Love it?
Hate it?
Insipid?

I have a fun retirement, part time, job -which I really enjoy.

I love it enough that I could retire in 2024 but I'll probably sign on for another five year contract and stay until 2029.

Love it

Depends on which job.

My job during the week is burnout city

My job on the weekend at the farm is therapeutic.

I wish I could retire now... In my mid 30's.

I wish I could retire now... In my mid 30's.

Ditto.

I wish I could retire now... In my mid 30's.
Same.

Retired - Love it.

REtired and yes I am trying to live the dream. I retired at age 50. Now if my knees where not bothering me and there was no covid, life would be much better. Loved the job I retired from. Why retired, well it is not one that many people over 50 can still do. My plan in retirement is/was to take care of my acreage(10 ac) and do some traveling. Ok I was able to get some traveling in before covid.

...would be better if it included a pension and health coverage both fully funded by the company!

How'd us laborers let company's shift these expenses on to our plate?

Anyone seeing companies providing COLAS to help their employees keep pace with a rising cost of living? Not me!

I like my job. It’s the people I have to tolerate that can make it excruciating at times.

like it (used to love it). After 37 years am determined to retire- will be gone in two months. Looking forward to rest, although hope it will be active/rest.

Love my work environment and generally like what I do.

I like my job overall. But, the constraints of not enough staff, doing more with less, is like drinking from a fire hose everyday. It's getting old and very tiring.

I retired at age 45.

I like my job overall. But, the constraints of not enough staff, doing more with less, is like drinking from a fire hose everyday. It's getting old and very tiring.

Pretty much the same at my job. I have had more “worst day of my career” days in the past 6 months than I have in the past 10+ years. The great aspects of my job (flexibility) have been overwhelmed by endless mandatory overtime and working short. We have hired so many junior people that simply do not care about the job at all, and it is heart breaking to see the significant drop in customer service quality as a result of that. It’s not even that they are new and just don’t know the job, the people we are hiring don’t want to know the job and don’t even pretend to care. Years ago, when we had a hiring class of 50 seats we would have 1,000 applicants. Now we have 25 applicants for that same
50 open seats. We are hiring the bottom of the barrel.

It’s very depressing to see the company you have spent so much time at, be overrun by new people who don’t care one bit if the company (or job) is around in a year. I’m a long hauler, and it’s troubling to see how many people no longer care. They aren’t hurting themselves, they will move on to the next job. My career and retirement are at stake. As the quality of in-house work decreases the company will have a greater incentive to continue the cancer of outsourcing labor and cutting benefits.

Pretty much the same at my job. I have had more “worst day of my career” days in the past 6 months than I have in the past 10+ years. The great aspects of my job (flexibility) have been overwhelmed by endless mandatory overtime and working short. We have hired so many junior people that simply do not care about the job at all, and it is heart breaking to see the significant drop in customer service quality as a result of that. It’s not even that they are new and just don’t know the job, the people we are hiring don’t want to know the job and don’t even pretend to care. Years ago, when we had a hiring class of 50 seats we would have 1,000 applicants. Now we have 25 applicants for that same
50 open seats. We are hiring the bottom of the barrel.

It’s very depressing to see the company you have spent so much time at, be overrun by new people who don’t care one bit if the company (or job) is around in a year. I’m a long hauler, and it’s troubling to see how many people no longer care. They aren’t hurting themselves, they will move on to the next job. My career and retirement are at stake. As the quality of in-house work decreases the company will have a greater incentive to continue the cancer of outsourcing labor and cutting benefits.

Catch, Our jobs are within the same industry but from opposite ends. You made excellent points about the labor pool. Not many care and for those of us that do, I find it difficult to care that much all the time. I can't continue to carry the care load only on my shoulders. I have a 1/3rd of staff I should have. 3 of us producing what we can but still not enough. The fact I like what I do and made a career of it, is my incentive to keep going.

I retired at age 45.

Nice, what did you do for a living? Seems like that would be a pretty good age if one could financially afford it while you're still very active.

