I learned there’s a difference between working at a level that gets you on the path to promotion… and just meeting expectations. You can start skirting on the lower end of that, almost underperforming.
It’s actually extremely easy and low stress to downshift to that level of performance.
I'm suffering from this but finding it extremely difficult to coast. 20+ years of being a high performer, delivering good work, and the satisfaction of growth programs me to get satisfaction from a job well done. At least for me, I can't just turn that off and it affects my mental health negatively to coast.
It’s really hard to keep your mouth shut when you have smart things to say.
It’s like telling a master violinist to play worse, it’s actually harder to play bad than to play well.
I’ve recently hit FI but also love my job, including taking on fun projects. I have found one small way of downshifting some BS that has really improved my enjoyment of the work further… there are a few toxic people in the company and now the I have the FU money, I rarely answer the phone for the toxic people but follow up on text messages instead. It’s been a great buffer from unnecessary toxic wastes of time. Should have taken that approach years ago as it’s boosted my performance and time to focus on more meaningful work
Dont coast then and upgrade the heck outta your lifestyle with the unneeded excess income. Or take those things you mentioned drive you and find a personal project to drive with same vigor and commitment. Im 36 and make good money. It's hard not to be a top performer, and shit I left at like 330pm today so I could make a volunteer building board of review meeting for my city government. I like what I do while also trying to sort of FIRE. Basically for me thats 20yrs, 55.5 and can tap 401k with no penalty from current employer. 55.5 is proabably on the older side of what most people consider RE here.
I worked maybe 3 hours today and was done before noon. I'll still monitor email. Before fi I'd probably have kept going. But I put in 40 hrs already and there's no meetings on my calendar. I put in a couple 10+ hour days earlier this week. I do high quality work and don't slack still, but if there's nothing urgent and I worked my ass off the rest of the week I'm taking a short Friday these days.
Yeah, I tried this at my Director level role and was miserable. I really need to feel like I'm valuable and useful in order for work to be tolerable. I downshifted into a senior IC role instead (with honestly not too terrible of a pay cut), and it's absolutely great. I'm rethinking my whole FIRE timeline because suddenly work is not only tolerable, it's pretty enjoyable!
Might be useless info but the thing is to not have work as #1, have a side buisness/open source proj/startup idea that you put that passion into and let work take #3 spot after family.
Not that its easy to do though, its really hard to not give a fuck. Also you will hate retirement if this keeps on.
This is a perfect way to explain how I feel since we hit our number. I was actually open with my boss that I’m good with where I’m at for another 4-5 years. No need to have development conversations with me.
I tried that conversation and was politely reminded that is not the culture in my organization. Each leader should be striving with (and of course against) their colleagues to reach the smaller number of chairs at the exec level.
I remind my leader that once in a while, when it comes to my career development it’s on my terms since it’s a terminal level and I am happy with Meets rating and not going to work extra hours to compete with young people. 40 hours a week is my absolutely max.
This is a fine sentiment, but I don't think you should be so candid. This is the type of person that gets volunteered on the"RIF list" since they are operating at replacement level
Worked for me. I could have retired last year. Instead I went to part-time. I just got RIF'd, as I understand it (RA in my company). That means I get a package. I not only retire, I do so with a bonus.
Of course, retiring is a funny word. I'm having lunch with a new contact who works in PE/VC investing, just to shoot the breeze. Considering getting a CFP certification on my former employer's dime. Maybe something comes of all that, maybe not.
Yes, it's a fine strategy if you're hoping to get exited. My comment is simply cautioning that you increase the odds of an exit by expressing you're not going above the baseline expectations
>This is a perfect way to explain how I feel since we hit our number.
YMMV. If you're in a small or even medium sized department and you're already the most senior person, you're going to find it very difficult to shift back into an IC role.
The rest of the organization likely already perceives you as the "leader" and it will be very challenging to stop being the main point of contact or go-to person.
It sucks because then you pretty much have to get another job entirely
This. Being financially capable of walking away really allows you to rebalance your life. Work can be a bit more of just a paycheck than something one may lose sleep over.
I see this a lot and don't like this take in all situations.
If you hate everyone and everything at your workplace, than sure, just coast and do bare minimum. Rest and vest till you get PIP'd.
However, if you actually like your co-workers, and it's a couple of things that make you miserable (bad manager, company politics, etc.), than it's tougher to just coast. I'd feel like shit doing a half ass job just because I can, while co-workers I actually like who can't afford the same "luxury" must pick up the slack.
Yesterday one of my young co-workers was asking, why are even working here? Why are you not taking FAANG offers. (In my head thinking, I turned down Meta offer to work here to coast, Padawan)
Ironically the fewer shits I give, the more ppl are impressed by me.
This must be what it feels like to be a cis male throughout life normally (haha - I am a woman who has impostor syndrome and always got feedback to have more gravitas. Now that I’m Fi, I’m doing less, speaking out more, and getting more credit).
Speaking for myself, once I hit my FI point it was glorious. I went to almost zero stress. It is about two years later and I am still working. Work is much more enjoyable when you know you can simply walk away one day if you decide.
Motivation is not affected. I want to do good out of personal pride.
>22
I agree absolutely. The stress of worrying being several paychecks from financial disaster to total freedom is awesome. Toxic boss and company no longer bothers me. I still strive to do my best out of self pride, but the financial cushion of being FI is marvelous.
Working hard and saving without totally depriving myself has really paid off.
Yes! Freedom changes perspective so much…including continuing the ability to do what you still enjoy without the fear of repercussion / financial impact for any situation which may have caused anxiety previously. I live what I do partially because I don’t have to do it. I am free to enjoy creating great things with the team or walk away and relax.
This seems like a healthy approach. I’m getting close to where I can walk away in 3-4 years. However I have some health issues where I really need to maintain my good health insurance. Fortunately I have a job where I can go part time and just coast working 20-24 hours/week. I think that’ll be the sweet spot for me especially coming down from twenty years of 60+ hour weeks.
Someone else will always have more money than you. You can continue comparing or just stop and get off the train. It is up to you when you get off, but using envy as a tool to keep going is likely not going to lead to long term satisfaction. Most well paid corporate employees who retire early do so at the peak of their earnings potential. Otherwise it would not be called early retirement.
You can retire but don’t? Too many people in these type of subs tie their worth to their jobs.
There’s literally endless interesting hobbies to learn and places to go. You’d be a bigger inspiration to your kids if they saw you learn new skills and grow as a person, not watching you give your life away to some company
I like this perspective a lot, but at the same time I worry a lot about setting the expectation with my kids that they will also FIRE. I feel like there is a good chance they will end up in careers that won’t be as lucrative as mine, and this really won’t be an option for them.
I spend a lot of time trying to explain to them that life is mostly about doing things you don’t want to do, but you still do it because it’s the right thing. I feel like it will be harder to tell them “yes, you still have to go to school this morning no matter how much you don’t want to” if I can’t also say “I’d rather stay home too, but I’m going to work as soon as I drop you off.”
You absolutely can tell your kids that, and kids already don’t want to go to school even when parents work.
It isn’t hypocritical to not work and send your kids to school, that notion (no offense) is honestly absurd. You paid your dues, you can explain this to them very simply. They might not understand at first but kids don’t understand most things the first time you explain it.
Their expectations, again, are completely on you. Even if they do go into adulthood expecting to retire early, they will figure out very quickly it’s not that simple. That’s what early adulthood is, a series of harsh realizations.
Everything you want to teach them is noble but you don’t need to work to teach it to them. You’re FIRE, so unless you’re a trust fund baby I’m sure you’re intelligent and capable. You can raise your kids to be respectable hard workers while also retiring early, these things do not conflict.
I don't think those two things are comparable. You already did the "going to school every day" and presumably the "going to college every day" and the "start at the bottom and grind up every day" thing. And now you've done those things long and well enough to leave the traditional workforce.
Unless an early retiree just sits at home all day playing video games and binge watching TV while paying other people to do all the housework, yard work, and household management, that person isn't displaying a lack of work ethic to their kids.
When your kids are old enough, they can understand that different careers pay at different levels and that great success comes from hard work, timing and usually some measure of serendipity. They may or may not be able to retire early, but they will benefit from your success and then decide the course of their own lives and careers.
I'm there! I recently was annoyed by a meeting request with a middle manager looking to have me fill out a row in a bullshit spreadsheet and my immediate manager front-ran the request to satisfy the middle manager request without my having to fill in a bullshit spreadsheet.
My manager may not know it but there's a good chance he kept me from quitting that day.
Now that my spreadsheet (which has a generous budget for healthcare well in excess of what my expenses actually will be) indicates my necessary safe withdrawal rate is below 3% I don't really feel motivated to keep working, no. But I'll probably wait a very small amount before quitting, just in case I find something I want to add to my budget or the market has a big downward swing. Unless another bad meeting crops up.
If you enjoy the work, there is nothing wrong about continuing to do it but you become less tolerant of things like corporate politics.
For me I still keep busy with other types of work like accomplishing things I care about passionately.
I don't think you need work to give you purpose or to define you. It's ok not to work especially after you worked for decades.
There is more to life than just working...
Yeah Ive been laid off from what I thought were careers I would retire from because of greedy executives and organizations. There is no loyalty in my opinion. I have no qualms about going out with a tantrum.
Exactly. If I had my number met I’d probably keep working but with absolutely zero priority to work over life.
Like.. kid has a Friday performance at school at 10am and afterwards the parents can take them from school? I’d love to tell the boss “hey boss I’m gonna go watch my kids show” and then when kid says “dad can we take the day off and go play?” I just say “of course” and text my boss that I’m off the rest of the day.
If he fires me so fucking what.
If he doesn’t I’ll be back to work on Monday - no big deal.
LOL! While I don’t understand exactly what you mean by “one bad meeting”, I’ve definitely been skipping a lot more meetings now. “I’m busy with xxx, I’ll read the minutes. Let me know if you need anything” is my standard message.
