most popular and widely used training programs in the industry. Brilliant Compensation and The Professional Inviter.

Tim published an article in BusinessForHome.org that is a must read for anyone who wants the truth about the traits, habits and skills required to succeed in this business. The title of the piece is Who Earns Millions? Who Earns Zero? In the article he compares Network Marketing participants to students being graded on how and what they do. The scale is from A to F.

A Students (the elite, high income earners)

These are the million dollar income earners

• Highly professional. They treat it like a business not a hobby
• Exercise a very high, and consistent level of activity
• Extremely knowledgeable and well informed about the industry
• Exhibit the behavior of a Servant Leader
• Focus on ongoing training
• They build outstanding relations with people

B Students

These leaders earn about $250,000 per year

• Very professional in most aspects
• Has been recognized by their company as a leader
• Maintains a high level of productivity
• Is alway in student mode. Never-ending improvement
• Takes responsibility for training their team on duplication
• Cultivates a culture of building relationships

C Students

Can earn up to $75,000 annually

• Is usually professional
• Sustains a moderate production level
• Has a general education about the industry, products & companies
• They’ve been trained but don’t take responsibility for training others
• Personally have good relationships with people

D Students

They are lucky if they make up to $10,000 in their entire career

• Unprofessional
• Low level of productivity
• Make very low investment in time and training
• They have no certainty regarding the industry, company or products
• Damage relationships because they are awkward
• These are the complainers

F Students

They give Network Marketing a bad name. They love to play the victim and blame others for their failure.

• Very unprofessional
• Get no training
• Attend no events
• Lie about income and make false product claims
• Rely on spam as a prospecting method
• Exhibit a very low and sporadic productivity level
• Are virtually ignorant about the industry
• Care only about making money, not about improving others lives
• They end up with no success

How Can I Retire Early With Network Marketing?

There is no such thing as a get rich quick scheme that is legitimate, easy or dependable. Network Marketing is no different. It is however a viable alternative. With the right work ethic, training, mentoring, activity level, and attitude, early retirement is a feasible expectation. It’s been said that it’s not perfect, it’s just better.

The large number of Network Marketing professionals who have achieved a high passive income in years instead of decades of work is impressive. The key is that even for those who are extremely dedicated, consistent, competent, qualified and skillful, it still requires years, not mere months. The difference is that with Network Marketing, a participant can begin to earn money practically from day one.

The way to achieve early retirement success is to affiliate with the company, team and mentor that is right for you. There is no one single company that is the best for everyone. It is a highly individual decision. The best approach is to become familiar with a number of different programs, trainers, companies and teams. Compare the pros and cons. Become an informed consumer. Go where you will feel best about the culture that is exhibited by the leaders.

You Are Invited

We invite and encourage you to become a Network Marketing entrepreneur. Build a plan to retire before your golden years. Start building financial freedom with your own business. Join the Wealth Creation Mastermind. Fill out the form to become a member. It’s free and there is no obligation on your part. Enroll in our nine month program to develop the mindset of a high achiever. Learn the creative method of thought. Surround yourself with a team of like minded, supportive people who are motivated to help you achieve your goals.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Early retirement can, and should be more than an idle dream. It is a practical reality and a primary focus of the WCM. Becoming rich by using the Creative Method is a highly rewarding personal pursuit. Design your life. Live your dream. Start now.

John Rogers

John Rogers has been in the network marketing industry for over 20 years. He has earned the prestigious Blue Diamond rank with Univera, the highest rank that the health- and wellness-focused network marketing company offers. His team represents 60% of Univera’s annual sales in North America.  John was recognized as the Univera Associate of the Year in 2015.

John has also been associated with 2 other network marketing companies and achieved a Platinum rank with Nikken, a Japanese health and wellness company.

John is the former CEO of Premium Enterprises. He has a Masters degree in education (M.Ed.) from the University of Northern Colorado (graduated 1973) and is passionate about teaching fellow network marketers to replicate his success.