Neither love nor hate. I wouldn't do it for free, but I make good enough income that I wouldn't want to learn something new to make an equal amount. At this point in my late 30s I'm taking some investment swings to shave 5-10 years off of my retirement age, but if they don't work out, it wouldn't kill me to do this till I'm 65.

Pretty much the same at my job. I have had more “worst day of my career” days in the past 6 months than I have in the past 10+ years. The great aspects of my job (flexibility) have been overwhelmed by endless mandatory overtime and working short. We have hired so many junior people that simply do not care about the job at all, and it is heart breaking to see the significant drop in customer service quality as a result of that. It’s not even that they are new and just don’t know the job, the people we are hiring don’t want to know the job and don’t even pretend to care. Years ago, when we had a hiring class of 50 seats we would have 1,000 applicants. Now we have 25 applicants for that same
50 open seats. We are hiring the bottom of the barrel.

It’s very depressing to see the company you have spent so much time at, be overrun by new people who don’t care one bit if the company (or job) is around in a year. I’m a long hauler, and it’s troubling to see how many people no longer care. They aren’t hurting themselves, they will move on to the next job. My career and retirement are at stake. As the quality of in-house work decreases the company will have a greater incentive to continue the cancer of outsourcing labor and cutting benefits.Stories like this make me very glad I have the crew I have. The newest one has been there 4 years and is very good. The other 4 range from 9 to 20 years and none have plans of going anywhere. I'm very lucky. I also bend over backwards to accommodate their needs whether at work or time off, flexible schedules, etc. Plus for what we do we get paid better than market.

Nice, what did you do for a living? Seems like that would be a pretty good age if one could financially afford it while you're still very active.

It's not the typical retirement that one would think. I have Stage IV colorectal cancer and my nerves in my hands and feet were permanently damaged from chemotherapy. Because of this, I was able to qualify for SSDI.

It's not the typical retirement that one would think. I have Stage IV colorectal cancer and my nerves in my hands and feet were permanently damaged from chemotherapy. Because of this, I was able to qualify for SSDI.

Damn, Brett. Very sorry to hear this.

Damn, Brett. Very sorry to hear this.

Oh wow, not the happy retirement we were thinking of here. Truly sorry to hear that

It's not the typical retirement that one would think. I have Stage IV colorectal cancer and my nerves in my hands and feet were permanently damaged from chemotherapy. Because of this, I was able to qualify for SSDI.I'm so sorry to hear that. I wish you well. If I do retire earlier than I'd like it will be on disability. In Aug 2018 I had both hips replaced 3 weeks apart. This was after 3 years of mis-diagnosis from a double handful of doctors. By the time a Physician's Assistant finally decided to take a X-Ray lower than my spine it was an "Oh s**t" moment. She made us wait for the Doctor to finish a surgery because "He will want to see this ASAP". c I had been hobbling on a jagged bone where the ball used to be sticking into a jagged hole where the socket used to be on both sides. It caused a lot of irreparable damage. I can walk fine now but I can't feel areas from the waist down and those areas I can feel I wish I couldn't because they hurt like h**l constantly.

...would be better if it included a pension and health coverage both fully funded by the company!

How'd us laborers let company's shift these expenses on to our plate?

Anyone seeing companies providing COLAS to help their employees keep pace with a rising cost of living? Not me!

Its not all the employers fault. Healthcare costs in the US is a cluster@##. When you consider the value the benefits that some companies provide, there is a huge difference in compensation between workers in different industries.

I hate my job, standing on my feet for 8 hours kills my feet and back, I miss having a sit at your desk job but the only bright side of this job that it is a block from my house so I can walk to work

For the last 8 years I’ve had the easiest most stress free job in my life working in the IT field at a company’s NOC with only one other person.

Nobody harassing me for timelines and there is only one person above me and that person works from home. With that said, I’ve plateaued as far as upward mobility and I’m fine with that.

I don’t have to pay into insurance for healthcare due to my 12 years of active duty military service. I would have stayed as long as I could in the military but I was injured and eventually medically separated so I get a nice tax free monthly check so not all was a loss for my 12 years of service.

I wish I could retire now... In my mid 30's.

I'd love to know what y'all would do with your time?? I've got some friends that are definitely FIRE crowd and they have a great shot at having the finances worked out by 55. I asked them last night what they're going to do with potentially 40 years of retirement and they had a little bit of deer in the headlights look.

