Can You Retire in the Best Shape of Your Life?

What good is your retirement if you’re not healthy enough to enjoy it? Not that retirement is in this guy’s mind. Dan Pompei wrote at BleacherReport.com that at 39, Tom Brady is in better shape than ever.

At 39, Peyton Manning no longer could throw the way he used to. He missed seven starts with a foot injury and had a 67.9 passer rating—easily the worst of his career. And he knew it was time to exit the arena.

At 39, Brady led the AFC in passer rating, yards per attempt and passing yards per game. The Patriots won 11 of his 12 starts, leading many to believe he was the league’s MVP. And he dreamed of playing for another decade.

“It is unbelievable to see a 39-year-old man play like he’s 29,” says Edelman, his teammate for eight years. “His body hasn’t really changed. He may have lost some hair. Other than that, he’s still the same.”

Brady isn’t aging as much as he is evolving, and it is not by happenstance. His objective is not to avoid becoming Manning at 39. It’s to become a better Brady.

“I love the game, and I always want to improve,” Brady says. “My college coach used to say, ‘Better or worse: What’s it gonna be?’ I love to learn and to see improvement.”

E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

E.J. Smith is Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. His focus at all times is on preparing clients and readers for “Times Like These.” E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zildjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart (RIP) of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com To sign up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter, click here.