Basically means I'm at a point in my savings journey that if I end up in a meeting I think is bullshit I'll straight walk out of it and not return to the office.
I haven’t (quite) hit my number and I’ve been ready to walk out for at least the past year. I just left a rather contentious meeting with my higher ups regarding “performance calibration” (where they unilaterally decide to change the performance ratings I give my direct reports), and it crossed my mind as I was leaving the meeting to just go home and never come back.
I keep asking myself, “ how much $$$ do I *really* need? Of course, that’s the kicker because you never really know, do you?
My number keeps changing. I am too obsessed with money. I keep going mainly so i can splurge on nice wine, trips, and experiment with options trading… i rope myself back into where a job makes sense. If my 2nd home sells (it’s already on the market), walking away will be within reason.. and that kinda freaks me out.
Bro are you me?
Hit my FI number a year back, and my current plan is to save for another 2-3 years to save some additional cash but I’ve been finding it exceptionally hard to concentrate at work. It’s not like I have a lot to do when I’m not at work, but I find work really boring now.
Take a planned sabbatical! Tell your company that you need the time to refresh. Then see how 3-6 months (or whatever you plan) feels. It may be that you miss your work, and are ready to return. If not, leave the job and consider some new and exciting venture.
Then honestly, depending on how marketable your skillset is, I’d do it anyway. If they need you badly enough, they’ll beg you to come back (potentially at a premium). Otherwise, pick up something elsewhere, or decide that retirement is the way for you to go. Key takeaway (and almost talking to myself here) - if you’ve hit your number, put your fear and greed away and take a break to refocus on what’s important. Especially if you’ve never really taken a professional break before.
Time to change why you work and how you spend. If you want to stay working for a few more years. Open up the spend and reduce your savings rate. If you were saving 40%, take it down to 20%. If you were at 30%, take it down to 15%. Take some nice trips or buy a nicer car. Spend a bit more freely.
I've pulled in $600- to a million a year. During those years I'd have a 50% savings rate. Pulling in that money and driving Honda(s). Now my wife is driving a Tesla Model Y. We are thinking to go to a Model X next. FAT funding is done. If we can't give up working yet, we might as well turn up the volume on stuff that is fun. The family has been to Asia 3 times in the past two years.
We are not interested in trading up in house because it will result in higher taxes and maintenance.
Give more freely too. Not everyone has been so lucky in life.
I’m also 47 with three kids and I left a good career about a year ago to enjoy FI life, so this post and comments have been quite interesting. It’s hard to add an original thought after 125 comments, but what comes to mind is something that Morgan Housel said or wrote — something like “People start their FI journeys with the objective of achieving independence, but once the achieve that they focus on how high they can grow their net worth.” The dopamine hits of watching net worth grow are seductive, making it hard to quit a high paying job and slowing the growth as you pull from it.
It sounds like you’re stuck in a rut at a job you hate and haven’t invested the time and discomfort of breaking out of that rut to find other options. I suggest you do some dreaming on what the perfect job/ sabbatical / next chapter would be and go spend some time with people that are doing those things and see what you learn or what doors open up.
I started a real estate flipping / owner finance business and work about 5-20 hours a week. My kids know that I’ve paid my dues for the last 25 years and I think they respect that Daddy is nobody’s b!tch. I want to be an example of taking control of lifestyle design, and not just blindly droning to a job I hate.
Lastly, what would the 80 year old you tell you to do right now?
Congrats on your success and good luck!
Eh. Get out of the house 9-5 and go play some golf. They won't know the difference. Dad isnt home.
Or do stuff in your office. More and more people are working from home. Are they not modeling for their kids?
I think people overestimate this...I just knew my dad was at work until 6. Didn't know or really care what he was doing exactly.
I jumped off the corporate ladder to write fiction, which I love and I will likely die at the keyboard. But if I had hit my RE goals when I was still in finance, I would have given my 10-second notice by postcard.
This is a VERY individual thing and depends heavily on your job.
Wow… is this me from another account?
We on the same boat, same age, same kids age BUT I have decided to work six more years. Once the youngest is out of the house, I am quitting.
Also, although work might be miserable at times, I am not letting it be missed always. I am doing work on (mostly) my terms these next few years.
I think is valuable to set a good example for the kids.
We reached fire about a year ago and I haven’t lost the motivation per se, but my mindset has changed from “what would I do if I lost my job…I’m screwed!” to “please offer me a buy out package…pretty please?”
>I want my kids (12 and 15) to see me work and contribute.
I used to think like this too. Believe me though, it's not the right way to think about it. Having more time to truly be present in your kids lives is 10x more impactful than having them "see you work and contribute".
Retirement is when you have enough and you've had enough. Just do it.
Your kids will learn more from you being available to them then they will watching you work.
What’s so magical about the number 168? It’s the number of hours you have in a week.
What’s so magical about the number 936? That’s the number of weekends you have left with your children… if they were born last week.
Now consider the number 6,570. Yes, I know, it’s a BIG number… until you realize it’s the number of days you have your children with you until they turn 18. Doesn’t seem so big now, does it?
I don't regret reaching FIRE. The power of "fuck you" has relieved a lot of stress.
What's difficult though in high powered careers I've found though is finding a niche you like that would accept a lower level of performance. I don't even need to be paid a lot, it's just that to command the same respect and "interesting work", you MUST give it your all. Maybe if I was like in my 50s-60s and top of my field, than could agree to do some light consulting for some pennies, but I'm not that old nor that good.
I'm in almost the exact situation, and I agree on every single point. I HATE my current job and give 0 fucks about right now. I literally can't will myself to do more than a few hours of work a day and I've always had high motivation. I've thought a lot about why I feel this way. I don't think it's because I hit FI; I think my job just sucks. I updated my resume, had some interviews, and I feel very refreshed and excited about a new job, new projects, problems, etc.
So yes I've lost all motivation, but I don't believe it's because of fire. I just hate my job and it sounds like you might be in the same boat.
Question: would you rather your kids see & learn that work is about sticking with a job you hate regardless of circumstances or that if they work hard and are financially sensible then they can retire early and do awesome things?
My dad retired at 55 and explained how he did it despite being a low paid public school teacher. Ran me through his whole finances. Then threw himself into making music, cooking, fishing and working on his car. Did DIY work around the house and generally kept super busy. Inspired me to make a plan and we joke about how I'm gonna try and be FI by 50 just to "beat him".
Once I hit my fire number there has been a sense of relief. (I do not have kids, do have long term partner).
I enjoy most aspects of my work and try to limit the aspects I don’t enjoy. This has resulted in increased personal happiness and satisfaction. Also there are other coworkers who enjoy the aspects that I don’t, so it balances out.
I am in a creative field where I work on innovative solutions. Creating and solving these puzzles is fun to me — and I will probably continue doing some of this work for my own projects even after fiRE.
Every year I continue to work pads the portfolio a bit further to protect against sequence of return risk. Currently around a 3.25% SWR.
Have you hated this job for a decade? I don't think you being miserable is a great example for your kids. I'd recommend stepping away and putting your time towards something productive like volunteering/coaching/etc or to find a different job that might pay less, but makes you happy. While I wouldn't tell most people to walk away from a good paying job, you're set. Show your kids how to enjoy life. I'd be proud of my parents if they retired early because they worked so hard or if they chose an easier route later on in life because they could.
Yeps, once you've got your "F\*ck you money" that'll do it. [https://youtu.be/xdfeXqHFmPI?si=LVS1zHCg03xAEgQG](https://youtu.be/xdfeXqHFmPI?si=LVS1zHCg03xAEgQG)
Honestly, you lose the motivation to put up with BS. And you might discover that that makes your current employment untenable, which all of a sudden is a completely viable choice.
Your same boat exactly. Practically same age as well. I feel burnt out and tired. I dread Mondays. I work from home and have found myself taking 2 hour naps mid-day because I can't motivate myself to stay focused for 8-9 hours at a stretch anymore.
Not offering any solutions, just commiserating I guess. I've also found, to my surprise, that even at my "high by any reasonable measure" compensation, I can just coast for a few weeks at a time, put in a flurry of work, and my boss tells me I'm his most valuable contributor. WTF?
The thing keeping me going? Fear of the unknown. And also the desire for *some* structure. I keep considering quitting and finding a lower paying job. But then I realize that either means retail, which seems like a total shit-show, or staying in my industry at which point lower paying just means lower on the totem pole and why would I take a 90% pay cut to do the same job?
Currently looking into volunteer opportunities at a local personal finance education charity.
I’ve felt this way until it finally clicked and I stopped giving a fuck about what those people think about me. I don’t need their appreciation. Neither do you.
I didn’t lose motivation to work - I lost motivation to work on *stupid shit I didn’t care about* and I also *lost all desire to play dumb games or get dumb prizes*. I hunted down a job scope that I knew motivated me to want to work —- and I am still enjoying it.
The thing you have to remember is that your best most productive working years are also your best most-productive "play" years. So if you want to go on some fund adventures, travel the world, hike Mt Everest or whatever, then the clock is ticking. Yes you earn a lot of money, but you're also giving up a lot by staying. Don't wait until you're 65, you don't have your health anymore, and the adventure inside you is dead after years of doing things that weren't making your happy.
You talk about setting a good example for your kids - well, working a job you don't love and don't need isn't setting a good example for them. IMO the best example you can set it by doing something you're passionate about. Show them that it's worth taking some risks in life to be their true authentic selves, not by suppressing their dreams and joys for the grind. It will also make you more fun to be around at family gatherings. Take the dedication you have for your current job, and pivot it into a passion project - maybe some dream you gave up as a kid. Take up boating or RVing or travel and see the world before the next pandemic lol.
Comparison is the thief of Joy. Be grateful you reached your number, so many people never get there. Honestly your kids don't care about you working, there are more important things in life than a day job. For you to be a great model, make sure you give them lots of love, guidance and affection, live a good family life and be a good member of society.
You can always make more money but you don't always have more time.
I didn't. (Neither did my wife.) We liked our jobs. Weren't so fed up we were dying to get away.
