Saturday, April 13th marked my two year anniversary of leaving work. While I have never considered going back, I think about my job occasionally. I liked my co-workers. My manager was great. I liked the work when I got to write code but overall, my heart wasn’t in it anymore.
Despite falling out of love with my job, leaving was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I worked really hard at my career and the sunk cost weighed heavily. I was at the job for 15 years and it had become part of my DNA. I felt that cutting the job out of my life also cut out a little part of me.
But I had to do it.
The greatest adventures and accomplishments in life happen outside of your comfort zone. If there is anything you take away from this post, let it be this:
Sometimes, you just have to leap big, even if you don’t know where you’ll land.
Uncertainty can be scary, but what fun is routine? Which road would you take:
Three more decades of spending 2,000 hours per year in a cube. Work hard and you’ll make it to middle management. Put in 80 hour weeks and maybe you’ll be a partner or CIO.
Or this:
Live spontaneously. Become a master of your time. Live life on your own terms. Spend long summer days with the kids. Enjoy the outdoors now instead of at an advanced age when your body is in rapid decline. Volunteer. Make the world a better place. Do the work that’s close to your heart. Endless adventure.
Choose the first path and you may end up with a shitload of money, but wouldn’t you rather have a shitload of memories?
To hell with the cube.
Two Years In
When I quit, I didn’t know where the adventure would take me. I only knew that:
- I wouldn’t quit the blog: My original plan was to quit the blog when I quit work. I had even written my final post. But as the end approached, I couldn’t do it. I love writing too much to stop. The blog has also led me to incredible people like Physician On FIRE, Waffles On Wednesday, Fiery Millennial Gwen, Even Steven, Tanja, Liz and Nate, Frugal Fringe, and many, many other bloggers and readers. I didn’t see this coming and I’m so thankful for the wonderful people who I get to call my friends.
- I didn’t have to worry about the money: My money insecurity issues have largely faded, but I still had them two years ago when I left work. Wife Mindy had never planned to go back to work, but then something amazing fell into her lap. It’s a lot easier to leap when you don’t have to start spending your nest egg.
- I would work on myself: Two decades sitting at a desk left me with 30 pounds of extra weight, high blood pressure and irritable. I needed to turn this around.
Here’s how my two years have gone.
The Good: Daily Life, Fitness, Friends and Financial Anxiety
My Daily Routine
No two days are ever the same and I like it this way. In the past two weeks:
I installed a backsplash at the coworking space that I co-own:
I went for a hike with friends:
I hung out at Google (Nerd Paradise):
I looked at potential properties to flip:
And spent a lot of time goofing around with the girls:
And on some mornings, I just like to wander aimlessly around town:
I love my daily routine because there really isn’t one. Aside from getting the girls off to school and exercise, every day is a new adventure. I used to dread uncertainty, but now I embrace it. Spontaneous living is so much more fun.
Money? Meh.
The best part of having money is that it frees you from having to worry or even think much about money. We spend mindfully and record our spending. That’s pretty much it.
It’s only in the past two years that I’ve developed a healthy relationship with money. Even though I quit work with $100,000 more than I had planned and I had created a nice side hustle (you’re reading it), I still worried about going broke. Now, my financial insecurity is gone. We have a huge buffer (we could get by living on 2% of our net worth), so I don’t lose sleep anymore.
On the investing side, I still check in with the markets a couple of times a day, but it’s for amusement only. I rarely make a trade except to deploy more cash when it lands in the bank account.
Fitness
At the age of 45, I feel as good as I ever have. My big gut from my work days is mostly gone. So is my high blood pressure. I can do 11 clean pull-ups now (my max was 1 before I retired). I can run more than a mile. I bike 100 miles per week.
I had a friend tell me that early retirement would lead to an early demise. The truth is the opposite; I don’t have extreme stress and now have the time to exercise. If I die at an early age, it won’t be from cardiovascular disease.
The Bad: Happiness, Willpower, And Ugly Truths
Happiness
I’m filled with dread when I hear someone say something like this:
Only 429 more days until I retire!
