Author Topic: Issues with FI days..  (Read 3108 times)

mechanic baird

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Issues with FI days..
« on: June 26, 2012, 01:15:40 PM »
I just bumped into one of my former coworkers who declared FI about 2 years ago at age 42.
I asked him how life was treating him... He pointed out a couple of things any types of retirees are struggling with whether you are 65 or 45: isolation and lack of purpose... Not enough human interactions although he tried to go to different hobby groups..He traveled around too, but not easy to make real friends just in matter of months in each different location.. He said the pluses still outweights minuses, but he did warn anyone who attempt near term FI to have a bit of planning done ahead..
What do you want to do? are you going to line up a part time work somewhere? community services? He said, "you can wing it... but life without a purpose and destination can get frustrating. So do some thinking before you retire.. "Pretty good point.. thought to share.. I also think his situation of lacking children makes him feel a bit bored too...

Anyway, what do you guys want to do when you hit your FI days?

ShavinItForLater

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Re: Issues with FI days..
« Reply #1 on: June 26, 2012, 02:30:10 PM »
If I am able to declare FI within the next couple of years, my goal would be to spend loads of time with my two boys, helping to better guide them into becoming good men.  My older son will leave for college in 5 years, and my younger son in 8 years, so I'm hoping not to completely miss that window.

Apart from and after that, I'd envision some kind of work to keep mentally stimulated and growing--but it would likely be individual projects and never all-consuming, with plenty of breaks in between and overall the choice to say no and walk away from bad work or people.  Otherwise I have a lot of interests:

- Spend lots of quality time with my wife, strengthening our marriage
- Spend lots of quality time with my parents while they are still alive
- Spend lots of time outside--camping, hiking, biking, skiing, etc. etc.
- Read about 1,000 books--the list of books I'd like to read keeps getting longer
- Take care of the cooking/cleaning/etc. so that my wife can pursue graduate degrees and career goals
- Spend time volunteering / doing charity work
- Learn to play guitar competently
- Learn a second language--and live in a country that speaks it for a while
- Develop more and better friendships within my local community
- Help my kids establish themselves as adults
- Learn more hands on skills, building things
- Expand gardening, and maybe even experiment with some animals like bees or chickens

Really the list could go on and on, I could probably fill several pages with ideas, and never have enough time to do them all.

mechanic baird

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Re: Issues with FI days..
« Reply #2 on: June 26, 2012, 03:02:45 PM »
Sound like a great dream!!

I took one year off between jobs while trying to build a side business. I did, however, felt the isolation... since I mostly worked behind my closed door at home.

But if I ever hit FI soon, I probably want to pick up a consulting gig locally, working part time and then spend the rest of the time to hang out with kids and family,etc.. Learn to garden and be a better chef.