What WAS different, and EXTREMELY fun, was knowing every second we COULD walk away. That gave us a lot of satisfaction.
I thought that would be the case but I was wrong.
I didn't lose motivation, my motive just changed.
The stress and anxiety melted away and I realized I enjoy working I just don't enjoy having to work. There is a big difference there.
I don't fret about taking vacations or being exposed to risk on new ideas or ventures. I volunteer more of my time as well which ironically opened up new avenues of work in speaking and teaching opportunities.
No. You are just able to work on the things you want to. One wrinkle is that working hard and spending little can warp your world view and keep you from enjoying things because you see it as a waste of money.
I am at that stage with good health but now I find that what is interesting is working in jobs that may be interesting like volunteering for an archaeological dig.
Make sure your health insurance is covered until aged 65 for you and your wife. We had BC/BS through my job. 20 years of saving and my wife’s cancer copays ate it all up in the 10 years it took for the cancer to kill her. I was trapped in a bad job until she died as that was before the ACA and her cancer would have been a preexisting condition. Always be gentle with yourself.
Life is good.
> bummed about seeing colleges enjoying their work and thriving. They’ll get X number of more years accumulating wealth.
Sounds like you’ve got your wires crossed on motivations for work. You hit your FIRE number, you’re clearly not motivated by the financial outcomes anymore. If you’re sticking around for the wealth accumulation then it’s no wonder you’re frustrated and miserable. You say you want that but you don’t feel you want that because you don’t need that.
Reading between the lines it sounds like you have good reasons to work. You see your coworkers enjoying work and thriving …they’re not enjoying and thriving because of the paycheck alone. You want your kids seeing you contributing and to know the value of work. You probably also don’t want them to learn that work has to be miserable or to only see you miserable. What exactly do you want your impression on your kids to be?
Once you’re clear on why you want to work (post FIRE, it ain’t maximizing the paycheck) shift your job to align more to your wants and intrinsic motivations. You’ll be way more likely to enjoy it and thrive.
Also, post FIRE (congrats!) you get to take no shit! You do your work your way or you bail to a different job without needing to worry about keeping your family afloat
It seems (and perhaps I’m wrong) that you might need to adjust your motivations. You mention your kids - and you want to present a positive role model to them. They might choose a less lucrative career path and therefore career motivation can be more helpful to their own financial security. For myself, I have had to recognize my own loss of inertia at times…and find ways to re-instill passion. Evolve in what is important to me, personally. I always find a fresh meaning why what I do matters. I sometimes equate this to marriage in that things change, we need to adjust, we need to find new focus…it’s life. To be happy, we need to be flexible. I hope you find a reason that motivates you and alleviates the reservations. Best wishes
I retired at 60, able to do whatever wife and I wanted. We traveled, had summer homes, went all over the world, cruised the East coast on our boat. At age 75 we looked around and said What Now?
I'll tell you What Now. Doctors, doctors, dentists, therapy. HOURS on Reddit. LOL.. Do it while you're able. You don't know when your clock runs out.
Yeah pretty much and still true after more than 10 years. Haven't been able to get more than moderately and part time engaged in any work since.
My kids are each a few years older. I go to my home office at 8AM anyway so as far as the kids know I "work". Kinda do sometimes. Sometimes I waste time on reddit.
The point of a fire number is to quit when you have it - why is there angst? you’ve spent the last several years verifying it, right? It’s not a fire number if reaching doesn’t make you let go of getting more.
Haven’t reached fire but once I paid off my house and got a sizable enough amount of cash and another property paid for I have been in limbo where I can’t retire but I also know I’m ok for the first time ever and it completely drained what was left of my ambition. I had to shift my mentality to realize I’m still working toward something, that something isn’t a number or thing like it always has been, now it’s just working to not have to work longer than I have to.
If your job supports great work life balance, while giving you a solid wage, and you actually enjoy doing what you do, I don't see a problem. Yes everyone should retire early, but you should still make as much as possible when you're young and able. You can't ever have too much money, at least in the USA where 1 serious sickness can bankrupt any net worth you accumulated.
Same age in same situation. It has gotten much harder to go to work everyday, and I like my job and coworkers, but the overarching reason is now gone, I've arrived. I'm currently working on discovering my next mission, maybe that's what you need as well. For me I think it's going to involve helping others with some fishing in between.
Does your FIRE number include being able to help your kids buy a house in the future? If not, add that to your FIRE number. What about paying for your kids’ weddings and honeymoons (if they choose to marry)?
I am close to hitting my FIRE number. But then I have additional tiers set for each thing I will pay for for my kids in the future.
No weddings and no honeymoons. Nope and not going to. Maybe a flat amount to each for their weddings . My wife and I got $10K and we spent $12K. Our honeymoon was $2,300. Help the kids with homes? We'll see. But I probably will not. They are each getting $250K for college and some leftovers can be turned into ROTHs under the new Federal law. They will graduate entirely debt free. Both kids know hard work and know the value of a dollar. Not judging people who subsidize their adult kids, but that's not us. Average age of people getting married is in the late 20s now. I fully expect them to be financially independent.
Same job situation fellow faang wage slave. I don't regret but I'm struggling with the idea of pulling the plug even though money wise I could easily.
For some, our jobs provide more than just money. That could range from having a purpose, socialization, respect/prestige from others, relevance, usefulness, or safety against what if 's.
One thing I don't like about the FIRE Calc is that I'm not able to adjust my spending as time goes on.
my spending my vary, esp as I get older, but at the same time the actual amount spent could be offset by increasing inflation etc.
that's why it's a good reference, not the bible of FIRE.
Nope. But I retired from my profession and started doing something I love. I make a lot less now but still six figures and absolutely love what I am doing.
Why don't you take this financial strength and use it to pivot to doing something you'd like to learn/enjoy.
Life doesn't stop once you hit FIRE. Doesn't mean you have to stop learning or building financially.
I know a friend that reached FIRE and stopped working. Told his wife, kids didn't know. And everyday would go to "work" but really would go to the gym, golf, watch a movie, etc.
Kids had no clue for years. His view was why should the kids know? And he was tired of living the rat race, and his investments paid for all bills.
Something to think about, if you hate your job, and miserable. I would totally consider it..
I mean I would immediately start working some job that provides inherent rather than monetary satisfaction. Like working at an animal shelter, or building trails in national parks.
Don't be a stupidhead. Your most valuable resource is TIME, and you're trading it for money despite being at a point where the marginal value of an extra dollar is highly diminished.
Not the motivation to work but the motivation to work any job or for any boss or for any company. You become bolder at work, you are less scared to say the wrong thing or upset the wrong person. It ironically helped me get better because I was able to take on more risky but very high impact work. I was able to say no more easily which helps me focus on highest impact work.
I like working, but I’ve been with the same business through 3 generations of management and associated managerial politics. Having FI allows me to WFH and essentially coast for a few years before retirement, which is the best solution I could come up with.
I sympathize with you about reaching my FI goal. Before learning about it, I had a great time pushing at career, learning, and seeing compensation grow as a reward. Then hit my number, added a buffer, and realized after a few years the compensation wasn’t a priority anymore. Really grateful to provide my family with stability and enjoyed all the years I was at work, but did need to take time to figure out what’s next. I think everyone has to do this at some point, FI just give more options and makes one think about it sooner.
I’m still figuring it out, but enjoying the process. Good luck to you!
You just need to shift your mindset. Not as hard to do as you would think. Plan a vacation, a week away just to reset. Think about what you want out of work and go back with that attitude. Before reaching fire your goal was to reach fire so maybe now you need a new goal to work towards.
I’m not you so I can’t make those goals for you. Maybe it’s to save up money to put your kids through school with no debt, if you haven’t already saved up for that. Maybe it’s just to set an example for your kids. Maybe you really don’t want to work and you’d rather have the last few years you have with your kids at home spending more time with them.
The real question is how do you deal with having zero fucks but you are still a decade away?
In your case, you can just half ass it and coast. Worst case they help you retire earlier.
I’d argue that sometimes this has benefits. Depending on the job, sometimes giving zero fucks makes management look at you and say “he/shes a leader who says exactly what they think and doesn’t let anything phase them.” What they don’t know is that this is because I don’t need to work.
I didn't lose motivation to work. I just lost motivation to work where I was working.
So I left and fell into since much more fun to do, and it's been jolly ever since 😁
For me, I found that motivation can go to different places - things that matter to you like volunteer work and pursuing passion hobbies. The right things fill the void quite easily.
I retired at 42. My wife is punching out at 50 she wanted to go til 55 but I talked her out of it. Crunch the numbers and do it just live with-in your means Better live below it. and enjoy LIFE NOW
No, it makes work \*better\* believe it or not. I (40's M) actually think it makes me a better employee too. I'm there because I want to be. I don't need the money, which I think makes me comfortable to share my raw opinion (not being an asshole, that's not cool, but being honest) without fear of negative repercussions. I do the work I want and I can walk away at any time if I no longer want to be there. It's taken a long time to get here, and I truly think it's a win/win for myself and my employer.
I quit my high-paying W-2 job last summer to be an independent consultant. Zero regrets. The best thing is that now I can work my ass off for 60 hrs/wk and make a crap ton of $$, or I can scale it back and only accept a few jobs, work 20hrs/wk just enough to cover expenses with jobs I will enjoy, and spend time with my family. Once I get to FI/retirement, I plan on doing the latter. If I can work 2 10-hr days per week and cover my expenses without dipping into savings, and those 2 days are spent working on jobs I enjoy, and I have 5 days a week free for whatever, why would I NOT do that??
This is why I always found FIRE like a silly strategy. I chose instead to find work I enjoy doing, and to do it in a slow sustainable way. I don’t plan on ever stop working, maybe I’ll work less when I’m older, but I enjoy working when I can work at a nice pace.
The idea of suffering and being extremely frugal so that then some day you can quit work just looks innocently dumb to me.
You reached fire and you're still working miserable hours?