FIRE won’t make you happier. It will make your life better, but happiness largely comes from the inside and the lens with which you choose to view life.
Life is too short to wish your days away! Find something great and beautiful in every day, no matter where you are on your journey. Don’t wait until you quit your job to work on yourself and your happiness.
Willpower And Discipline
Before I left work, I restricted staying out late and alcohol consumption to Friday evenings and Saturday. I wanted to be sharp for work.
Now that I’m vastly underemployed, sometimes this will happen at 1 pm on a weekday:
- Friend: I’m at the local watering hole! Come down and have a beer!
- Me: Ummm, OK!
While I’m much healthier than I ever was with a job, my alcohol consumption also increased. I’ve since dialed it back and realized the importance of setting up rules and adhering to them. Don’t let your willpower and discipline fall off the cliff when you no longer have to answer to a strict schedule.
Ugly Truths
Do you want to see who you really are? Quit your job!
Problems that were buried by a busy job will now bubble up to the surface. Now you have time to contemplate and focus on who you really are. This may also lead to tension.
Some marriages will end because of early retirement. It’s a big life change and you must be able to reconcile your new life with your old relationships. And if not, that’s OK too. Have you ever let go of an old friend? Sometimes, people just evolve away from each other and no one is at fault. This is healthy, even if it’s not easy.
The Awesome: Unexpected Adventures
The best part of the journey are the things that I didn’t see coming.
MMM HQ Coworking
Since January of this year, I’ve been a co-owner of a coworking space.
As more members sign on, the space is blossoming:
- On Wednesday of last week at our entrepreneur mastermind, one of the members gave a talk on starting a podcast. Beau provided a lot of value and inspired one of the other members to start an accountability group focused on podcasting.
- On Friday, a group of us sat around a table for a weekly meditation/mindfulness session. It’s led by a member named Jenn Altman who has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. The session was great! Jenn is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about her work. While I was sitting there, I kept thinking about how fortunate I am; this incredibly smart person could be doing 100 other things but was volunteering her time to help a group of people she hardly knew.
- On Thursdays, we get outside:
- I’m also thrilled to be helping others at the space work on their dreams. I’m helping a member launch a YouTube channel. I’ve been helping another launch a webcomic.
Collaborating with fun and interesting humans on amazing ideas and projects is exactly what makes a coworking space great. I’m so happy that I’m involved with this.
Nanobrewery
A couple of weeks ago, I talked to another blogger about starting a small brewery. This would be a passion project that we’d run on our own terms and on our own timeline.
I’d love the brewery to be a running, inside joke with the FI community:
- Purple Haze IPA
- Even Stevie ESB
- Your Next Beer
Will this ever really be a thing? Yes. Not soon, but yes.
Webcomic
My new project, a webcomic, is delayed, but I’m more excited about it than ever.
Two years ago, I had no idea that I’d be involved in a brick-and-mortar business. A brewery? Hell no!
Life is so much more fun with serendipitous adventure. And none of this would be happening if I had to commit 40 hours a week to someone else’s dream.
Mission Accomplished
If I had to list my goals at this moment of my life, they would be:
- Bring the girls up to be thoughtful, smart and hard working humans.
- Surround myself with interesting and fun people.
- Give back and inspire others.
FIRE has made all of this possible.
- I’m there for my daughters every day. I walk with them back and forth to school. We have lunch together (Mmmmm, corndogs) and I volunteer for everything.
- I felt like a socially awkward wierdo most of my life, but not anymore. Mindy and I have an awesome tribe of people here in Colorado and we’re so thankful for them.
- I’m happy for the life I’ve created for myself and want the same for others. It’s fun to hear friends talk about their dreams and then encourage them to get off their ass and take action.
Two years in, my life is vastly different than I thought it would be. I have no clue what the next two years will bring, but I’d have it no other way. I’m so happy that I took the leap.
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.
