From a Great Job to a Great Retirement With nearly 45 years of public service in the field of natural resources, it’s clear that Don Bruns had a fulfilling career. “I loved my job,” he says. “In fact, DON BRUNS ISN’T LOOKING BACK
I stayed on as long as I did hoping to see projects three great colleagues and I were working on succeed.” Even when you have a rewarding, fruitful working life, there comes a time when you’re ready to begin your next chapter. “I received a belated birthday call from a friend not long after I turned 65,” Don recalls. “In his message, he said something
that stuck with me: ’Watch your time.’ I wasn’t quite sure what he meant, so I brought it up when I called him back. ‘You don’t have as much time as you may think,’ he told me. That message made me think again. Eventually, Don felt the time was right and made the decision to retire.
Rekindling his dormant passion is far from the only thing keeping Don busy. “I’ve been spending a lot of time reading, teaching some Bible studies, and getting some outdoor recreation in,” he adds. “I want to learn music, too. More generally, I’m enjoying seeing my house during daylight hours and getting reacquainted with my wife.” Does Don feel like retirement has allowed him to devote more of his energy to family time? “You’d have to ask Cheryl about that,” he says. Cheryl, Don’s wife of 43 years, concurs. “It’s so nice to do more things together,” she replies. “I still work a few days per week, but our time together has increased so much.” That’s right, even with a more-than-full plate, Don has been working with Littleton residents attempting to preserve the defining character and natural beauty of his city. “In fact,” he tells us, “I may be spending a little too much time on that.” Don came to know Ann through a seminar. “To be perfectly honest, most of us who work in natural resources are stupid when it comes to finances,” Don says. “Our HR department would bring in speakers to help, but most felt like hucksters to me. Ann was obviously different: she understands federal employees as well as finances inside-out. I’ve asked her a million questions, and she’s never been anything but honest and always extremely helpful. She’s given me all sorts of tips and tactics to make the most of the money I’ve saved. She’s even helped Cheryl plan for her retirement. Whenever I see Ann, I tell her, ‘Don’t you dare quit.’” Ann and the entire team at Retirement Planning Strategies are honored to work with clients like Don and Cheryl Bruns. Seeing people make the most of their lives after work is one of our main goals as a company. There’s no doubt that Don is doing just that.
Don is now enjoying his retirement just as much as he did his career. “It’s going great,” he says with a laugh. “I don’t have to get up at 3:20 a.m. anymore!” Aside from sleeping a few more hours, Don has kept busy pursuing his passions. “I was supposed to be an architect,” he notes. “I escaped chronic asthma and found health in Colorado’s high country, and the rest is history. Yet I couldn’t get drawing and building out of my system. Since retiring, I’ve been able to redesign a deck rebuild, make some furniture, and catch up many home projects.”
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