I'm (59) self employed in Media, a field which has gone through tremendous changes in recent years. My work is largely out of my control...I subcontract in creative positions on projects that others initiate, so my clients must first decide they're financing a new venture, and they must also decide they want me, specifically, to provide the creative work.
This is inherently a "feast or famine" business, something I've accepted from the start, and which has allowed me to appreciate periods of downtime, though it used to also come with the need to juggle finances, carefully saving and allocating money for periods when no income was coming in. Self-employment also brings its own set of tax concerns. Fortunately, DW (56) is a corporate VP, which has provided the household with benefits and additional stability. DW enjoys working, and hopes to continue for at least the next decade.
The nice thing about my self-employment is that it's been over a decade since I've had a single employer, and I'm relatively insulated from the type of office politics that burn out so many in the corporate world. It's nice to jump onto new projects with new combinations of people every few months.
This past year has brought about tremendous change, as a substantial inheritance windfall has left me in a position where I never *need* to work again, just as I appear to be entering a significant "famine" era. So I start 2026 with absolutely no work on the books, and with financial accounts set up so I can easily survive this year (and many subsequent years, even 30+ according to FIRECalc) without any employment income.
Sounds like a great scenario, right? Well, it would be, if it was my desire to stop working now. But I enjoy what I do, very much so, and I'd be happy to pick and choose for a long time to come. And I may wind up with a great new project at any moment...these things always happen to just "appear"...someone hears my name from someone else, or sees my work, and offers me an opportunity. And yes, that is odd, but pretty much any individual marketing or outreach on my end results in nothing, while passive offers come directly to me at intervals (though sometimes the intervals are very broadly spaced.)
Anyway, this ramble is just to say it feels very...odd...to suddenly not have to work, at a time that I'm suddenly not working...and not knowing if the end has arrived, or if this is yet another TBD hiatus in my career. First world problem? Of course it is, and of course I recognize how fortunate I am. Still doesn't stop it from being odd.
This is inherently a "feast or famine" business, something I've accepted from the start, and which has allowed me to appreciate periods of downtime, though it used to also come with the need to juggle finances, carefully saving and allocating money for periods when no income was coming in. Self-employment also brings its own set of tax concerns. Fortunately, DW (56) is a corporate VP, which has provided the household with benefits and additional stability. DW enjoys working, and hopes to continue for at least the next decade.
The nice thing about my self-employment is that it's been over a decade since I've had a single employer, and I'm relatively insulated from the type of office politics that burn out so many in the corporate world. It's nice to jump onto new projects with new combinations of people every few months.
This past year has brought about tremendous change, as a substantial inheritance windfall has left me in a position where I never *need* to work again, just as I appear to be entering a significant "famine" era. So I start 2026 with absolutely no work on the books, and with financial accounts set up so I can easily survive this year (and many subsequent years, even 30+ according to FIRECalc) without any employment income.
Sounds like a great scenario, right? Well, it would be, if it was my desire to stop working now. But I enjoy what I do, very much so, and I'd be happy to pick and choose for a long time to come. And I may wind up with a great new project at any moment...these things always happen to just "appear"...someone hears my name from someone else, or sees my work, and offers me an opportunity. And yes, that is odd, but pretty much any individual marketing or outreach on my end results in nothing, while passive offers come directly to me at intervals (though sometimes the intervals are very broadly spaced.)
Anyway, this ramble is just to say it feels very...odd...to suddenly not have to work, at a time that I'm suddenly not working...and not knowing if the end has arrived, or if this is yet another TBD hiatus in my career. First world problem? Of course it is, and of course I recognize how fortunate I am. Still doesn't stop it from being odd.