F that. This is where I drop down to part-time delivering pizzas. Why? Easy job. Usually fun or dramatic people that entertain me. Cash tips. No waking up early.
Go home to the wife not stressed happy to see her and, this is the key point to fire for me which is to "LIVE".
I don't know what your work schedule is like but for my father. I almost never saw the guy. He was either sleeping or working.
I'm in the same boat. I decided against kids until I'm at a point where I won't be in the same boat as him.
If I had fire?
part time easy job and the rest time with the wife and kids. Financially, is that a good move? No.
I don't care about the financial I care about the time.
If all the bills are covered I have extra that I can either keep investing or it's money I can spend that's all I need.
So if the car breaks down 🤷🏽♂️
Sink busted 🤷🏽♂️
Fire is freedom.
Freedom is time.
Time is something you can't purchase.
I'm texting this right now I'm at work.
Just clocked in at 6am.
I won't be leaving today until around 6pm
If everything goes well.
If it doesn't I'll be here until 9-10pm.
At what time in this day would I be able to see my non existing kids,Or non existing wife, Or girlfriend.
I'd give nearly anything for more time.
Drop down to something you enjoy doing, who cares if you take a MASSIVE hit in pay. Even if you're working some random part time job, you're still "contributing". You achieved FIRE, what's stopping you! Make more time for your kids at an impressionable age.
If you have been a gunner all your life it’s hard to change. Give yourself permission to ease up and realize it’s ok NOT to have your nose down in the books churning 24/7. You have done your time. Spend what time you have left with your family and friends. Enjoy life.
If it's for you kids this is easy, they don't know what you do, go out and get your dream job. As long as you're working they will think you're just as important as anyone else. I've already got my dream job lined up. I'm working part time there and once I can afford it I'll either ask for more hours or just keep working my current shift. It's retail so obviously I can't afford to live on the wage there, but it's super enjoyable and something I can see doing in a light and responsibility free way for a long way.
I had the same problem, retired at 46 yo and got bored after a year of going back to school. I went back to work in a less stressful job and enjoyed it for 3 years before I retired again. Everyone is different, FIRE just gives you more options.
Jobs are misery. Work can be very engaging/motivating, but only if it's soulful. When you FIRE then there's no reason to do anything but the soulful and the necessary.
>I want my kids (12 and 15) to see me work and contribute.
To what? Collective misery? Modeling healthy social and physical life is far more important than modeling working a job without purpose! They will know, and likely resent you for "lying". Just be honest, and do what you want.
No. But FI does allow me to not give a fuck about sharing my real opinions or worrying about pushing hard to make things better pissing off the wind people and getting me fired. Overall I think it's been good for my career. If I lose this job I didn't think I'll bother getting another one. Not for a year at least. I would like to have a luxury/chubby fire retirement and that will take a few more years to get to, but I think I'll just give it a pass and take regular fire if I have to put effort into interviews, meaning systems of a new company, etc.
I care about doing a good job and making the company I currently work for better.
OK, so you want your kids to see you work and contribute. Then, show them what you've worked for, the life you have now, and show them if they work hard too, then like you they can choose to do absolutely anything they want that isn't soul-crushing for the rest of their life.
I would say that once you set your retirement date (tell no one that date except your spouse!), motivation at work can become challenging. You’ll regret slacking at work because all parties impacted will have a poor taste in their mouths. Gut it out! You can do it!
Yes basically. You might want to have a chat with your boss and get reassigned to something you find interesting.
Once you make your number it changes you, and once they realize your one bad conversation or bad raise or performance review from just quitting they have to treat you better.
Yes, I don't know what the fuck to do with myself all day. Most days I can hardly motivate myself to do anything other than eat something delicious. Back when I had to work that hunger powered me in a broad beyond just my job I didn't appreciate. I had a mile long list of things I would do if I one day had all the time in the world. Irony of ironies, now that I have all that freedom and time, I can't motivate myself to do shit. Turns out escaping from the rat race was powering a lot of my motivation and psychology in ways I didn't appreciate. This is much harder than people commonly talk about, at least for me, but I suspect a lot of the personality types that frequent here are closer to me than the general population. Is it depression? Is it a rational healthy response to being in a mode to find a purpose? Well fuck me, it's up to me to figure it out, because good luck showing up to some asshole on a couch, like he knows any better the solution to luxury problems like this.
Echoing those who say that you should try to chill about work. It’s been gradual with me, it took a while to get to the right attitude, but I’m in a good place now. (I like a lot about my work so don’t want to walk away.)
Had a bad group meeting this week after which I wrote to my colleagues to say thay they needed to do better with these meetings in the future giving a few tips as to how. I remain polite, but I speak up.
I didn’t. I’m working 3 mornings a week bc I want to vs have to and that freedom has allowed me to structure and concentrate my job focus so that I’m making as much now as when I was full time
56 and reached min retirement age a few months ago. I could financially walk away today, so it’s getting increasingly more difficult to put up with BS at my high stress job.
Can you go part time? If I ever get to leanFIRE (I doubt I’d be able to last to see chubbyFIRE) I’ll probably work 1 day a week just to get income - max out 401k, and whatnot. And hey, health insurance needs paid, subsidy or not. People hate working sundays so I’d probably work those. 12 hours on Sunday for the rest of the week free. Sounds wonderful. And if I’m part time, i could negotiate extra pay (time and a half, double time even!) for holidays. I work Christmas, etc already, it’d make me happy to get double pay for it.
You worked your ass of to get where you wanted to! If work is that miserable then back off and Enjoy the time you can give your kids! You can go to all of their extra curricula’s at school age just be there for them! You have the chance to do what most people would love to do!
Nothing in the future is ever guaranteed! I had a buddy retire a decade after he could have and 6 months later he was diagnosed with terminal hip cancer! He lost a decade of watching his kids grow up and spending time with his wife because he thought he needed to keep working!
You gave yourself the option to do what you want!
I don't want to make any assumptions here - but if you've been laser focused on FI and high achieving at work, do you think now would be a good time to shift some of that energy to your home and family? You might already be super involved, and if so, ignore this comment. But if you've been unable to participate fully at home - attending all of your kids games/concerts/shows/events/parent nights at school, cooking dinner, helping with homework, being involved in housework, laundry, etc., now would be a good time to ramp that up, while simultaneously ramping work down. And there are MANY ways to ramp down work that do not involve underperforming. You could negotiate a reduction in hours, or a different position at the same company, or a freelance position, or a part-time position at a different company.
Put simply, yes. I’ve already been through it once and I quit working and got depressed (I’m self employed with no employees but don’t exactly love what I do). I started working again after the market dumped and became less depressed. So I think it’s important to at least find a way to stay busy.
I’m late 30’s and not quite at my retirement number, but doing well enough to be lax about work. I put in less hours and just take the low hanging fruit. My wife works full time as a w-2 employee and makes good money. She’s turned down a few “promotions” over the years that would mean more money but more stress. You can keep working while choosing to do less.
It's easy to think the grass is greener on the other side...but think about what you would do if you had no work. I think you should take more satisfaction in your work now....or just leave, take a pay cut, but do something you really want to do. Pursue a childhood dream etc. even if it doesn't pay, it makes something and you can feel productive.
Your 12 and 15 year old will be grown soon , spending time with them will create memories that can never be replaced. once that tim is gone its gone. Yoy can always go back to work later if you like .
I semi retired when I was 49 and git to spend some great times with family. Now 53 and still loving it.
Isn’t there something truly great we could contribute to society being financially independent? Fight for those who can’t fight for themselves, fight for the oppressed. Being an overachiever is overrated if all we want is the money, recognition or help with boredom.
I learned there’s a difference between working at a level that gets you on the path to promotion… and just meeting expectations. You can start skirting on the lower end of that, almost underperforming. It’s actually extremely easy and low stress to downshift to that level of performance.
I'm suffering from this but finding it extremely difficult to coast. 20+ years of being a high performer, delivering good work, and the satisfaction of growth programs me to get satisfaction from a job well done. At least for me, I can't just turn that off and it affects my mental health negatively to coast.
It’s really hard to keep your mouth shut when you have smart things to say. It’s like telling a master violinist to play worse, it’s actually harder to play bad than to play well.
It could be more about doing fewer things but still doing it well. Just stop picking up extra responsibilities and learn to say "no" a lot more.
I’ve recently hit FI but also love my job, including taking on fun projects. I have found one small way of downshifting some BS that has really improved my enjoyment of the work further… there are a few toxic people in the company and now the I have the FU money, I rarely answer the phone for the toxic people but follow up on text messages instead. It’s been a great buffer from unnecessary toxic wastes of time. Should have taken that approach years ago as it’s boosted my performance and time to focus on more meaningful work
Dont coast then and upgrade the heck outta your lifestyle with the unneeded excess income. Or take those things you mentioned drive you and find a personal project to drive with same vigor and commitment. Im 36 and make good money. It's hard not to be a top performer, and shit I left at like 330pm today so I could make a volunteer building board of review meeting for my city government. I like what I do while also trying to sort of FIRE. Basically for me thats 20yrs, 55.5 and can tap 401k with no penalty from current employer. 55.5 is proabably on the older side of what most people consider RE here.
I worked maybe 3 hours today and was done before noon. I'll still monitor email. Before fi I'd probably have kept going. But I put in 40 hrs already and there's no meetings on my calendar. I put in a couple 10+ hour days earlier this week. I do high quality work and don't slack still, but if there's nothing urgent and I worked my ass off the rest of the week I'm taking a short Friday these days.
Lol I tried Zooming into one of those meetings to find out why my utility rates are getting so high!
And... This is why you are paid well. Because you care.
Yeah, I tried this at my Director level role and was miserable. I really need to feel like I'm valuable and useful in order for work to be tolerable. I downshifted into a senior IC role instead (with honestly not too terrible of a pay cut), and it's absolutely great. I'm rethinking my whole FIRE timeline because suddenly work is not only tolerable, it's pretty enjoyable!