Helen Keller
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Finding your tribe makes all the difference. The folks across the street renovated and put into their house more than we paid for ours — their family was larger and they needed more space but didn’t want to leave our fantastic little city and block. I’m on my fourth year of telecommuting and it would be a lonely hellscape but for the friends and neighbors and dogs and small businesses nearby to keep me from going insane when I need some company. Nothing cures being a socially awkward weirdo like finding a couple dozen similar folks and mutually dropping all pretense!
“Nothing cures being a socially awkward weirdo like finding a couple dozen similar folks and mutually dropping all pretense!”
Hell yes!
A-men to THAT. And beer helps too.
LOL! Sure does!
Inspiring stuff as always sir. I can’t wait to be able to share insight like this. I just finished a 45 commute to work and now I’m giving myself my morning pep talk before waking into the office.
I would also love to start a brewery someday. After I leave the cubicle of course. Keep doing what you are doing, and make sure to keep writing about it. Some of are living vicariously thru you. ?
Thanks DJ!
I’m grateful to count you as a friend Carl! Congratulations on the two years of FIRE! Also, did not expect to see me on a table in your post ?
“Also, did not expect to see me on a table in your post.”
People dancing on top of things seems to be a theme in your life! This is a lot better than Bronco Man. 🙂
Your happiness oozes through this post – congratulations on your two years! Thanks for the reminders of how incredibly fortunate we are to be work optional.
Liz recently posted…You Can’t Go Back
Yep, I’m grateful every day for my life.
The obvious question, what in the world do y’all talk about at the workspace that requires the kettlebell to wear ear muffs?!
On a more serious note, this post makes me weep with envy and excitement! Your life, maybe not the specifics, but the variety, spontaneity, and daily outdoor adventures is EXACTLY what I am working for! I even align with the job aspect; I have a great job with an amazing boss, nothing to complain about; but it just doesn’t feed my soul. However, I’m not willing to test my wings at barely over a 1% withdrawal rate, and while a mini retirement would be totally plausible, why leave a job that will take me a few more years for full FI to have to jump back into a job that most likely won’t come with the same benefits or level of satisfaction I currently have and could twice as long to hit the mark. Not sensible. So my nose stays to the grindstone for now. But this is the year I am going balls out and every spare penny is hitting the investments account. By the end of the year, I am targeting being very close to a 2% withdrawal rate! Closer by the day, I tell you!
All that to say, while these are the most painful, they are also my favorite posts. The reminder, amongst the society filled with non believers, that this is a realistic future and what’s waiting around the bend! Thank you!
Now I should probably go get some work done…..
Financially Fit Mom recently posted…A World of Plastic
“The obvious question, what in the world do y’all talk about at the workspace that requires the kettlebell to wear ear muffs?!”
It is completely unfit for a PG-13 blog like this one. When you’re in Longmont, remind me to show you the dungeion, I mean “basement” at the space. Do you remember that scene from Pulp Fiction?
2% by end of year! Nice going!
Mr. 1500 Days recently posted…Two Years Of FIRE: Sometimes, You Just Have To Leap
Oh my
Well said, and congrats again on your journey.
It’s great to hear and see all the things you’ve been up to. Jealous in a way, but then again. That’s your journey. I’m on my own. So yeah… until next time!!
You’re not done yet, but you’ll be done at a younger age than me. When do we start brewing again?
Awesome summary Carl! Looking forward to eventually rejoining the N. CO community and hanging out more.
Kevin, long time, no see! Where have you been?
We took off on a slow-travel RV trip last July, should be home next Spring!
Righteous.
Do you want to see who you really are? Quit your job!
That’s great. Congratulations! You’re living life as it was meant to be lived.
Joe recently posted…House Hacking by Living in Our Duplex
Thanks Joe!
Happy FIRE-versary dude. Can’t wait to see what this web-comic will be about!
Webcomic! I should enlist you to help since you actually have artistic skill!
I’m not sure I’d call it that but thanks!
Congrats on the two year mark! Its been awesome reading your stuff and watching you evolve over the past six years.
“FIRE won’t make you happier. It will make your life better, but happiness largely comes from the inside and the lens with which you choose to view life.”