I think more likely what y'all in your mid-30s need to do is find a way to position yourself to take a 1 to 2 year sabbatical within the next 4-8 years. Travel young, or focus on a side project - crushing yourself with hopes of retiring when you're 55-60 you're probably going to have no real idea what to do with the time.

I'd love to know what y'all would do with your time?? I've got some friends that are definitely FIRE crowd and they have a great shot at having the finances worked out by 55. I asked them last night what they're going to do with potentially 40 years of retirement and they had a little bit of deer in the headlights look.

I think more likely what y'all in your mid-30s need to do is find a way to position yourself to take a 1 to 2 year sabbatical within the next 4-8 years. Travel young, or focus on a side project - crushing yourself with hopes of retiring when you're 55-60 you're probably going to have no real idea what to do with the time.

How does one even do that in today's economy? This is anecdotal I know but still, I don't personally know anyone in their mid-30's (myself included) with the finances to enable a sabbatical of that length, frugal friends included. I myself could probably afford to take several months, but that would obliterate my savings and with how hard I fought to build that up, I'm not exactly eager to spend it - despite a strong desire for a break from work.

As for what I would do with my time? At first, I would do as little as possible, just to enjoy doing nothing. but past that, I'd lean into my hobbies. For example, I'm a beginner DJ and I would use that time to grow my skill set in both music and lighting. I'd also spend time expanding my gardening skills too - redoing the landscaping on the house and expanding the vegetable garden, along with building a new shed. I'd also finish building my home server and virtual lab to continue to grow my skills in IT. I've got tons of projects that need to be done around the house that I currently lack the time and energy for - those would also occupy my time, along with simply spending time with friends too. All just as a start.

Back to the original question at hand - I work in IT. I used to love my current job, but in the last decade the workload has continued to increase, especially since COVID began. The pay is decent, at least, but we've been doing more with less for so long that I'm feeling very close to burnout. To add insult to injury, I have plenty of PTO saved up, but it seems nearly impossible to find an appropriate time to actually use any meaningful amount of it. I'm in my mid-30's.

I'd love to know what y'all would do with your time?? I've got some friends that are definitely FIRE crowd and they have a great shot at having the finances worked out by 55. I asked them last night what they're going to do with potentially 40 years of retirement and they had a little bit of deer in the headlights look.

I think more likely what y'all in your mid-30s need to do is find a way to position yourself to take a 1 to 2 year sabbatical within the next 4-8 years. Travel young, or focus on a side project - crushing yourself with hopes of retiring when you're 55-60 you're probably going to have no real idea what to do with the time.

I've been retired for 2 and a half years. We did a 3 week trip overseas and a short trip to California on a grand baby run. With elderly parents in play (assisted living) we are busy most of the time, but we allocate for ourselves for what we want to do. But it's not just free time all the time.

I have my own very small company (myself plus 1 employee). I love it and have never been happier professionally in my life. My time is completely my own, my potential is completely limitless and I am responsible for all my own decisions. Of course with that freedom comes the realization that nobody's there to catch me if I fall or if I have a bad month. But I accept the tradeoff and would never go back to traditional employment (I.e. working for someone else)

This is the best job market for a generation. In addition to traditional employment, there are more ways to work for yourself than ever before. Unless you are 60 years old and "just hanging on" to get to some kind of retirement, my advice would be to make a move. Find something you love.

And also, regarding retirement: my opinion is if you are in your forties or younger, and are already trying to "hang on" until retirement, wow, that doesn't seem to be very fulfilling. Read "The 100 Year Life" by Andrew Scott and Lynda Gratton and understand that retiring at 60 or so when you can expect to live and be healthy until 85 or 90 (which will increasingly be the standard) is probably not feasible. So find work that you enjoy that can take you well into "traditional retirement" years but give you the freedom to do it in a way that makes sense for you.

How does one even do that in today's economy? This is anecdotal I know but still, I don't personally know anyone in their mid-30's (myself included) with the finances to enable a sabbatical of that length, frugal friends included. I myself could probably afford to take several months, but that would obliterate my savings and with how hard I fought to build that up, I'm not exactly eager to spend it - despite a strong desire for a break from work.

