I love it when my clients teach me something I know nothing about.
A recent example was Jeff, a client who felt stuck on the non-financial retirement planning that money can’t cover. During our initial coaching, he perked up and said, “It sounds like planning for retirement is similar to kedging.”
I had no clue what he meant by kedging!
Jeff had a love for sailing, and kedging is a term he was very familiar with. He explained that it is the process by which the crew moves a sailboat that has run aground or is otherwise stuck in a challenging spot and cannot use the sails because of a lack of wind. When this happens, the crew throws out an anchor in the direction they want to go. Then they pull on the anchor line and move the ship in the desired direction.
After being a workaholic for over 40 years, he was looking forward to getting out of the office and into this next phase of life. Yet there he was, feeling stuck in retirement before it had even started. So we began talking about a proactive approach that would prepare him for what to expect and what he would have to navigate as he changed course and moved toward and into retirement.
Charting your course with the kedge
As we continued our conversation, Jeff, being the experienced sailor that he is, came to understand the similarities between kedging and preparing to retire. The crew of a sailboat that is stuck needs to make a creative and intentional plan. Then the crew needs to haul on the anchor line to get the boat unstuck and move it to the desired place. And Jeff realized he needed to do the same to move from being an anxious, frustrated workaholic to what could become a fulfilling retirement.
Together we used the kedging metaphor to chart his course into this next phase of his life.
Feeling stuck: Jeff was feeling no wind in his sails. He wasn’t sure what direction to move in and was feeling overwhelmed by the possibilities and uncertainties he began to think about in the scope of retirement.
The kedge anchor: The anchor represented ideas, dreams, and specific actions that would help guide him forward. We began exploring these questions to help get him unstuck. Brainstorming answers to these questions, then building an action plan, would strengthen, energize, and motivate him to pull himself forward into his next phase of life:
- What will his ideal day look like? How will he structure it?
- What is his passion, and how might it lead to a renewed sense of purpose?
- What will he do to continue to grow and learn?
- How will he stay socially connected?
- What will he do to maintain his physical, emotional, and mental well-being?
- What other concerns or thoughts does he have that keep him stuck?
How do you keep moving forward?
The hauling process: Once the anchor is set, progress comes from pulling toward it. By preparing specific action plans to achieve each of his goals and remaining intentional about putting those action items into practice, Jeff could move from being stuck and “haul” himself toward things that will bring him satisfaction and fulfillment in retirement.
Proactive navigation: Just as the sailing crew must continue to monitor conditions by staying alert to unexpected danger, cross-currents, and sudden storms, Jeff would need to remain committed to staying focused on the destination. His success would depend on keeping his eyes on his goals (the anchor) and making choices to move him from where he is today to where he wants to be tomorrow.
Ongoing progress: To stay on course, Jeff will need to continue to stay focused on his goals to achieve the results he is looking for. Kedging is a process that requires patience as the crew slowly hauls in the anchor line. Sometimes the tide turns and plans change, and the anchor must be thrown out again to move forward to a comfortable, enjoyable, and safe place with the wind in your sails.
The same is true in retirement.
Retirement and kedging, explained
What is kedging?
Kedging is a sailing technique for a boat that has run aground with no wind in its sails. The crew drops an anchor out ahead of the vessel in the direction they want to go, then hauls on the line to pull it forward — slow, deliberate progress until they reach open water again.
How is kedging like planning for retirement?
Feeling stuck in retirement is common after decades of work, when it’s suddenly unclear which way to move. Kedging offers a model for non-financial retirement planning: set an anchor of goals and dreams for your next chapter — purpose, connection, growth, well-being — then pull yourself steadily toward them with intentional action, adjusting course as life changes.
What is non-financial retirement planning?
Non-financial retirement planning is preparing for the parts of retirement money can’t cover, such as how you’ll structure your days, find a sense of purpose, keep learning, stay socially connected, protect your physical and emotional well-being, and navigate changing relationships with your spouse and family. It’s often what leaves people feeling stuck in retirement, even when their finances are in good shape.
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