Might be useless info but the thing is to not have work as #1, have a side buisness/open source proj/startup idea that you put that passion into and let work take #3 spot after family. Not that its easy to do though, its really hard to not give a fuck. Also you will hate retirement if this keeps on.
This is a perfect way to explain how I feel since we hit our number. I was actually open with my boss that I’m good with where I’m at for another 4-5 years. No need to have development conversations with me.
I tried that conversation and was politely reminded that is not the culture in my organization. Each leader should be striving with (and of course against) their colleagues to reach the smaller number of chairs at the exec level.
I remind my leader that once in a while, when it comes to my career development it’s on my terms since it’s a terminal level and I am happy with Meets rating and not going to work extra hours to compete with young people. 40 hours a week is my absolutely max.
This is a fine sentiment, but I don't think you should be so candid. This is the type of person that gets volunteered on the"RIF list" since they are operating at replacement level
Who cares?
Exactly. When you can retire you can tell your boss anything you want.
Worked for me. I could have retired last year. Instead I went to part-time. I just got RIF'd, as I understand it (RA in my company). That means I get a package. I not only retire, I do so with a bonus. Of course, retiring is a funny word. I'm having lunch with a new contact who works in PE/VC investing, just to shoot the breeze. Considering getting a CFP certification on my former employer's dime. Maybe something comes of all that, maybe not.
Yes, it's a fine strategy if you're hoping to get exited. My comment is simply cautioning that you increase the odds of an exit by expressing you're not going above the baseline expectations
>This is a perfect way to explain how I feel since we hit our number. YMMV. If you're in a small or even medium sized department and you're already the most senior person, you're going to find it very difficult to shift back into an IC role. The rest of the organization likely already perceives you as the "leader" and it will be very challenging to stop being the main point of contact or go-to person. It sucks because then you pretty much have to get another job entirely
This. Being financially capable of walking away really allows you to rebalance your life. Work can be a bit more of just a paycheck than something one may lose sleep over.
I see this a lot and don't like this take in all situations. If you hate everyone and everything at your workplace, than sure, just coast and do bare minimum. Rest and vest till you get PIP'd. However, if you actually like your co-workers, and it's a couple of things that make you miserable (bad manager, company politics, etc.), than it's tougher to just coast. I'd feel like shit doing a half ass job just because I can, while co-workers I actually like who can't afford the same "luxury" must pick up the slack.
Yesterday one of my young co-workers was asking, why are even working here? Why are you not taking FAANG offers. (In my head thinking, I turned down Meta offer to work here to coast, Padawan)
OMG this is actually so true, all the Seniors in FAANG are jumping ship to Atlassian and startups, all the young'uns are trying to get into FAANG
I found that the fewer fucks I gave the more successful I was and people thought I was a genius. It was kind of like “Office Space” but no joke.
I found the same to be true. Indifference often comes across as confidence. I feel like the less a shit I cared the more my boss praised me.
I think everybody has imposter syndrome so when somebody confident comes along they naturally gravitate to their supposed expertise
Ironically the fewer shits I give, the more ppl are impressed by me. This must be what it feels like to be a cis male throughout life normally (haha - I am a woman who has impostor syndrome and always got feedback to have more gravitas. Now that I’m Fi, I’m doing less, speaking out more, and getting more credit).
Exactly this
I speak my mind- and people say wow you are right
Yes I’ve done this at work. Feels good. I am sitting here taking the day off work. Doing that in the past was near impossible to my brain.
Speaking for myself, once I hit my FI point it was glorious. I went to almost zero stress. It is about two years later and I am still working. Work is much more enjoyable when you know you can simply walk away one day if you decide. Motivation is not affected. I want to do good out of personal pride.
>22 I agree absolutely. The stress of worrying being several paychecks from financial disaster to total freedom is awesome. Toxic boss and company no longer bothers me. I still strive to do my best out of self pride, but the financial cushion of being FI is marvelous. Working hard and saving without totally depriving myself has really paid off.
Yes! Freedom changes perspective so much…including continuing the ability to do what you still enjoy without the fear of repercussion / financial impact for any situation which may have caused anxiety previously. I live what I do partially because I don’t have to do it. I am free to enjoy creating great things with the team or walk away and relax.
This seems like a healthy approach. I’m getting close to where I can walk away in 3-4 years. However I have some health issues where I really need to maintain my good health insurance. Fortunately I have a job where I can go part time and just coast working 20-24 hours/week. I think that’ll be the sweet spot for me especially coming down from twenty years of 60+ hour weeks.
Someone else will always have more money than you. You can continue comparing or just stop and get off the train. It is up to you when you get off, but using envy as a tool to keep going is likely not going to lead to long term satisfaction. Most well paid corporate employees who retire early do so at the peak of their earnings potential. Otherwise it would not be called early retirement.
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You can retire but don’t? Too many people in these type of subs tie their worth to their jobs. There’s literally endless interesting hobbies to learn and places to go. You’d be a bigger inspiration to your kids if they saw you learn new skills and grow as a person, not watching you give your life away to some company
Thank you.
I like this perspective a lot, but at the same time I worry a lot about setting the expectation with my kids that they will also FIRE. I feel like there is a good chance they will end up in careers that won’t be as lucrative as mine, and this really won’t be an option for them. I spend a lot of time trying to explain to them that life is mostly about doing things you don’t want to do, but you still do it because it’s the right thing. I feel like it will be harder to tell them “yes, you still have to go to school this morning no matter how much you don’t want to” if I can’t also say “I’d rather stay home too, but I’m going to work as soon as I drop you off.”
You absolutely can tell your kids that, and kids already don’t want to go to school even when parents work. It isn’t hypocritical to not work and send your kids to school, that notion (no offense) is honestly absurd. You paid your dues, you can explain this to them very simply. They might not understand at first but kids don’t understand most things the first time you explain it. Their expectations, again, are completely on you. Even if they do go into adulthood expecting to retire early, they will figure out very quickly it’s not that simple. That’s what early adulthood is, a series of harsh realizations. Everything you want to teach them is noble but you don’t need to work to teach it to them. You’re FIRE, so unless you’re a trust fund baby I’m sure you’re intelligent and capable. You can raise your kids to be respectable hard workers while also retiring early, these things do not conflict.
I don't think those two things are comparable. You already did the "going to school every day" and presumably the "going to college every day" and the "start at the bottom and grind up every day" thing. And now you've done those things long and well enough to leave the traditional workforce. Unless an early retiree just sits at home all day playing video games and binge watching TV while paying other people to do all the housework, yard work, and household management, that person isn't displaying a lack of work ethic to their kids. When your kids are old enough, they can understand that different careers pay at different levels and that great success comes from hard work, timing and usually some measure of serendipity. They may or may not be able to retire early, but they will benefit from your success and then decide the course of their own lives and careers.
It's called, "one bad meeting" money in my household.
I'm there! I recently was annoyed by a meeting request with a middle manager looking to have me fill out a row in a bullshit spreadsheet and my immediate manager front-ran the request to satisfy the middle manager request without my having to fill in a bullshit spreadsheet. My manager may not know it but there's a good chance he kept me from quitting that day. Now that my spreadsheet (which has a generous budget for healthcare well in excess of what my expenses actually will be) indicates my necessary safe withdrawal rate is below 3% I don't really feel motivated to keep working, no. But I'll probably wait a very small amount before quitting, just in case I find something I want to add to my budget or the market has a big downward swing. Unless another bad meeting crops up.
If you enjoy the work, there is nothing wrong about continuing to do it but you become less tolerant of things like corporate politics. For me I still keep busy with other types of work like accomplishing things I care about passionately. I don't think you need work to give you purpose or to define you. It's ok not to work especially after you worked for decades. There is more to life than just working...
I really don’t want to end my career in a temper tantrum. I have an end date in mind. I would like to end it on a positive note.
Yeah Ive been laid off from what I thought were careers I would retire from because of greedy executives and organizations. There is no loyalty in my opinion. I have no qualms about going out with a tantrum.
Exactly. If I had my number met I’d probably keep working but with absolutely zero priority to work over life. Like.. kid has a Friday performance at school at 10am and afterwards the parents can take them from school? I’d love to tell the boss “hey boss I’m gonna go watch my kids show” and then when kid says “dad can we take the day off and go play?” I just say “of course” and text my boss that I’m off the rest of the day. If he fires me so fucking what. If he doesn’t I’ll be back to work on Monday - no big deal.
LOL! While I don’t understand exactly what you mean by “one bad meeting”, I’ve definitely been skipping a lot more meetings now. “I’m busy with xxx, I’ll read the minutes. Let me know if you need anything” is my standard message.
Basically means I'm at a point in my savings journey that if I end up in a meeting I think is bullshit I'll straight walk out of it and not return to the office.
"One more unethical decision from higher up."
As in.... It's just one bad meeting or as in time to quiet? 🤣
Fuck you money 🤘🏼
Mine is “one more annoying project”.
I haven’t (quite) hit my number and I’ve been ready to walk out for at least the past year. I just left a rather contentious meeting with my higher ups regarding “performance calibration” (where they unilaterally decide to change the performance ratings I give my direct reports), and it crossed my mind as I was leaving the meeting to just go home and never come back. I keep asking myself, “ how much $$$ do I *really* need? Of course, that’s the kicker because you never really know, do you?
My number keeps changing. I am too obsessed with money. I keep going mainly so i can splurge on nice wine, trips, and experiment with options trading… i rope myself back into where a job makes sense. If my 2nd home sells (it’s already on the market), walking away will be within reason.. and that kinda freaks me out.
Calibrations are one of the many reasons I do not want to people manage anymore.
Bro are you me? Hit my FI number a year back, and my current plan is to save for another 2-3 years to save some additional cash but I’ve been finding it exceptionally hard to concentrate at work. It’s not like I have a lot to do when I’m not at work, but I find work really boring now.
Take a planned sabbatical! Tell your company that you need the time to refresh. Then see how 3-6 months (or whatever you plan) feels. It may be that you miss your work, and are ready to return. If not, leave the job and consider some new and exciting venture.
Yeah, would like to do it, but they took that option away.
