I definitely concur with all the comments here. I can remember the zeal I had as a teenager.
I was going to pioneer! I would not be worldly and go to college! Additionally, I most likely wouldn't have time to complete a degree before the end.
I was fortunate. I happened to be at the right place at the right time, and I received on-the-job training as a computer programmer when I was in my thirties.
This training allowed me to get a job in companies that provide pension plans and 401K plans. So, I have made a start on retirement, but I lost 15 peak savings years to "kingdom interests".
I'll probably be able to retire, but it won't be until I'm close to 70. At least that's better than looking forward to no retirement at all.
Cutting down the number of meetings definitely makes sense. Most of the material is highly repetitious....it just rotates from one forum to the other. Rather than being a joy, meeting attendance becomes a burden.
I can remember when District Assemblies were 7 to 10 days long. The program lasted from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. I was just a small child, and I can remember the exhaustion very well. All I learned from these marathon sessions was stoicism.
Having meetings pretty much every other day becomes more a means of control than a means to impart knowledge.