Most of us grew up with this story: work hard for 40 years, retire at 65, then finally start living. Superannuation will take care of you, the pension will be there, and you’ll have time to travel, golf, or finally take those long lunches.

But here’s the problem: retirement is not an age. Retirement is a point. In project speak… its a stage-gate. You need to meet certain criteria.

The criteria is, where your assets produce enough income to cover your living and lifestyle costs. At that moment, whether you’re 45 or 75, you’ve reached financial independence.

And here’s the bottom line: if you build the right framework, you don’t have to wait until 65.

The traditional retirement model is creaking under modern life:

So let’s reframe it. Forget the birthday cake with 65 candles. Retirement is not a date in the calendar. It’s a clock.

Think of your financial journey as a clock face with three hands that must line up:

When all three hands overlap, your clock strikes financial freedom. That’s your “retirement point.”

Age sets the pace. If you’re in your 20s or 30s, time is your biggest advantage. You can buy a growth-focused property, sit back, and let compounding do most of the heavy lifting. You don’t need to be a genius investor; you just need to be consistent and give it time.

If you’re in your 40s or 50s, the runway is shorter. You might still have 10–20 years, but you don’t have the luxury of just waiting. That’s where strategy matters more.

And if you’re starting late — say, over 50 with minimal assets — you can still play the game. But you may need to get creative and take on higher-effort, higher-reward strategies.

This is the engine room of the clock. Your assets are the properties, shares, superannuation, and other investments that generate income.

In property terms, assets produce wealth in three main ways:

But assets aren’t just property. A well-structured retirement plan can also draw from:

Assets are what fill the tank. Without them, there’s no engine to drive freedom.

This is the hand everyone cares about: freedom.

Freedom arrives when your portfolio income covers your lifestyle costs. Not when you turn 65. Not when your boss finally lets you go. Not when you qualify for the pension.

Let’s say your lifestyle costs $100,000 per year. Once your properties, dividends, and super distributions produce $100,000 net after tax, you’re free.

Freedom doesn’t necessarily mean never working again. For many, it simply means you work by choice. You work because you want to, not because you have to.

Imagine a clock face. The Age hand is ticking forward steadily. The Assets hand moves faster or slower depending on your investment choices. And the Freedom hand points to the gap between your portfolio income and your lifestyle costs.

When they all line up? Ding — financial independence.

Let’s make this real.

Meet Sarah. She’s 42, married with two kids, and wants a retirement income of $100,000 per year.

So she’s got a gap: she needs another $75,000 annual income.

Sarah’s clock says she’s got about 13 years before she’d like to be free (age 55).

Her plan:

With that plan, her Assets hand speeds up. The Freedom hand starts to swing closer. And her Age hand is still ticking, but now she knows she’s on a track that can align them by her mid-50s.

Here’s how to map yours:

When I first did this exercise myself, it hit me: retirement isn’t a vague someday. It’s a specific point.

I could see that if I kept doing what I was doing, my clock hands wouldn’t line up until my late 60s. That wasn’t good enough for me.

So I started thinking differently: How can I build assets faster? How can I make them work harder? How can I shorten the gap?

That’s when I stopped chasing just “the next property” and started thinking about the portfolio as a system designed to strike freedom earlier.

Here’s my challenge to you: sketch out your Retirement Clock.

If you put them on a clock face, when will your hands align?

The answer might surprise you. And even if you don’t like the answer, that clarity is priceless — because now you know what you need to change.

The Retirement Clock is always ticking. The only question is whether it’s ticking for you or against you.

Don’t wait for 65 candles on a birthday cake. Build a clock that strikes freedom on your terms.

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing a worksheet and simple tool that helps you plot your own Retirement Clock.

If you’d like to try it, keep an eye on your inbox. It might just change how you see time.

This article is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, legal, or tax advice. Everyone’s circumstances are different. Before making investment decisions, seek personalised advice from a licensed financial planner, accountant, or solicitor.