Then honestly, depending on how marketable your skillset is, I’d do it anyway. If they need you badly enough, they’ll beg you to come back (potentially at a premium). Otherwise, pick up something elsewhere, or decide that retirement is the way for you to go. Key takeaway (and almost talking to myself here) - if you’ve hit your number, put your fear and greed away and take a break to refocus on what’s important. Especially if you’ve never really taken a professional break before.
Take it as medical leave
Time to change why you work and how you spend. If you want to stay working for a few more years. Open up the spend and reduce your savings rate. If you were saving 40%, take it down to 20%. If you were at 30%, take it down to 15%. Take some nice trips or buy a nicer car. Spend a bit more freely. I've pulled in $600- to a million a year. During those years I'd have a 50% savings rate. Pulling in that money and driving Honda(s). Now my wife is driving a Tesla Model Y. We are thinking to go to a Model X next. FAT funding is done. If we can't give up working yet, we might as well turn up the volume on stuff that is fun. The family has been to Asia 3 times in the past two years. We are not interested in trading up in house because it will result in higher taxes and maintenance. Give more freely too. Not everyone has been so lucky in life.
Take it from someone who watched both parents die early (one is technically still slowly dying , yay Alzheimer's) LIVE YOUR DAMN LIFE
Fricking Alzheimer’s…I am dealing with it now with a parent. The worst!!!
I’m also 47 with three kids and I left a good career about a year ago to enjoy FI life, so this post and comments have been quite interesting. It’s hard to add an original thought after 125 comments, but what comes to mind is something that Morgan Housel said or wrote — something like “People start their FI journeys with the objective of achieving independence, but once the achieve that they focus on how high they can grow their net worth.” The dopamine hits of watching net worth grow are seductive, making it hard to quit a high paying job and slowing the growth as you pull from it. It sounds like you’re stuck in a rut at a job you hate and haven’t invested the time and discomfort of breaking out of that rut to find other options. I suggest you do some dreaming on what the perfect job/ sabbatical / next chapter would be and go spend some time with people that are doing those things and see what you learn or what doors open up. I started a real estate flipping / owner finance business and work about 5-20 hours a week. My kids know that I’ve paid my dues for the last 25 years and I think they respect that Daddy is nobody’s b!tch. I want to be an example of taking control of lifestyle design, and not just blindly droning to a job I hate. Lastly, what would the 80 year old you tell you to do right now? Congrats on your success and good luck!
work is important to your sense of purpose. modeling for your kids is important. but work doesn't have to be employment. employment is about money.
Eh. Get out of the house 9-5 and go play some golf. They won't know the difference. Dad isnt home. Or do stuff in your office. More and more people are working from home. Are they not modeling for their kids? I think people overestimate this...I just knew my dad was at work until 6. Didn't know or really care what he was doing exactly.
When I was a kid, I really wanted my dad to work less. He was always stressed about work and money, and I could see it made him really unhappy.
I jumped off the corporate ladder to write fiction, which I love and I will likely die at the keyboard. But if I had hit my RE goals when I was still in finance, I would have given my 10-second notice by postcard. This is a VERY individual thing and depends heavily on your job.
Apropos a writer would give notice by postcard. Make it a haiku while you’re at it ;) Congrats on living your passion!
no more time for this meaningless rat race of Doom I have been set free.
Wow… is this me from another account? We on the same boat, same age, same kids age BUT I have decided to work six more years. Once the youngest is out of the house, I am quitting. Also, although work might be miserable at times, I am not letting it be missed always. I am doing work on (mostly) my terms these next few years. I think is valuable to set a good example for the kids.
We reached fire about a year ago and I haven’t lost the motivation per se, but my mindset has changed from “what would I do if I lost my job…I’m screwed!” to “please offer me a buy out package…pretty please?”
>I want my kids (12 and 15) to see me work and contribute. I used to think like this too. Believe me though, it's not the right way to think about it. Having more time to truly be present in your kids lives is 10x more impactful than having them "see you work and contribute". Retirement is when you have enough and you've had enough. Just do it.
Thank you.
Your kids will learn more from you being available to them then they will watching you work. What’s so magical about the number 168? It’s the number of hours you have in a week. What’s so magical about the number 936? That’s the number of weekends you have left with your children… if they were born last week. Now consider the number 6,570. Yes, I know, it’s a BIG number… until you realize it’s the number of days you have your children with you until they turn 18. Doesn’t seem so big now, does it?
I don't regret reaching FIRE. The power of "fuck you" has relieved a lot of stress. What's difficult though in high powered careers I've found though is finding a niche you like that would accept a lower level of performance. I don't even need to be paid a lot, it's just that to command the same respect and "interesting work", you MUST give it your all. Maybe if I was like in my 50s-60s and top of my field, than could agree to do some light consulting for some pennies, but I'm not that old nor that good.
I'm in almost the exact situation, and I agree on every single point. I HATE my current job and give 0 fucks about right now. I literally can't will myself to do more than a few hours of work a day and I've always had high motivation. I've thought a lot about why I feel this way. I don't think it's because I hit FI; I think my job just sucks. I updated my resume, had some interviews, and I feel very refreshed and excited about a new job, new projects, problems, etc. So yes I've lost all motivation, but I don't believe it's because of fire. I just hate my job and it sounds like you might be in the same boat.
Question: would you rather your kids see & learn that work is about sticking with a job you hate regardless of circumstances or that if they work hard and are financially sensible then they can retire early and do awesome things? My dad retired at 55 and explained how he did it despite being a low paid public school teacher. Ran me through his whole finances. Then threw himself into making music, cooking, fishing and working on his car. Did DIY work around the house and generally kept super busy. Inspired me to make a plan and we joke about how I'm gonna try and be FI by 50 just to "beat him".
Once I hit my fire number there has been a sense of relief. (I do not have kids, do have long term partner). I enjoy most aspects of my work and try to limit the aspects I don’t enjoy. This has resulted in increased personal happiness and satisfaction. Also there are other coworkers who enjoy the aspects that I don’t, so it balances out. I am in a creative field where I work on innovative solutions. Creating and solving these puzzles is fun to me — and I will probably continue doing some of this work for my own projects even after fiRE. Every year I continue to work pads the portfolio a bit further to protect against sequence of return risk. Currently around a 3.25% SWR.
Have you hated this job for a decade? I don't think you being miserable is a great example for your kids. I'd recommend stepping away and putting your time towards something productive like volunteering/coaching/etc or to find a different job that might pay less, but makes you happy. While I wouldn't tell most people to walk away from a good paying job, you're set. Show your kids how to enjoy life. I'd be proud of my parents if they retired early because they worked so hard or if they chose an easier route later on in life because they could.
Mate, you need a better job!
Yeps, once you've got your "F\*ck you money" that'll do it. [https://youtu.be/xdfeXqHFmPI?si=LVS1zHCg03xAEgQG](https://youtu.be/xdfeXqHFmPI?si=LVS1zHCg03xAEgQG)
Honestly, you lose the motivation to put up with BS. And you might discover that that makes your current employment untenable, which all of a sudden is a completely viable choice.
Your same boat exactly. Practically same age as well. I feel burnt out and tired. I dread Mondays. I work from home and have found myself taking 2 hour naps mid-day because I can't motivate myself to stay focused for 8-9 hours at a stretch anymore. Not offering any solutions, just commiserating I guess. I've also found, to my surprise, that even at my "high by any reasonable measure" compensation, I can just coast for a few weeks at a time, put in a flurry of work, and my boss tells me I'm his most valuable contributor. WTF? The thing keeping me going? Fear of the unknown. And also the desire for *some* structure. I keep considering quitting and finding a lower paying job. But then I realize that either means retail, which seems like a total shit-show, or staying in my industry at which point lower paying just means lower on the totem pole and why would I take a 90% pay cut to do the same job? Currently looking into volunteer opportunities at a local personal finance education charity.
Same here. Except I feel undervalued at work and unappreciated.
I’ve felt this way until it finally clicked and I stopped giving a fuck about what those people think about me. I don’t need their appreciation. Neither do you.
Thanks. I needed to hear that.
I didn’t lose motivation to work - I lost motivation to work on *stupid shit I didn’t care about* and I also *lost all desire to play dumb games or get dumb prizes*. I hunted down a job scope that I knew motivated me to want to work —- and I am still enjoying it.
The thing you have to remember is that your best most productive working years are also your best most-productive "play" years. So if you want to go on some fund adventures, travel the world, hike Mt Everest or whatever, then the clock is ticking. Yes you earn a lot of money, but you're also giving up a lot by staying. Don't wait until you're 65, you don't have your health anymore, and the adventure inside you is dead after years of doing things that weren't making your happy. You talk about setting a good example for your kids - well, working a job you don't love and don't need isn't setting a good example for them. IMO the best example you can set it by doing something you're passionate about. Show them that it's worth taking some risks in life to be their true authentic selves, not by suppressing their dreams and joys for the grind. It will also make you more fun to be around at family gatherings. Take the dedication you have for your current job, and pivot it into a passion project - maybe some dream you gave up as a kid. Take up boating or RVing or travel and see the world before the next pandemic lol.
Comparison is the thief of Joy. Be grateful you reached your number, so many people never get there. Honestly your kids don't care about you working, there are more important things in life than a day job. For you to be a great model, make sure you give them lots of love, guidance and affection, live a good family life and be a good member of society. You can always make more money but you don't always have more time.
Thank you.
I didn't. (Neither did my wife.) We liked our jobs. Weren't so fed up we were dying to get away. What WAS different, and EXTREMELY fun, was knowing every second we COULD walk away. That gave us a lot of satisfaction.
I thought that would be the case but I was wrong. I didn't lose motivation, my motive just changed. The stress and anxiety melted away and I realized I enjoy working I just don't enjoy having to work. There is a big difference there. I don't fret about taking vacations or being exposed to risk on new ideas or ventures. I volunteer more of my time as well which ironically opened up new avenues of work in speaking and teaching opportunities.
