I've been on my FI journey for quite some time. I started with a large mortgage, car loan, and credit card debt. I recall vividly the feeling of dread as a I looked at my monthly payments and being so nervous about the situation we'd be in if I lost my job. From this epiphany, I started becoming interested in personal finance, listening to people like Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman, realizing that there was a better path.
Slowly we worked on paying off our credit cards and for each one of these, I felt elated. Then we used those funds for cc's to pay off my student loans. Once my last student loan was conquered, celebration! We then slowly chipped down second mortgage and again down it went. And finally, we decided to pay down our primary mortgage and we were finally DEBTTT FREE. I celebrated by dancing up and down with DW and the kids.
It was fun.
With this feeling in mind, I thought if we were to ever achieve financial independence, the clouds would part and angels sing. So, we shifted toward using the funds for investments. Over the course of the past 8 years, we've built up a substantial nest egg. But unlike conquering debt, I've noticed that I don't seem to get the same joy I once did. I thought once I hit the $1M NW or investment portfolio, I'd feel some elation but it just felt like another day. Last year, when I calculated that I never needed to ever work, again no singing, dancing. It felt anti-climatic. Has anybody else felt this way? Or perhaps I just getting old?
And if I finally pull the trigger and retire early, will the clouds at least part just a little and will I see something with feathers sing?
Slowly we worked on paying off our credit cards and for each one of these, I felt elated. Then we used those funds for cc's to pay off my student loans. Once my last student loan was conquered, celebration! We then slowly chipped down second mortgage and again down it went. And finally, we decided to pay down our primary mortgage and we were finally DEBTTT FREE. I celebrated by dancing up and down with DW and the kids.

With this feeling in mind, I thought if we were to ever achieve financial independence, the clouds would part and angels sing. So, we shifted toward using the funds for investments. Over the course of the past 8 years, we've built up a substantial nest egg. But unlike conquering debt, I've noticed that I don't seem to get the same joy I once did. I thought once I hit the $1M NW or investment portfolio, I'd feel some elation but it just felt like another day. Last year, when I calculated that I never needed to ever work, again no singing, dancing. It felt anti-climatic. Has anybody else felt this way? Or perhaps I just getting old?
And if I finally pull the trigger and retire early, will the clouds at least part just a little and will I see something with feathers sing?
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