missionfinder
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2007
- Messages
- 176
I've been building a business for many years... been a workaholic actually. I poured everything back into the company the entire time with the big payoff excepted years down the road.
Now at age 39, with my company sold, I find myself now firing myself and newly "FIRE'd".
I read a wonderful book titled "How to Retire Wild, Happy and Free". It was a remarkable eye-opener. I've had to face the fact that I'm not emotionally ready for retirement. As my work life progressed my hobbies dropped by the wayside with the excuse that I'd be able to do them all some day down the road after I was financially secure.
What I've faced is that I need to get a life BEFORE I retire not after unless I want a retirement of watching TV and reading books. So I've made a list of all the things I used to do and all the things I want to do. Nearly 70 items. My goal is to work part-time over the next year as I add these things to my daily life. When I am doing at least 1 item each and every day my mission of becoming the wild, happy and free person I was mean to be while contributing to society will be met (okay... I realise that the goal is never fully met as its the journey that counts but I'll be much closer to it than I am now). Then will I be emotionally well rounded and ready to throw in the towel so my family and I can enjoy the fruits of my labor.
So far I've done some volunteer work, called and spoken to many friends and family (not letting them know about my FIRE status), gone fishing (fun but you can't do that every day), flown a kite with the kids, read 2 books, took a walk with my wife, enjoyed long conversations about meaningful things with my wife, cooked some great BBQ and now I'm looking for a used 5th wheel RV to take the family to see America this summer. More volunteer work is planned and I want to get a guitar and learn how to play it. I always thought I sucked at music but a big part of my list and life mission now is "no excuses". If I suck, who cares.... I'm playing for me and not to impress anyone. I also called a friend and told him to take me hunting with him this fall. Hunting was another one of those things I've always wanted to try but gave myself excuses for putting it off. Also, I want to rent a Bobcat and clear out some space for a small lawn in the woods behind the house so I can get some quality out-doors play time with the family!
I've read hundreds of posts in this forum and have found both this forum and the book to be a Godsend for the emotional turmoil unexpected very early retirement has given me. At the end of my journey of part-time work I hope to find I'll be better off for the things I'll put back into my life regardless of whether or not I decide to keep working. One thing is great though... working is now a choice rather than a requirement.
Now at age 39, with my company sold, I find myself now firing myself and newly "FIRE'd".
I read a wonderful book titled "How to Retire Wild, Happy and Free". It was a remarkable eye-opener. I've had to face the fact that I'm not emotionally ready for retirement. As my work life progressed my hobbies dropped by the wayside with the excuse that I'd be able to do them all some day down the road after I was financially secure.
What I've faced is that I need to get a life BEFORE I retire not after unless I want a retirement of watching TV and reading books. So I've made a list of all the things I used to do and all the things I want to do. Nearly 70 items. My goal is to work part-time over the next year as I add these things to my daily life. When I am doing at least 1 item each and every day my mission of becoming the wild, happy and free person I was mean to be while contributing to society will be met (okay... I realise that the goal is never fully met as its the journey that counts but I'll be much closer to it than I am now). Then will I be emotionally well rounded and ready to throw in the towel so my family and I can enjoy the fruits of my labor.
So far I've done some volunteer work, called and spoken to many friends and family (not letting them know about my FIRE status), gone fishing (fun but you can't do that every day), flown a kite with the kids, read 2 books, took a walk with my wife, enjoyed long conversations about meaningful things with my wife, cooked some great BBQ and now I'm looking for a used 5th wheel RV to take the family to see America this summer. More volunteer work is planned and I want to get a guitar and learn how to play it. I always thought I sucked at music but a big part of my list and life mission now is "no excuses". If I suck, who cares.... I'm playing for me and not to impress anyone. I also called a friend and told him to take me hunting with him this fall. Hunting was another one of those things I've always wanted to try but gave myself excuses for putting it off. Also, I want to rent a Bobcat and clear out some space for a small lawn in the woods behind the house so I can get some quality out-doors play time with the family!
I've read hundreds of posts in this forum and have found both this forum and the book to be a Godsend for the emotional turmoil unexpected very early retirement has given me. At the end of my journey of part-time work I hope to find I'll be better off for the things I'll put back into my life regardless of whether or not I decide to keep working. One thing is great though... working is now a choice rather than a requirement.