Other.
After the dust settled, I embraced ER and now realize that a loafer is much more than a shoe.
I voted the Hat Trick (hockey terminology for 3 goals in 1 game).
Dissatisfaction with w*rk,
my Health (desire to be healthier - carpal tunnel and upper body RSI), and
the Ability to live quiet, tranquil etc. life
When I look at photos taken of me when I was w*rking, compared to postFIRE photos, I am utterly amazed at the difference. I actually look young again.
I did the same before/after comparison for Mr B. Identical results.
Maybe. An article from yesterday's newspaper:...you can actually reverse the signs of aging somewhat (give or take 5-10 years).
Words to live by.
I checked all but 3 in the poll.
Free to canoe
I saw a couple times where people were going to retire but just before, they either died or came down with a illness that severely affected their life. I did not want that to happen to me. Things like, no one on their death bed said I wish I would have worked more, started making a lot more sense. Then I think someone here shared that if you’re around 55/60, you really only have about 20 good summers left to enjoy. These things and wanting to have some impact on my grand children’s lives, made the difference. What made it possible was the blessing of a good, well paying job and a frugal mindset.
Getting close to FIRE .....
big corporate MegaCorp work environment basically sapped the joy out of what used to be an interesting job.
That plus, I find my overall health was being sacrificed staying on the job ....
* sedentary lifestyle due to sitting in an office and in meetings > 8 hrs/day
* spending the best parts of each day inside a big office building ... breathing the stale air as the commercial carpeting and furniture are outgassing all day.
* sitting in a car for 2hrs/day commuting. Not only unhealthy, and a waste of time but, sooner or later I could get into a bad accident dealing with aggressive rush-hour traffic
* my stress level is high, leading to poor lifestyle choices .... eating badly, drinking too much in the evening to help "decompress", lack of exercise,
* the best part of my work day is given to MegaCorp. My family gets the leftovers of my time .... when I'm tired and in a bad mood after work. This is significant being 5 days a week.
I find that after a 2 week vacation this summer I felt great, slept better, health problem symptoms reduced (back pain, headaches, poor energy level). and my drinking went way down. It was a teaser for retirement.
Of course the day I went back to work was a sh!t storm, with status meetings, faux crises, and being inundated with email demands. Sigh ....
I saw a couple times where people were going to retire but just before, they either died or came down with a illness that severely affected their life. I did not want that to happen to me. Things like, no one on their death bed said I wish I would have worked more, started making a lot more sense. Then I think someone here shared that if you’re around 55/60, you really only have about 20 good summers left to enjoy. These things and wanting to have some impact on my grand children’s lives, made the difference. What made it possible was the blessing of a good, well paying job and a frugal mindset.