While the rest of us plan a beach or bush break or perhaps a culinary tour, Justin Fox decided to combine his passions for travel and local literature. In Place, the former editor of “Getaway” magazine, embarks on a solo quest to visit the settings of several well-known South African stories. These environments were very close to the hearts of the authors of the books and, in some cases, also evoked personal memories for Justin Fox.

He undertakes nine mini expeditions to track down the locales, farms and homesteads where the authors or their characters were said to have resided or to retrace and explore the routes they took. The works that inspire his travels are anchored in various parts of South Africa’s diverse landscape, and he wants to immerse himself in the “spirit of place” that the writers conveyed so powerfully in their stories or poems. This deep-rooted relationship that people can have with an environment is a thread throughout Fox’s book. He notes that one of the challenges of emigration is the loss of a familiar landscape with its distinctive smells, sounds, colours and connections that are locked into memory, often from childhood. Sometimes, it can be harsh terrain, but it is still an integral part of who you are.

His journeys span the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape and extend up to Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West province. His ‘travel guides’ include classics like Olive Schreiner’s Story of an African Farm (Eastern Karoo) and Jock of the Bushveld – both of which are now faint memories from my school days! Herman Charles Bosman’s Groot Marico tales and Dalene Matthee’s Knysna Forest novels also feature in his itinerary. Those who are familiar with the Wild Coast will appreciate his pilgrimage fuelled by Zakes Mda’s Heart of Redness.

The years have wrought inevitable change, and at times, Fox is dismayed by signs of disrepair or the impact of development and greedy agendas. But at each destination, his chosen book gives him a channel into the sense of place that its author experienced.

A copy of Place by Justin Fox can be borrowed from our Chartered Client Library.

Small Habits – Big Impact

I just crossed the finish line at my second Two Oceans Half Marathon! It may seem like a small victory, but it’s a big win for me and one that I celebrate proudly. Running a marathon was never really my main goal – but exercise and fitness have always been important to me. Don’t misunderstand me; when I first started running, it didn’t go exactly as planned. It’s tough getting up early mornings, and it’s much easier to hit the snooze button, especially on cold winter mornings or lazy weekends.

James Clear’s book Atomic Habits profoundly impacted my life, and his words deeply resonated with me:

“If you want to predict where you’ll end up in life, all you have to do is follow the curve of tiny gains or tiny losses and see how your daily choices will compound ten or twenty years down the line.”

So, I followed James Clear’s advice to cultivate smaller, achievable habits rather than pursuing big, audacious goals. Instead of setting out to run a marathon, I focused on tiny gains (consistent, small habits) and became a habitual runner. And the best part is that habits become part of your lifestyle over time.

I truly believe that the only way to look back at your life without regret is to align your time with what’s most important to you. So firstly, know where you want to go, and then make sure that your actions, decisions, and the time you spend on them allow you to achieve that goal.

Too often, we convince ourselves that big success requires big actions. But success is the product of small, repeated actions or habits – no matter what your dreams are, you can achieve them with the right habits. It’s the same principles I teach my midlife clients about investing: accumulating wealth is not a skill; it’s a habit. If you persevere, consistently save, and live below your means, you can cultivate the right habits to build wealth.

Reflect for a moment on the path of your life and where your daily actions are leading you. What you don’t want is to look back and wish you’d spent more time doing the things you love. When you decide what’s most important in your life, you can start making small daily changes to ensure you align your time without regrets. It’s the tiny steps you take that will eventually change everything!

Once I established a consistent routine around my health and fitness goals, it opened the door to stacking other important goals – like learning and travelling. I am busy planning to participate in the Berlin Marathon in September. It’s quite a stretch, seeing that I’ve only run 21km races so far (I really have to up my game to run this 42km marathon), but this isn’t just about the run. It’s about combining my broader intentions of travelling and learning with destination runs.

Let every tiny step be a celebration of moving closer to the life you envision.

In the serene heart of Eswatini (Swaziland), Chartered Clients Cheryl and Duncan are embracing retirement as a time for rejuvenation and self-discovery. Their story shows how retirement can be a time for reinvention and new possibilities.

Cheryl and Duncan’s backgrounds were as diverse as they were successful. Duncan had spent his career in the meat industry, while Cheryl owned an industrial laundromat. After retiring, they embarked on what they thought would be a leisurely chapter in their lives. However, after just 18 months, they realised that retirement wasn’t about slowing down; it was about finding new avenues for stimulation and growth, so they took over the lease of a coffee shop in a nursery in Malkerns, Swaziland.

Despite working seven days a week and managing six staff members, Cheryl and Duncan love their new venture. Duncan has always loved baking and cooking, so he spends much time creating new recipes and training staff on how to make them. His latest additions to the menu have been well-received by customers.

Cheryl uses her skills honed during her years in the laundry business to manage the back end and bookkeeping. Cheryl and Duncan spend a lot of time mingling with customers, most of whom they know personally since they have lived in Ezulwini, Swaziland, for 32 years.

Despite their full-time commitment to the coffee shop, Cheryl and Duncan recently took a well-deserved break to visit their newborn grandson, Max, in Zimbabwe. This cherished family time was a reminder for them that retirement is about finding a balance between work and life’s other joys.

Cheryl and Duncan are inspiring examples of how to reinvent oneself in retirement. They found something they are passionate about and are now running a successful business. They are actively involved in their community and continue to grow, learn, and contribute to the world around them.

Cheryl and Duncan’s story reminds us that:

• It’s never too late to reinvent yourself.
• Find something you’re passionate about and pursue it.
• Don’t be afraid to take risks.
• Be active in your community.
• Enjoy your life!

Although I still have two feet in the working world, it seemed like sensible pre-planning to find out what social options lie on the other side of the fence for my next (and not-so-distant) life chapter. And so I joined U3A.

I first heard about the rather quirky-sounding University of the Third Age from my neighbour, a fit and feisty 70-something with whom I do a 5 km walk on Sundays – which gives us a lot of time to talk! She explained that U3A is a worldwide organisation that aims to provide mature people, many retired or semi-retired, a forum for continued learning, interaction, and knowledge exchange; there are around 30 branches in South Africa. She belongs to a smaller branch and, in addition to attending some of their talks, she participates in a photographic interest group and one for birding enthusiasts.

I selected one of the bigger branches – for its proximity to work and on the assumption that bigger would mean better when it comes to monthly talks. Upon arriving to attend my first talk and seeing the busy car park, I did have fleeting second thoughts about making a solo entrance. However, in the foyer, I met a friendly lady also on her own who bought me a “welcome” coffee and chatted to me about her part-time work in education; shortly afterwards, I also bumped into a couple of Chartered clients.

Over the past few months, the topics have included conservation, personal stories, and township economics, all delivered by engaging speakers. There are also various special interest groups that one can join, which cover art, computers, writing, hiking, theatre, history, philosophy and – for the poetic at heart – even Shakespearean sonnets! That’s quite an array of options to keep the brain cells firing and meet new friends.

The annual membership fee ranges from around R80 – R200, and the various branches’ monthly talks are usually held on a Tuesday morning in a community/church hall or auditorium in the respective areas. Membership is branch-specific, but most have a nominal visitor’s charge if you want to attend a talk at a branch other than your own.

While online information about the branches and contact persons is currently sparse, an umbrella website is under construction to list all the South African U3A branches with their essential details. For now, a Google search will bring up limited results for U3A Johannesburg, Johannesburg East, Johannesburg North and Pretoria, as well as Cape Town, George, Plett, East London and Durban if you are keen to join or find out more.