As for what I would do with my time? At first, I would do as little as possible, just to enjoy doing nothing. but past that, I'd lean into my hobbies. For example, I'm a beginner DJ and I would use that time to grow my skill set in both music and lighting. I'd also spend time expanding my gardening skills too - redoing the landscaping on the house and expanding the vegetable garden, along with building a new shed. I'd also finish building my home server and virtual lab to continue to grow my skills in IT. I've got tons of projects that need to be done around the house that I currently lack the time and energy for - those would also occupy my time, along with simply spending time with friends too. All just as a start.

Back to the original question at hand - I work in IT. I used to love my current job, but in the last decade the workload has continued to increase, especially since COVID began. The pay is decent, at least, but we've been doing more with less for so long that I'm feeling very close to burnout. To add insult to injury, I have plenty of PTO saved up, but it seems nearly impossible to find an appropriate time to actually use any meaningful amount of it. I'm in my mid-30's.

I agree with what you said. I'm also in IT but mid 40's and plan to retire at 55. My wife and I have no debt, house paid off, vehicles paid off, a lot in savings but not enough for us to stop working. I work fulltime at a NOC and my wife works part time.

I was going to say I would do whatever I wanted and nothing at all, like sitting around watching movies and tv or taking leisurely bike rides around my hood in the evenings. I would visit family and friends in San Antonio, Tucson, SF and Seattle. Seems like a lot of people feel like they need to work for what ever reason. My coworker is mid 60's and keeps saying she will work until she can no longer work which is crazy to me.

I've traveled the world and spent the first 18 years of my adult life traveling so I'm good staying put at this time in my life.

Seems like pay is going down in every career field, I made more from 2001 to 2010 than I did from 2011 until now. Corporations are super greedy.

Shartel, I hear what you're saying, but I think everybody looks at life differently. I'm only in my mid-forties with a young child so I have a long way to go regardless, but I just think work can be fulfilling if it's the right thing. For example, a family friend retired at 60 but then went on to do non-profit work part time all over the world. I know a number of real estate agents that have always kept their licenses current so they can do a couple of deals per year into their 70s and 80s in between travel and grandkids to stay "sharp" and "engaged" in the world and help friends or family. I was in an Uber the other day and the driver was a retired 75 year old engineer that is driving part time simply as a way to "meet new people."

This is what I meant by finding work activities that you enjoy and give you freedom. By all means, if you have the money and want to come to a full stop and then watch movies or tv, have at it.

Shartel, I hear what you're saying, but I think everybody looks at life differently. I'm only in my mid-forties with a young child so I have a long way to go regardless, but I just think work can be fulfilling if it's the right thing. For example, a family friend retired at 60 but then went on to do non-profit work part time all over the world. I know a number of real estate agents that have always kept their licenses current so they can do a couple of deals per year into their 70s and 80s in between travel and grandkids to stay "sharp" and "engaged" in the world and help friends or family. I was in an Uber the other day and the driver was a retired 75 year old engineer that is driving part time simply as a way to "meet new people."

This is what I meant by finding work activities that you enjoy and give you freedom. By all means, if you have the money and want to come to a full stop and then watch movies or tv, have at it.

I get that, I know a 70 year old retired air force chief master sergeant of 30 years of service and she works for the red cross at the VA helping veterans get the proper paperwork filled out so they can receive the proper service connected disability rating that they deserve to receive compensation.

My mother retired at 58, she is now 68, working as in RN at a VA for 30 years and she volunteers with meals on wheels and does a ton of volunteer work through her church

So, there's work and there's work, right. There was a guy who was very well off and didn't need to work financially speaking but chose to be a ticket taker at a movie theatre because it was something to do with his time and he got to meet people. But there's a difference between that guy and the other examples above and someone who needs to hold a job down in order to eat and have a place to live. Depending on what they do and their situation, they may not have the time or energy to learn a new skillset or be able to take a risk on something that may not pan out or doesn't provide a consistent income.