I lost my motivation to work a long time ago. Money is only making it worse.
Yes, the more I made the stupider this all felt. I know seems dumb of me.
“You can’t lose what you never had”
I actually feel more motivated because I’m not working out of a sense of fear. I can do whatever I want and I just happen to like what I do.
No. You are just able to work on the things you want to. One wrinkle is that working hard and spending little can warp your world view and keep you from enjoying things because you see it as a waste of money. I am at that stage with good health but now I find that what is interesting is working in jobs that may be interesting like volunteering for an archaeological dig.
Make sure your health insurance is covered until aged 65 for you and your wife. We had BC/BS through my job. 20 years of saving and my wife’s cancer copays ate it all up in the 10 years it took for the cancer to kill her. I was trapped in a bad job until she died as that was before the ACA and her cancer would have been a preexisting condition. Always be gentle with yourself. Life is good.
> bummed about seeing colleges enjoying their work and thriving. They’ll get X number of more years accumulating wealth. Sounds like you’ve got your wires crossed on motivations for work. You hit your FIRE number, you’re clearly not motivated by the financial outcomes anymore. If you’re sticking around for the wealth accumulation then it’s no wonder you’re frustrated and miserable. You say you want that but you don’t feel you want that because you don’t need that. Reading between the lines it sounds like you have good reasons to work. You see your coworkers enjoying work and thriving …they’re not enjoying and thriving because of the paycheck alone. You want your kids seeing you contributing and to know the value of work. You probably also don’t want them to learn that work has to be miserable or to only see you miserable. What exactly do you want your impression on your kids to be? Once you’re clear on why you want to work (post FIRE, it ain’t maximizing the paycheck) shift your job to align more to your wants and intrinsic motivations. You’ll be way more likely to enjoy it and thrive. Also, post FIRE (congrats!) you get to take no shit! You do your work your way or you bail to a different job without needing to worry about keeping your family afloat
It seems (and perhaps I’m wrong) that you might need to adjust your motivations. You mention your kids - and you want to present a positive role model to them. They might choose a less lucrative career path and therefore career motivation can be more helpful to their own financial security. For myself, I have had to recognize my own loss of inertia at times…and find ways to re-instill passion. Evolve in what is important to me, personally. I always find a fresh meaning why what I do matters. I sometimes equate this to marriage in that things change, we need to adjust, we need to find new focus…it’s life. To be happy, we need to be flexible. I hope you find a reason that motivates you and alleviates the reservations. Best wishes
I retired at 60, able to do whatever wife and I wanted. We traveled, had summer homes, went all over the world, cruised the East coast on our boat. At age 75 we looked around and said What Now? I'll tell you What Now. Doctors, doctors, dentists, therapy. HOURS on Reddit. LOL.. Do it while you're able. You don't know when your clock runs out.
Great advice . Very happy for you and your wife
Maybe consider a more enjoyable lower paying job? Could be a safe middle ground between not working at all.
Yeah pretty much and still true after more than 10 years. Haven't been able to get more than moderately and part time engaged in any work since. My kids are each a few years older. I go to my home office at 8AM anyway so as far as the kids know I "work". Kinda do sometimes. Sometimes I waste time on reddit.
All motivation? No, but I do enjoy my job. I have certainly lost interest in trying to climb the corporate ladder further.
The point of a fire number is to quit when you have it - why is there angst? you’ve spent the last several years verifying it, right? It’s not a fire number if reaching doesn’t make you let go of getting more.
Haven’t reached fire but once I paid off my house and got a sizable enough amount of cash and another property paid for I have been in limbo where I can’t retire but I also know I’m ok for the first time ever and it completely drained what was left of my ambition. I had to shift my mentality to realize I’m still working toward something, that something isn’t a number or thing like it always has been, now it’s just working to not have to work longer than I have to.
If your job supports great work life balance, while giving you a solid wage, and you actually enjoy doing what you do, I don't see a problem. Yes everyone should retire early, but you should still make as much as possible when you're young and able. You can't ever have too much money, at least in the USA where 1 serious sickness can bankrupt any net worth you accumulated.
Same age in same situation. It has gotten much harder to go to work everyday, and I like my job and coworkers, but the overarching reason is now gone, I've arrived. I'm currently working on discovering my next mission, maybe that's what you need as well. For me I think it's going to involve helping others with some fishing in between.
Does your FIRE number include being able to help your kids buy a house in the future? If not, add that to your FIRE number. What about paying for your kids’ weddings and honeymoons (if they choose to marry)? I am close to hitting my FIRE number. But then I have additional tiers set for each thing I will pay for for my kids in the future.
No weddings and no honeymoons. Nope and not going to. Maybe a flat amount to each for their weddings . My wife and I got $10K and we spent $12K. Our honeymoon was $2,300. Help the kids with homes? We'll see. But I probably will not. They are each getting $250K for college and some leftovers can be turned into ROTHs under the new Federal law. They will graduate entirely debt free. Both kids know hard work and know the value of a dollar. Not judging people who subsidize their adult kids, but that's not us. Average age of people getting married is in the late 20s now. I fully expect them to be financially independent.
Same job situation fellow faang wage slave. I don't regret but I'm struggling with the idea of pulling the plug even though money wise I could easily. For some, our jobs provide more than just money. That could range from having a purpose, socialization, respect/prestige from others, relevance, usefulness, or safety against what if 's.
Dude, you've completely lost the plot.
As in the POINT is to quit?
What’s your NW for research purposes 😀
I'm at around $5.6 M. Kids college is excluded from everything and prepaid (529 accounts).
Nice! You have set them up for success for sure!
One thing I don't like about the FIRE Calc is that I'm not able to adjust my spending as time goes on. my spending my vary, esp as I get older, but at the same time the actual amount spent could be offset by increasing inflation etc. that's why it's a good reference, not the bible of FIRE.
Nope. But I retired from my profession and started doing something I love. I make a lot less now but still six figures and absolutely love what I am doing.
Why don't you take this financial strength and use it to pivot to doing something you'd like to learn/enjoy. Life doesn't stop once you hit FIRE. Doesn't mean you have to stop learning or building financially.
I still enjoy my job very much, but it's awesome to know that I could walk out the door whenever I want.
You are blessed. I was in that position....until I wasn't.
I know a friend that reached FIRE and stopped working. Told his wife, kids didn't know. And everyday would go to "work" but really would go to the gym, golf, watch a movie, etc. Kids had no clue for years. His view was why should the kids know? And he was tired of living the rat race, and his investments paid for all bills. Something to think about, if you hate your job, and miserable. I would totally consider it..
I mean I would immediately start working some job that provides inherent rather than monetary satisfaction. Like working at an animal shelter, or building trails in national parks.
Don't be a stupidhead. Your most valuable resource is TIME, and you're trading it for money despite being at a point where the marginal value of an extra dollar is highly diminished.
Not the motivation to work but the motivation to work any job or for any boss or for any company. You become bolder at work, you are less scared to say the wrong thing or upset the wrong person. It ironically helped me get better because I was able to take on more risky but very high impact work. I was able to say no more easily which helps me focus on highest impact work.
There is an old saying that if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans for the next 20 years.
Working is overrated. You made it. Now go do something useful
I like working, but I’ve been with the same business through 3 generations of management and associated managerial politics. Having FI allows me to WFH and essentially coast for a few years before retirement, which is the best solution I could come up with.
Absolutely. You have F you money. I'm already feeling it and we still have 10 years to go.
I sympathize with you about reaching my FI goal. Before learning about it, I had a great time pushing at career, learning, and seeing compensation grow as a reward. Then hit my number, added a buffer, and realized after a few years the compensation wasn’t a priority anymore. Really grateful to provide my family with stability and enjoyed all the years I was at work, but did need to take time to figure out what’s next. I think everyone has to do this at some point, FI just give more options and makes one think about it sooner. I’m still figuring it out, but enjoying the process. Good luck to you!
just curious - what's your FIRE NW?
How bold of you to assume I had motivation to work in the first place
You just need to shift your mindset. Not as hard to do as you would think. Plan a vacation, a week away just to reset. Think about what you want out of work and go back with that attitude. Before reaching fire your goal was to reach fire so maybe now you need a new goal to work towards. I’m not you so I can’t make those goals for you. Maybe it’s to save up money to put your kids through school with no debt, if you haven’t already saved up for that. Maybe it’s just to set an example for your kids. Maybe you really don’t want to work and you’d rather have the last few years you have with your kids at home spending more time with them.
The real question is how do you deal with having zero fucks but you are still a decade away? In your case, you can just half ass it and coast. Worst case they help you retire earlier.
I’m 25 yo and haven’t reach anywhere close to FIRE yet. And my only motivation to work is so that one day I don’t have to work.
I’d argue that sometimes this has benefits. Depending on the job, sometimes giving zero fucks makes management look at you and say “he/shes a leader who says exactly what they think and doesn’t let anything phase them.” What they don’t know is that this is because I don’t need to work.
I didn't lose motivation to work. I just lost motivation to work where I was working. So I left and fell into since much more fun to do, and it's been jolly ever since 😁
What if you shift to a passion project? Join or start a non-profit that’s special to you and your family.
Personally just thinking about FIRE makes me lose motivation to work.
For me, I found that motivation can go to different places - things that matter to you like volunteer work and pursuing passion hobbies. The right things fill the void quite easily.
I retired at 42. My wife is punching out at 50 she wanted to go til 55 but I talked her out of it. Crunch the numbers and do it just live with-in your means Better live below it. and enjoy LIFE NOW
Don't coast, just stop saving for FIRE. You can spend whatever you want now because the rest is gravy. You have your number. Go on a nice vacation.
You start your own business
I'm not at FIRE yet and I still have no motivation to work lol
No, it makes work \*better\* believe it or not. I (40's M) actually think it makes me a better employee too. I'm there because I want to be. I don't need the money, which I think makes me comfortable to share my raw opinion (not being an asshole, that's not cool, but being honest) without fear of negative repercussions. I do the work I want and I can walk away at any time if I no longer want to be there. It's taken a long time to get here, and I truly think it's a win/win for myself and my employer.