I definitely think you’re right as this quote reminds me of what J.D. Roth said a few years back about his own FIRE journey, and how he still had to deal with his own problems that were left unanswered. I remember him saying to work on these problems pre-FIRE to set yourself up for even a better post-work life.
Thanks Danny! Hope you, the wife and the little pan pizza are all doing well!
Fantastic post Carl! So many gems in this one!
While I’ve been at it a couple years longer than you have, my results are very similar. The fear of losing a job or running out of money disappears like a fog, only to leave a bright sunshiny day of life ahead.
Make hay while the sun shines!
Mr. Tako recently posted…Should I Be Investing In Master Limited Partnerships?
Thanks Mr. Tako!
> I love my daily routine because there really isn’t one.
Definitely resonated with me. FIRE people (myself included) are very future-oriented. We’re planners who like to look around corners and make sure things are accounted for. The change to having days with absolutely nothing planned is great, but does take some getting used to.
The comment about limiting alcohol consumption since there’s no friday/saturday wind down is another one too. Having more time means needing more self-control. Being aware of it is a good step!
“The change to having days with absolutely nothing planned is great, but does take some getting used to.”
Heck yeah! I have to remind myself of this constantly!
If you’re making beers, maybe you can make a 40 oz bomber, you know, the Done by Forty?
We’re considering making the leap soon and, man, a lot of what you wrote resonates. I am trying hard to work on some of the same stuff (discipline, happiness, eating better and working out). Have you read Leap by Tess Vigeland? I wrote a bit about it a couple years ago…really good stuff for early retirees.
https://www.donebyforty.com/2017/01/the-leap-away-from-work.html
Done by Forty recently posted…Our Truly Regressive Tax: Social Security
Yeah, I actually did read Leap and remember enjoying it.
Most of that stuff that you’re working on will magically become easier when you aren’t saddled with a 9-5.
Glad to hear it’s still going strong! Congrats on the bike rides and the pull-ups! (The pull-ups disappear quickly if you’re not careful…)
In Chicago we called those bugs “roly polies”
How right you are! Unless you already have an idea of where you want to go in post FI life, it’s not goign to make you any happier. Other than not having the stress of the job.
The freedom is what really appeals to me. Of course I have plans! But I can’t pursue them right now, because I have a job I am responsible for.
Cathleen Cooks Stuff recently posted…You already ARE wealthy
Awesome post Carl and its been a blast joining you on some of these things over the past few months. It’s inspiring because everyone I’ve met in the community seems to have something that you have helped out with.
“Do you want to see who you really are? Quit your job!”
I can’t agree more. I would also offer up that perhaps the earlier you can escape, the more youthful energy you can apply to becoming who you want to be once you know who you actually are.
Also Carl, maybe fix that spelling error in the comic…awkward
Spelling error? Give me a break. I only learned how to read last year!
Hi. I really enjoyed this post. Reminds me that “you’re not your job”. Never forget it.
I got made redundant a few weeks ago and have had lots of time on my hands recently as I look for a new job. Gives you a lot of time to think about life – which is a wonderful opportunity you don’t get very often.
Jim!
Thanks for the kind comments.
I’m sorry to hear about your work situation. Best of luck finding something 25% better that pays 50% more!
What a great post, nice that you are so honest.
The toilet in the shower thing is a new one to me….at first I thought weird but after more thought I came up with efficient???
Also nice on the 100 miles weekly! Is that some prep for your big ride this summer? How many miles a day are you putting in while on that big ride?
I’m super excited that I can start to get out regularly on my bikes now the the snow here in Michigan has stopped falling and the temps are now reasonable
Hey Matt!
We’re riding RAGBRA which is about 500 miles in 7 days: https://ragbrai.com/routemaps/2019-route-maps/
“I’m super excited that I can start to get out regularly on my bikes now the the snow here in Michigan has stopped falling and the temps are now reasonable”
Yep!
