I did decide in my early thirties that I needed to go sailing and leave the professional office life as soon as possible. It was just a means to an end. I set my goal at 55 years and started to set up pension plans accordingly. Then my father who had run his own business until he retired at 74 years of age, died just one year later. It reinforced in me the idea that early retirement is a good idea. I managed (thanks more to good market developments than any skill on my part) to secure enough funds to retire at the age of 48. In hindsight, the best decision I have ever made. Everybody who has retired early will tell you that their only regret is that they did not do it earlier. I know several 'early stoppers' here in the Med and we have the our shared slogan: "retirement is wasted on the old". So true.