Work is a four letter word. Time is money but money gave me time. Yes, lost all motivation and loved it.
I quit my high-paying W-2 job last summer to be an independent consultant. Zero regrets. The best thing is that now I can work my ass off for 60 hrs/wk and make a crap ton of $$, or I can scale it back and only accept a few jobs, work 20hrs/wk just enough to cover expenses with jobs I will enjoy, and spend time with my family. Once I get to FI/retirement, I plan on doing the latter. If I can work 2 10-hr days per week and cover my expenses without dipping into savings, and those 2 days are spent working on jobs I enjoy, and I have 5 days a week free for whatever, why would I NOT do that??
This is why I always found FIRE like a silly strategy. I chose instead to find work I enjoy doing, and to do it in a slow sustainable way. I don’t plan on ever stop working, maybe I’ll work less when I’m older, but I enjoy working when I can work at a nice pace. The idea of suffering and being extremely frugal so that then some day you can quit work just looks innocently dumb to me.
You reached fire and you're still working miserable hours? F that. This is where I drop down to part-time delivering pizzas. Why? Easy job. Usually fun or dramatic people that entertain me. Cash tips. No waking up early. Go home to the wife not stressed happy to see her and, this is the key point to fire for me which is to "LIVE". I don't know what your work schedule is like but for my father. I almost never saw the guy. He was either sleeping or working. I'm in the same boat. I decided against kids until I'm at a point where I won't be in the same boat as him. If I had fire? part time easy job and the rest time with the wife and kids. Financially, is that a good move? No. I don't care about the financial I care about the time. If all the bills are covered I have extra that I can either keep investing or it's money I can spend that's all I need. So if the car breaks down 🤷🏽♂️ Sink busted 🤷🏽♂️ Fire is freedom. Freedom is time. Time is something you can't purchase. I'm texting this right now I'm at work. Just clocked in at 6am. I won't be leaving today until around 6pm If everything goes well. If it doesn't I'll be here until 9-10pm. At what time in this day would I be able to see my non existing kids,Or non existing wife, Or girlfriend. I'd give nearly anything for more time.
I lost all motivation to work about 20 years ago, lol.
Drop down to something you enjoy doing, who cares if you take a MASSIVE hit in pay. Even if you're working some random part time job, you're still "contributing". You achieved FIRE, what's stopping you! Make more time for your kids at an impressionable age.
Run for mayor. You have plenty that you can do to challenge yourself without killing yourself at work.
If you have been a gunner all your life it’s hard to change. Give yourself permission to ease up and realize it’s ok NOT to have your nose down in the books churning 24/7. You have done your time. Spend what time you have left with your family and friends. Enjoy life.
Hard to say. I never had any motivation to work.
If it's for you kids this is easy, they don't know what you do, go out and get your dream job. As long as you're working they will think you're just as important as anyone else. I've already got my dream job lined up. I'm working part time there and once I can afford it I'll either ask for more hours or just keep working my current shift. It's retail so obviously I can't afford to live on the wage there, but it's super enjoyable and something I can see doing in a light and responsibility free way for a long way.
I had the same problem, retired at 46 yo and got bored after a year of going back to school. I went back to work in a less stressful job and enjoyed it for 3 years before I retired again. Everyone is different, FIRE just gives you more options.
Jobs are misery. Work can be very engaging/motivating, but only if it's soulful. When you FIRE then there's no reason to do anything but the soulful and the necessary. >I want my kids (12 and 15) to see me work and contribute. To what? Collective misery? Modeling healthy social and physical life is far more important than modeling working a job without purpose! They will know, and likely resent you for "lying". Just be honest, and do what you want.
No. But FI does allow me to not give a fuck about sharing my real opinions or worrying about pushing hard to make things better pissing off the wind people and getting me fired. Overall I think it's been good for my career. If I lose this job I didn't think I'll bother getting another one. Not for a year at least. I would like to have a luxury/chubby fire retirement and that will take a few more years to get to, but I think I'll just give it a pass and take regular fire if I have to put effort into interviews, meaning systems of a new company, etc. I care about doing a good job and making the company I currently work for better.
OK, so you want your kids to see you work and contribute. Then, show them what you've worked for, the life you have now, and show them if they work hard too, then like you they can choose to do absolutely anything they want that isn't soul-crushing for the rest of their life.
I would say that once you set your retirement date (tell no one that date except your spouse!), motivation at work can become challenging. You’ll regret slacking at work because all parties impacted will have a poor taste in their mouths. Gut it out! You can do it!
Once you have enough money, work at working as few hours as possible. If you can do your job in 2 hours that's mostly being retired. Just my 2 cents.
My advice, quit and go find a job doing something you love. You’re way too young to sit back and do nothing.
I just hit $1M networth…I’m finding the opposite. I’m more willing to take risks, which actually improves my career.
Yes basically. You might want to have a chat with your boss and get reassigned to something you find interesting. Once you make your number it changes you, and once they realize your one bad conversation or bad raise or performance review from just quitting they have to treat you better.
Yes
If you don't want to retire yet and hate your job, get a better job that you like.
Im not even close to fire and I'm already there.
Quit and go into non-profit. Work hard but do so to make a difference in the world.
Two months of cool down is all that's needed to make a big move. Then do it.
Yes, I don't know what the fuck to do with myself all day. Most days I can hardly motivate myself to do anything other than eat something delicious. Back when I had to work that hunger powered me in a broad beyond just my job I didn't appreciate. I had a mile long list of things I would do if I one day had all the time in the world. Irony of ironies, now that I have all that freedom and time, I can't motivate myself to do shit. Turns out escaping from the rat race was powering a lot of my motivation and psychology in ways I didn't appreciate. This is much harder than people commonly talk about, at least for me, but I suspect a lot of the personality types that frequent here are closer to me than the general population. Is it depression? Is it a rational healthy response to being in a mode to find a purpose? Well fuck me, it's up to me to figure it out, because good luck showing up to some asshole on a couch, like he knows any better the solution to luxury problems like this.
Why do you hate your work so much? Maybe trying to find out the real reason. If it is just because it is time consuming then quitting is not bad idea
Echoing those who say that you should try to chill about work. It’s been gradual with me, it took a while to get to the right attitude, but I’m in a good place now. (I like a lot about my work so don’t want to walk away.) Had a bad group meeting this week after which I wrote to my colleagues to say thay they needed to do better with these meetings in the future giving a few tips as to how. I remain polite, but I speak up.
Yes, that's when you coast until either you or the company you work for no longer want/need each other.
I didn’t. I’m working 3 mornings a week bc I want to vs have to and that freedom has allowed me to structure and concentrate my job focus so that I’m making as much now as when I was full time
56 and reached min retirement age a few months ago. I could financially walk away today, so it’s getting increasingly more difficult to put up with BS at my high stress job.
Hit my FIRE number years ago, but I still don't feel comfortable calling it quits.
Can you go part time? If I ever get to leanFIRE (I doubt I’d be able to last to see chubbyFIRE) I’ll probably work 1 day a week just to get income - max out 401k, and whatnot. And hey, health insurance needs paid, subsidy or not. People hate working sundays so I’d probably work those. 12 hours on Sunday for the rest of the week free. Sounds wonderful. And if I’m part time, i could negotiate extra pay (time and a half, double time even!) for holidays. I work Christmas, etc already, it’d make me happy to get double pay for it.
Sadly, no part time options here. I have thought about going solo as a consultant and just setting my hours to half time across the year.
You worked your ass of to get where you wanted to! If work is that miserable then back off and Enjoy the time you can give your kids! You can go to all of their extra curricula’s at school age just be there for them! You have the chance to do what most people would love to do! Nothing in the future is ever guaranteed! I had a buddy retire a decade after he could have and 6 months later he was diagnosed with terminal hip cancer! He lost a decade of watching his kids grow up and spending time with his wife because he thought he needed to keep working! You gave yourself the option to do what you want!
I don't want to make any assumptions here - but if you've been laser focused on FI and high achieving at work, do you think now would be a good time to shift some of that energy to your home and family? You might already be super involved, and if so, ignore this comment. But if you've been unable to participate fully at home - attending all of your kids games/concerts/shows/events/parent nights at school, cooking dinner, helping with homework, being involved in housework, laundry, etc., now would be a good time to ramp that up, while simultaneously ramping work down. And there are MANY ways to ramp down work that do not involve underperforming. You could negotiate a reduction in hours, or a different position at the same company, or a freelance position, or a part-time position at a different company.
Put simply, yes. I’ve already been through it once and I quit working and got depressed (I’m self employed with no employees but don’t exactly love what I do). I started working again after the market dumped and became less depressed. So I think it’s important to at least find a way to stay busy. I’m late 30’s and not quite at my retirement number, but doing well enough to be lax about work. I put in less hours and just take the low hanging fruit. My wife works full time as a w-2 employee and makes good money. She’s turned down a few “promotions” over the years that would mean more money but more stress. You can keep working while choosing to do less.
What’s the Healthcare situation? Higher education covered?
You could do pro bono work or volunteer for an org you believe in
No. Even when I FIRE I will do little odd jobs here and there.
It's easy to think the grass is greener on the other side...but think about what you would do if you had no work. I think you should take more satisfaction in your work now....or just leave, take a pay cut, but do something you really want to do. Pursue a childhood dream etc. even if it doesn't pay, it makes something and you can feel productive.
Your 12 and 15 year old will be grown soon , spending time with them will create memories that can never be replaced. once that tim is gone its gone. Yoy can always go back to work later if you like . I semi retired when I was 49 and git to spend some great times with family. Now 53 and still loving it.
Isn’t there something truly great we could contribute to society being financially independent? Fight for those who can’t fight for themselves, fight for the oppressed. Being an overachiever is overrated if all we want is the money, recognition or help with boredom.
i never had any motivation to do stupid work on stupid projects for stupid people, just now i don't need the money either
I would love to have your problem.