Markola
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
OP, thanks for the thought-provoking question. At 5 months in at age 54, I’m not really aiming for “happy”, which is more of an episodic, effervescent emotion. My natural, everyday wellbeing set-point is “moderately-positive”, which doesn’t seem to have changed. Some enhanced feelings I find in FIRE are:
Gratification, having achieved a 30 year goal.
Yet somewhat Emptier, because it’s harder to come by the little dopamine hits that one gets throughout a work day full of small and large accomplishments as part of a hardworking team.
Confusing, because I’m young enough that I’m a pioneer among my friends, causing me to doubt my decision sometimes.
Unsettling, in that sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with worries and I have to remind myself that we are following our careful plan and I should trust the process.
More Peaceful, because I’ve removed a lot of transactional and even toxic irritants from my daily existence that were part and parcel of the office environment. Several rough edges to life have definitely been shaved off post-work, so I have fewer things to provoke injections of cortisol each day. The road feels smoother.
Lazy: I can and do drink coffee and read until 11 every day or until I’m bored with it and then I get some kind of plan together for the day, which usually results in accomplishing about 1 tangible errand or chore for the day outside of meal prep. This week DW asked me, “How did we used to go to work all day every day?” I’m slowly becoming OK with that, which I assume and hope is a good thing.
And yet, Urgency to do the recreational things I’ve said I want to do while I’m healthy and physically active. I know I’ve given myself a gift and I don’t want to waste it. Ending the pandemic in 2021 ought to help.
I suspect from several comments above that a new normal will settle in but it’s going to take me longer than this initial 5 months. My well-developed “worker muscles” are still reflexive and strong. Looking back, I made the best decisions I could and would make them again if given the same information, so what else can a person do but follow their intentional plan and hope for the best?
Gratification, having achieved a 30 year goal.
Yet somewhat Emptier, because it’s harder to come by the little dopamine hits that one gets throughout a work day full of small and large accomplishments as part of a hardworking team.
Confusing, because I’m young enough that I’m a pioneer among my friends, causing me to doubt my decision sometimes.
Unsettling, in that sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with worries and I have to remind myself that we are following our careful plan and I should trust the process.
More Peaceful, because I’ve removed a lot of transactional and even toxic irritants from my daily existence that were part and parcel of the office environment. Several rough edges to life have definitely been shaved off post-work, so I have fewer things to provoke injections of cortisol each day. The road feels smoother.
Lazy: I can and do drink coffee and read until 11 every day or until I’m bored with it and then I get some kind of plan together for the day, which usually results in accomplishing about 1 tangible errand or chore for the day outside of meal prep. This week DW asked me, “How did we used to go to work all day every day?” I’m slowly becoming OK with that, which I assume and hope is a good thing.
And yet, Urgency to do the recreational things I’ve said I want to do while I’m healthy and physically active. I know I’ve given myself a gift and I don’t want to waste it. Ending the pandemic in 2021 ought to help.
I suspect from several comments above that a new normal will settle in but it’s going to take me longer than this initial 5 months. My well-developed “worker muscles” are still reflexive and strong. Looking back, I made the best decisions I could and would make them again if given the same information, so what else can a person do but follow their intentional plan and hope for the best?
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