When I woke up this morning there was only one thing on my calendar. Playing tennis at 4 with Chas. Three short years ago my calendar would have had a dozen entries for today all involving my job. Back then I could not conceive of a day like today, a day with absolutely nothing to do. Now I cannot fathom ever doing a 9 to 5 job again.
Oh, so cool, they just hit the tornado siren in town for a test, it is a beautiful day and I’m sitting outside with the pets. My two dogs who are resting near me decided to join the siren in a howling concert, lovely pup vocals! The cat is far too cool for this embarrassing display and looks at the hounds with reproach.
The view of the hundreds of acres of wooded wetlands on three sides of my house is serene as each tree and bush tries its very best to out-green its neighbor. To be honest I can’t even see all of the two acres I own much less the hundreds surrounding me that are part of somebody’s family trust. But I know they are out there because I’ve walked them all. The woods are dense here in Arkansas and you can only see perhaps a hundred feet into them. The flowers my wife has planted in our yard are a delicate pink but to tell the truth a natural patch of vibrant yellow wildflowers just past them out in the woods are more vibrant. The birds are singing in full stereo in all directions and it is simply amazing how beautiful everything looks, smells and sounds this morning.
Where was I, oh yes, the JOB. I called it a 9 to 5 but it was more like a 7:30 to 5:30 plus a few hours on Sunday and unplanned call outs due to weather, power failures, equipment failures, fires (YIKES!!) surprise EPA inspections (YIKES!!) and when deadlines for presentations to the CEO Who Must Not Be Named were looming. And there were lots of those deadlines.
It paid well, very well and I liked being the face of a large employer that provided high paying high tech jobs. It was like being a small town mayor, everybody knew my name and most were friendly. I traveled a lot, stayed in fancy hotels and ate fancy meals. And I saved my money aggressively for the day when I would either be too old to work or would no longer enjoy it.
I thought that day would be in my seventies, but in my fifties it came early. The environment became toxic and hostile, or at least my perception of it, and at the same time I inherited half of my dad’s estate. Not enough to change my status, I was already financially independent, but enough to jolt me into the realization that I was past needing to ever earn another Benjamin.
So I told my CEO, you know I can’t say his name or he might appear, that I was planning my exit. I told him he should look for someone else to do the job because I was seriously considering riding off into the sunset and he did and I did. And that was three years ago which brings me back to where I am. Sitting on my patio in my backyard with the animals and the trees and nothing to do except talk to you this morning. And there is nothing I’d rather do than that.
I don’t choose to spend many days like this because I like to be in motion. But some days, like today, doing nothing is exactly what I want to do. There is a gentle freedom inside me that I never felt when I worked. Back then no matter how I tried to calm my mind next week’s deadlines loomed over me, preventing me from ever attaining the peace I feel sitting here today.
You might be where I was three years ago, with plenty of investments to fund a life past your 9 to 5 but you cannot grasp what that life will feel like. That is very true, you will not be able know if this will work for you until you live it. But if it is any help it is working for me, and it is working for hundreds of other bloggers who write about it every week. When I decided, I was nearly 60, so rather than a giant leap it was just a small step. You may be 43 and the step looks quite uncertain. Who will you be after you give up the career that has helped define you to others? I can tell you that most of us who retired earlier than our peers do struggle with answering the question “What do you do?”. Because two days ago I was a lobbyist and yesterday I was a tax consultant, both side gigs, and today I’d have to say “Nothing, I do nothing”.
The thing is, life feels much different now. I did not realize I carried much stress before, but every day of the last three years I have felt fifty pounds lighter. My bedroom scales confirm my actual mass hasn’t changed but I still feel like I’m floating. Some metaphysical load has been lifted off of my shoulders, off my back. I sleep until I want to get up. I haven’t lost my purpose or found more purpose because I’m still me but not much happens to me that I fear or dread. All in all, life is better. And better is good.
Are you on the edge of retiring early, slightly early or taking a mini retirement?
Does it scare you to think about what life will be like a year after you retire?
What will it take to make you decide to take that step?
I’m not really on the edge. Assuming I don’t relocate, I’m still a good 10 years away from being able to retire.
I’m not too scared about what life would be like either. The beauty of it is that you can choose your own adventure. You can do nothing or something.
The only thing I’d be really scared of is running out of money. If I retire, the asset protection strategy would have to be implemented full force.
That is very common for most people I think. In my case because I worked much later than most early retirees the money thing was not an issue. I think that’s why I was more worried about my identity. Since the main thing, money, had already been settled in my mind.
i’m pretty sure i could call it a day at the mega-chemical-corp. i just turned 50 and mrs. me is a little closer to social security age. i keep reading about passion projects and passion this and that and i always think “i’m not sure that’s me.” i don’t have any big pricey hobbies or wants like travelling around the world. i’m content just to be a good husband, friend, and dog owner. i can do those things in addition to my 40 hour week so far, and i will spend on good wine and a steak every couple of weeks. looks like yours is a story of contentment, steve. (your public display name still says admin. if you wanted to change it the setting is in the upper right next to the bell).
Hey, thanks, life is very good. I don’t have any big passion project either. I enjoy the side gigs but they aren’t like my mission in life and the volunteer work is needed but not very inspiring most of the time. I just tried to change that, let’s see if it calls me Steveark instead of admin this time!
I think I forgot to save that, let me test it again.
Yay! it worked, thanks freddy!