Kiplinger Article on Encore Careers

[Tekward]

Yes, I know, w*ork is for suckers, but some people enjoy it, on their terms (I'm one).


This article has some reasonable advice: https://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/...ent/index.html


In hindsight I followed most of the steps (early, finances, bridge & slowly). I think the advice they omit is the value of retaining control of your schedule. That is my #1 FIRE goal. I enjoy the opportunity to teach/coach/consult/volunteer as it fits within my desire for family & fitness time. YMMV

[dunkelblau]

I almost did the ER thing nearly a decade ago, but my management talked me into staying on. I had family obligations, so I needed to decide both my location and my schedule, but to me the most important piece was control over work content. They agreed to all three parts, we gave it a trial run, and it's been OMYs ever since.

It seems to me the article is showing what it would take to pull off a major life change, but I would contend that many would be better off with just a rework of their current jobs. Sometimes it's best to ignore sunk costs, but starting over has its drawbacks. For me reaching FI made this change of direction possible even though it was never my plan, and it arrived early enough that it has very likely prolonged my career.

[EastWest Gal]

Retaining control of your day is probably the biggest reason for FIRE. If you own a business, the business owns you. If you work for a company, the company owns you. If I could have done my career differently, and learned good business and accounting skills, I would have built my own medical practice with a couple of good partners, instead of getting a j*b. When I went to part time, I called my own shots. But one day, while visiting Longwood Gardens, my cell phone rang, and I was asked if I could come in to work 24 hours, as the person who was scheduled failed to show up. I said no, that I was on a family outing, but I also said that it was my home never to be called again to work in that hospital. I always felt the support staff were kind but were not as skilled as they needed to be.