I'm in my mid-30s. In a lot of ways I'm happy with my employer and the day to day, but the job itself is not what I'd hoped for or something I really want to do for another 30 years. I am working on an alternative occupation that I would enjoy a lot more, but I've spent a fair chunk of change training and getting educated on it and its the kind of field I can't count on actually panning out. A lot of luck involved. I am privileged to be in a position where I can pursue that while still being able to support my family. Not everyone is.

Love it!

I guess what I'm saying is breaking your back to be done working at 55 only to turn around and pick up part-time or even full time work (whether by choice or necessity) until you're 70+ or so seems crazy. Like, do what's necessary to be positioned to enjoy your current career/role into your 70s and pace your 30s/40s for that trajectory. Soooooo many people retiring right now are trying to figure out what they're going to do with their time and returning back to the workforce.

I had nothing to do for an entire month at one point in my life and I about went insane. I can't imagine stretching that out for 4 decades...2 decades would be hard enough.

I guess what I'm saying is breaking your back to be done working at 55 only to turn around and pick up part-time or even full time work (whether by choice or necessity) until you're 70+ or so seems crazy. Like, do what's necessary to be positioned to enjoy your current career/role into your 70s and pace your 30s/40s for that trajectory. Soooooo many people retiring right now are trying to figure out what they're going to do with their time and returning back to the workforce.

I had nothing to do for an entire month at one point in my life and I about went insane. I can't imagine stretching that out for 4 decades...2 decades would be hard enough.

I've got a few thousand movies, books, and albums I haven't seen/read/listened to yet, so I think I'd be fine with a lot of extra time. :D

Man I hope so!

I guess what I'm saying is breaking your back to be done working at 55 only to turn around and pick up part-time or even full time work (whether by choice or necessity) until you're 70+ or so seems crazy. Like, do what's necessary to be positioned to enjoy your current career/role into your 70s and pace your 30s/40s for that trajectory. Soooooo many people retiring right now are trying to figure out what they're going to do with their time and returning back to the workforce.

I had nothing to do for an entire month at one point in my life and I about went insane. I can't imagine stretching that out for 4 decades...2 decades would be hard enough.

That is crazy? Do you feel like you need to work to have a full life?

I work to live I don't live to work and everyone I know my age is the same way. I will be able to retire at 55 and I can't wait. I don't need work to make me happy in fact the opposite.

If I want to sleep in every day or get up early and hit up a coffee shop or catch an early movie or whatever I want to do that is enough for me.

Unless you think people retire not having the money to actually retire and live the rest of their life out without having to worry about an income?

Working until you are 70 is crazy to me, you aren't going to be alive much longer after 70 and they damn sure won't be your best healthy years.

My mother and stepfather retired at 58 both RN's and they do whatever the hell they want and not once have thought about getting a job. People should set themselves up to retire as early as possible if possible.

I saved up enough money to finish my last two years of college without working and I loved having so much free time, I spent so much time in the gym after midnight when it was empty and I was able to spend a lot of time with my nephew.

Unfortunately, both me and my wife will have to work for a while longer, maybe into our 70s. We moved around the country from 1995-2009 (when we moved back here), and finally bought a house 6 years ago (when we were both in our 50s), and the mortgage will end (unless paid off early) when I'm ~82. So unless we come into a large sum of money (we will get some, but it's not large, when my mom dies), we're going to have to keep working to keep our house, and we don't ever plan on moving again, so we have to work. Luckily, the job I have now is the best in my IT career that I've had since 1986 and they're smart because the environment is great enough so people don't want to leave, and they keep older employees on because of their institutional wealth of knowledge.

Unfortunately, both me and my wife will have to work for a while longer, maybe into our 70s. We moved around the country from 1995-2009 (when we moved back here), and finally bought a house 6 years ago (when we were both in our 50s), and the mortgage will end (unless paid off early) when I'm ~82. So unless we come into a large sum of money (we will get some, but it's not large, when my mom dies), we're going to have to keep working to keep our house, and we don't ever plan on moving again, so we have to work. Luckily, the job I have now is the best in my IT career that I've had since 1986 and they're smart because the environment is great enough so people don't want to leave, and they keep older employees on because of their institutional wealth of knowledge.

