The Anxiety of Success

[traineeinvestor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carol911 My husband and I both have decent pensions but I still worry because day to day living expenses cost soooooo much! So, how much is enough??

Even the "rich" think they need more in order retire: News Headlines

[donheff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by traineeinvestor Even the "rich" think they need more in order retire: News Headlines

The "affluent" group polled in this article were worried that they might not have enough to retire comfortably. Affluent was defined as having at least $100K in investable assets including real estate. Half those polled had between $100K-$250K the other half more than $250K. I would be worried too unless I was in the upper range of this "affluent" group.

[Redbugdave]

I agree...their idea of affuent is not what I would call affuent. I am amazed how little people save.

[Keim]

That article certainly has an attainable definition of affluent. ;>)

I meet the definition. And, to borrow a quote from my favorite Marx, I wouldn't be a member of any club that would have me. I think of myself as strictly middle class. With my older home and cars I may even look lower middle class.

[Birchwood]

The definition of "affluence" is met by a lot in this forum.
Lifestyle decides on what should be enough, or whether somebody can actually do well.

I always live below my means, and , thus nobody can tell how much
I'm really worth. I think I and my DW project an image of a lower level
middle class existence. Small house, regular cars, simple living, nothing pretentious.

I worry less, since I know I can adjust low if I have to.

[nbw888]

I've had these feelings too over the years. The more lifestyle stuff you have, the more you want to keep it.

Here's what I tell myself to keep it in perspective:

So what happens if you lose your high paying job or don't have as much money coming in? Big deal!!

What's the worst that can happen? That means you have to downsize or sell the sports car. You'll live to fight another day. You still have your family and friends. You'll still be able to have food on the table and laugh.

It's not like you've just been given 3 months to live.

Keep things in perspective.

[youbet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo I wonder if those who experience the 'anxiety of success' are also those who experience the 'just one more year' retirement syndrome? Or the 'I'll never be able to retire even though I'm clearly FI" affliction?

Well yes, yes they are. Sharp observation. You're on your game today!

[Buckeye]

Please remember to relax and enjoy the journey and smell the roses along the way. Time passes so very quickly.

I resigned from a very high paying job in OH to get back to the warm weather in FL and then resigned from a 100k+ job in FL (found one within 3 months in 2009) to have more time to spend with my elderly mother who decided to move across the country to live close to DH and I. She never would have moved to live near us in the land of ice and snow.

Could I have worked longer at the high-paying job to create an even larger retirement? Yes, but what if my mom died waiting for me to decide I had enough? If I hadn't gone with my gut and left the job in OH, I wouldn't be living 200 paces from my mom instead of a 4-hour airplane flight.

The time slips away and can never be recovered and I know I will never regret the extra time with her.

[easysurfer]

Why so afraid sometimes of success? Perhaps because of the law of averages?

A fear that if things are going good...maybe bad things are around the corner to average things out? If you are a baseball fan, it's kind of like watching a no-hitter in progress. As the game get to the later innings and a NO-NO is still possible, the anticipation of getting vs losing the no-hitter is tougher and tougher.

[kcowan]

I read the Dale Carnegie books before making big bucks. "How To Stop Worrying and Start Living" was a key read for me. It changed my life. My eventual salary ended up being over 30x what I started with (25 years later). I attribute much of that success to my willingness to continually take on more salary risk (and ego risk).

[Jay_Gatsby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letj Couldn't agree with you more. I've traveled many places including the 3rd world where I think people are happiest. I think the reason is simple - lower expectations.

No, it's not really lower expectations. Rather, it's contentment. The former is a negative attitude to have, while the latter is a positive one.

[Jay_Gatsby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckeye Please remember to relax and enjoy the journey and smell the roses along the way. Time passes so very quickly. I resigned from a very high paying job in OH to get back to the warm weather in FL and then resigned from a 100k+ job in FL (found one within 3 months in 2009) to have more time to spend with my elderly mother who decided to move across the country to live close to DH and I. She never would have moved to live near us in the land of ice and snow. Could I have worked longer at the high-paying job to create an even larger retirement? Yes, but what if my mom died waiting for me to decide I had enough? If I hadn't gone with my gut and left the job in OH, I wouldn't be living 200 paces from my mom instead of a 4-hour airplane flight. The time slips away and can never be recovered and I know I will never regret the extra time with her.

You made the right choice.

You can bill your time, but you can never buy it back....