Mr. 1500 Days recently posted…Two Years Of FIRE: Sometimes, You Just Have To Leap
I’m excited to hear more about this nanobrewery!
purple haze is taken by abita brewing co. in lousiana. people seem to like it.
i swear i need to keep working 40 hours because i might self destruct with all that time on my hands. it keeps me off the streets and out of the bars. know thyself.
freddy smidlap recently posted…Financial Independence Weed Fraud Unearthed
Dang it! We’ve gotta rebrand. Pivot!
We’ll just swap out a couple of words: Purple Hazy Life IPA? Or, we’ll name it the exact same thing and use the publicity when we get sued to grow sales!
Haze de purpula!
Good one. Impressive progress on pull-ups, now more emphasis on bench pressing and shoulders, please. I would also recommend a no-carb diet for a month, does wonders.
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I just sent you an email. I’d love to hear more.
My career and commute take a heavy toll on my body. It’s really the biggest drawback of my career and a natural consequence of commuting an hour to work each way and working for a big law firm that demands a lot of hours. Sometimes I wonder if it’s too much sacrifice to achieve FI.
Mr. 1500 Days,
I’m a 56 year-old art director (happily married with two kids-13 and 22) with $1,000,000 saved, no debt and am SO afraid to leap. “Nine-to-Five normalcy” is tearing me apart deep down, but I feel I have nothing “on-the-side” to fall on.
Wish I could share a beer with you and your tribe to be persuaded…to just LEAP! I admire your spirit!
Bob! Where in the world are you? I think we need to talk! 🙂
Let me tell you, life on the other side does not suck.
Detroit.
Been reading MMM for a few years now and am slowing discovering ALL the FIRE bloggers!
LOL! I want to be part of the FI movement…unfortunately, at 56, the RE part has past. I sit behind a desk all day and that drives me CRAZY. I am a person that always needs to be moving and “tinkering”. Believe it or not, I am greatly considering applying at Trader Joes (part-full time) just to get their great benefits and be able to get more physical activity. My wife is a part time dental hygienist and brings in $30-35,000 a year. I know between the two of us we could most likely get by without having to tap into our 4%. Perhaps the “fear of” LEAPING is far greater to me than actually landing. All nay-sayers to FI would say I’m crazy, but those experiencing the new found freedom would yell…”JUMP”!
Love this retrospective manifesto.
Taking societally-conditioned kids who are pushed to conform in school and transforming them into edgy, freethinking, creative dreamers (who can handle their finances, too) is pretty much what any dad hopes for, right?
May the coming years continuing your trajectory,
CD
Crispy Doc recently posted…Dual-Doctor Dilemmas with the Darkos
Love this. 6.5 years into FIRE and recognize a lot of truth here. You have to host me for “10 questions” one of these days.
Also, girlfriend and I will spend about a month in CO late June through Late July. How do we schedule a visit to the MMM HQ?
Financial Velociraptor recently posted…Bull Call Spread Altria (MO)
Hey Velociraptor!
Submit your 10 Questions whenever! Just make them good! Pictures and fun answers!
I’d love for you to come for a visit to HQ! Late June or before July 5th are best because summer is busy!
Am loving this post! I really needed to read something like this today (I am quitting my job on Wednesday!). Thanks for writing this.
(Feel free to delete this part of the comment but I think you meant “This will make sense SOON” in that webcomic caption?)
We still have a long ways to go before our retirement but I confess to a little pang of regret that I hadn’t had some critical realizations earlier about a financially abusive parent that would have freed us up to accelerate our path to FI. Oh, the opportunity costs!
Whoops! Thanks for pointing out the typo. I could proof a post 398 times and I’d still miss something completely obvious.
“I confess to a little pang of regret that I hadn’t had some critical realizations earlier about a financially abusive parent that would have freed us up to accelerate our path to FI.”
I think we all have some regrets, but not many of us have a perfect journey. Even Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger are quick to point out some of their colossal mistakes.
I’ve been through that same tough decision of leaving a job that had been part of my system. But, the truth is I’ve never been happier when I finally left. I totally agree that the greatest things happen outside our comfort zone 🙂 Cheers!
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