Thats awesome you enjoy your job, having a good work environment makes life so much more enjoyable. Like I said before this is the easiest least stressful job I have ever had in my life and I might stay here passed 55 but that is about a decade away so who knows.

That is crazy? Do you feel like you need to work to have a full life?

I work to live I don't live to work and everyone I know my age is the same way. I will be able to retire at 55 and I can't wait. I don't need work to make me happy in fact the opposite.

If I want to sleep in every day or get up early and hit up a coffee shop or catch an early movie or whatever I want to do that is enough for me.

Unless you think people retire not having the money to actually retire and live the rest of their life out without having to worry about an income?

Working until you are 70 is crazy to me, you aren't going to be alive much longer after 70 and they damn sure won't be your best healthy years.

My mother and stepfather retired at 58 both RN's and they do whatever the hell they want and not once have thought about getting a job. People should set themselves up to retire as early as possible if possible.

I saved up enough money to finish my last two years of college without working and I loved having so much free time, I spent so much time in the gym after midnight when it was empty and I was able to spend a lot of time with my nephew.

Teo's focused on "work" but I think it would more accurate to say people generally need a purpose or goal. Maybe that's cultivating a garden or building relationships with the kids/grandkids. Doing community theatre or playing an instrument. Seeing the world.

I think our society is so focused on work for so much of our lives that for some it can challenging to see a purpose in life beyond building a career. "Retirement" is then framed as the end of life, no longer being productive. Even our habits often get filtered into being work as a hustle or side gig.

Its a shame.

Thats awesome you enjoy your job, having a good work environment makes life so much more enjoyable. Like I said before this is the easiest least stressful job I have ever had in my life and I might stay here passed 55 but that is about a decade away so who knows.

Well, I didn't say I actually "enjoyed" my job, but I've accepted it for what it is - I'm good at it, the physical environment is great (always up-to-date, secure, etc.), and the mental/emotional environment is also great, so it's definitely bearable and acceptable for the rest of my working (there) life. :)

Teo's focused on "work" but I think it would more accurate to say people generally need a purpose or goal. Maybe that's cultivating a garden or building relationships with the kids/grandkids. Doing community theatre or playing an instrument. Seeing the world.

I think our society is so focused on work for so much of our lives that for some it can challenging to see a purpose in life beyond building a career. "Retirement" is then framed as the end of life, no longer being productive. Even our habits often get filtered into being work as a hustle or side gig.

Its a shame.

Just a bit of background on me: I beat my parents to home ownership when I bought my house at 21, the next year finished my degree in music composition w/ ~$30k in student loan debt, spent most of the following decade working in upscale steakhouses, and started travelling when I was 25 (10 weeks in Europe, and 2 stints in Argentina totaling ~15 months). Started my career 5 years ago at the epicenter of burnout work culture in OKC (Paycom) @29 years old and though I'm generally fine financially, probably not quite in a position where I could retire at 55 without "a big break" or without sacrificing some wants along the way.

I say all that to really say that I get this idea of finding purpose beyond work as I've really only spent the last 5 caring about it beyond how it served my other purposes. In fact, the impetus for me travelling was a bunch of wealthy old people at the steakhouses telling me they wish they had traveled when they were young (these same people who are talking about their trips to Europe or fancy islands over their dinner). I think what they were really saying is that they wish they had experienced life along the way and not just worked so hard to get financially positioned to "Retire".

If you didn't really travel when you were younger, doing so when you're older while probably still a great experience, you're probably spending time thinking to yourself "do I even know how to travel?", wondering if you're missing something, not connecting with the experience. If you didn't play an instrument before you were 50, does it create the same depth of experience as someone who has played it throughout their life or is it just another thing to pass the time?

I'm not saying that I have all the answers and that everyone should (or can) live the same life I have (or that it's even right/good/healthy/whatever), but pining for retirement when you're still 10+ years out seems like a symptom of not finding enough purpose/joy/fulfillment in your life on a day-to-day basis and it's probably worth considering finding a way to do some of what you want now so that when you get older it has a deeper meaning. If you've been contributing to your 401(k) for 10 years, give it a rest for a year and use that money to go to Europe, find a cool place that you'll go back to 30 years later and see how it's changed - that will mean a hell of a lot more than whatever that $3,000 would have turned into. Stop working OT for a few years and start learning that instrument now, so when you come back to it at 60, you re-learn the same songs and think about how it made you feel 20 years earlier before friends began passing away or you were introduced to your grand kids.

So I think you and I are on the same page here, Ginkasa. I just think many people believe having all sorts of free-time is going to somehow be fulfilling, when, in reality, large amounts of free-time can be one of the most challenging situations you can ever face in life.

^^^ I agree pretty much with that. We moved from OKC to Milwaukee to NW Indiana to a Chicago suburb to Seattle and back to OKC from 1995-2009, rented all that time, traveled a bunch, had lots of fun. Unfortunately, that's why our mortgage will come due when I'm 82 - we just waited to buy so we could enjoy life, and eventually realized we should bite the bullet and get a house, and did so at a great time (~6 years ago).

Just a bit of background on me: I beat my parents to home ownership when I bought my house at 21, the next year finished my degree in music composition w/ ~$30k in student loan debt, spent most of the following decade working in upscale steakhouses, and started travelling when I was 25 (10 weeks in Europe, and 2 stints in Argentina totaling ~15 months). Started my career 5 years ago at the epicenter of burnout work culture in OKC (Paycom) @29 years old and though I'm generally fine financially, probably not quite in a position where I could retire at 55 without "a big break" or without sacrificing some wants along the way.

I say all that to really say that I get this idea of finding purpose beyond work as I've really only spent the last 5 caring about it beyond how it served my other purposes. In fact, the impetus for me travelling was a bunch of wealthy old people at the steakhouses telling me they wish they had traveled when they were young (these same people who are talking about their trips to Europe or fancy islands over their dinner). I think what they were really saying is that they wish they had experienced life along the way and not just worked so hard to get financially positioned to "Retire".

If you didn't really travel when you were younger, doing so when you're older while probably still a great experience, you're probably spending time thinking to yourself "do I even know how to travel?", wondering if you're missing something, not connecting with the experience. If you didn't play an instrument before you were 50, does it create the same depth of experience as someone who has played it throughout their life or is it just another thing to pass the time?

I'm not saying that I have all the answers and that everyone should (or can) live the same life I have (or that it's even right/good/healthy/whatever), but pining for retirement when you're still 10+ years out seems like a symptom of not finding enough purpose/joy/fulfillment in your life on a day-to-day basis and it's probably worth considering finding a way to do some of what you want now so that when you get older it has a deeper meaning. If you've been contributing to your 401(k) for 10 years, give it a rest for a year and use that money to go to Europe, find a cool place that you'll go back to 30 years later and see how it's changed - that will mean a hell of a lot more than whatever that $3,000 would have turned into. Stop working OT for a few years and start learning that instrument now, so when you come back to it at 60, you re-learn the same songs and think about how it made you feel 20 years earlier before friends began passing away or you were introduced to your grand kids.

So I think you and I are on the same page here, Ginkasa. I just think many people believe having all sorts of free-time is going to somehow be fulfilling, when, in reality, large amounts of free-time can be one of the most challenging situations you can ever face in life.

It is different for everybody. I've traveled the world and lived all over the US and set myself up to retire at 55 and I can't wait to have nothing but free time, time to do whatever it is I want to and no longer having to be at a place for 40 to 50 hours a week.

Retiring at 55 is a perfect age as the average age people die in america is 74 years old so less than 20 years on average. You work until 65 that's an entire decade you lost being able to do what ever you want with your time.

My mother retired at 58 almost ten years ago and she loves it.

Yea, I could see "semi" retiring by 45 or 50 but don't know that I'll ever fully. I've been fiscally responsible from a very early age and still do live below my means compared to what I could so I'll pretty much be able to do whatever by the time I'm in my 40's if I want.

*Pending total economic disaster & complete housing market collapse next few years.

I want to FIRE but have a ways to go. Maybe I'll just coast FIRE. Get me out of the tech/business world. Sitting behind a computer for 8+ hours a day is soul sucking.