I didn't really go into FIRE with concrete goals, more like general ideas of the things I wanted to do more or less of. Mostly, I just wanted to break out of the intense job stress that was consuming most of my time and energy, slow down, and take life as it comes. I would say I have succeeded at that. Although I often have the feeling that I should be accomplishing more, I can usually recognize that it is a manufactured feeling that is a residue of all those years when I was overloaded and absolutely had to get X, Y, and Z done, or the world would end!
For example, this week I felt the intense need to (1) continue clearing a big tree I had taken down some time ago, (2) replace a radiator hose on my truck, and (3) try out my new spotting scope. Due to rain, snow, intense cold temperatures, more snow, and a bad head cold, none of those things happened. I've been stewing about it some, even though I fully recognize the fact that (A) the big tree will still be there when the weather clears, and I already have enough firewood cut for the next year or so; (B) I don't need to drive the truck anywhere immediately, so it will be fine if I change the hose later this week, and (C) I still have a couple of weeks left on the 30-day return period for the scope. I'm hoping that eventually my mind will stop feeling the need to manufacture a sense of urgency where none actually exists.
But after 13 months of FIRE, I do have some accomplishments relative to my general notions of what I might want to do/not do, as well as a few surprises.
I went into FIRE way behind on my firewood (my primary source of heat), so I knew I needed to focus on that task last spring and summer. I succeeded in spades at this effort - the wife and I cut, hauled, split, and stacked somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 pickup loads of wood (and that was before we had the giant tree taken down - I've since cut and partially split another 5 loads or so).
Although I wasn't in terrible shape when I FIREd, I wanted to make a better effort at getting and staying in shape. I was largely successful; I lost 15 lbs or so and my blood pressure went down from the "pre-hypertension" range into the normal range. I'm sure all the firewood cutting helped, but I also believe that lack of work stress and more time to devote to purposeful exercise (mainly walking) were big factors also.
I rebuilt the carburetor on my old truck. This wasn't something that was planned, but it became a necessity when the truck wouldn't run right. I had never rebuilt a carburetor before, so this was definitely a learning experience. I won't say it's perfect, but it runs a lot better than it used to.
About two months in, I took a side gig doing some consulting for a company that has some interactions with my former employer. This was totally unplanned. At that near distance from my launch date, I had absolutely no desire to do anything that related to my former career. But when the company approached me about it, I was hesitant to say no and burn a bridge. Who knows when I might need to parlay former connections into a money-making opportunity? (Or at least that's what my irrational inner bag man said.) Luckily their need for my services has been pretty sparse. Most weeks I don't do anything; every now and then I might put in an hour or two. This could have turned into a difficult situation like Sol's back-to-work effort, but I am fortunate that it didn't turn into much of anything, and I didn't have to burn a bridge.
I had the notion that I was going to elevate my guitar playing skills from stumbling through a few chords to something that sounds like music. So far, the motivation hasn't materialized.
About six months in, I was starting to go through a few periods of boredom, so when I was invited to join the board of a regional non-profit group, I accepted. This group conducts advocacy related to my former field of employment, so sometimes it starts to feel a bit like work, but mostly it's a good way to stay mentally engaged in something without going all-in.
I was very clear going into FIRE that I wanted to spend more time hiking and birding in my local area. I live in a scenic, forested area, so opportunities abound. I've been surprised that I haven't found much time to do this yet. It seems like there is always some little chore around the house that needs to be done. I think this is one area where my take-it-as-it-comes approach is hurting me. I need to at least make the effort to say to myself, "O.K., the weather is going to be good on Monday, so I'm going to schedule a trip to the woods, and anything else that crops up is just going to have to wait."
We took a big family trip out west this past fall, which we had been planning for a couple of years, since before I made my final decision to retire. It was our first big trip in a long, long time. We enjoyed it so much that we're going back later this spring. I didn't really think much about travel plans when I FIREd. I was having a hard time seeing past the work stress and envisioning what proactive things I might want to do. But I fear that DW and I have caught the travel bug. We've done some scrutinizing of the budget, and we think we can probably fit in a trip or two a year, and we might even look into a used RV (thank goodness I did OMY, LOL). I suppose I should have seen this coming, but it kind of caught me off guard.
I went grouse hunting with my brother and son a couple of times, and I ended up buying a cheap used shotgun so I could continue this avocation. I used to hunt some when I was younger, but hadn't done much in the last decade or so. This was another one of those outgrowths of the take-it-as-it-comes approach. My brother is an avid hunter, and he wanted to come visit my area to go grouse hunting. My son and I went along, and my son killed his first grouse on his first morning out. That was enough to get us hooked.
My wife and I started walking dogs at the local animal shelter twice a week. It's a great way to get some exercise, do a good deed, and get a pet fix without actually owning one. Except now DW is dropping hints about wanting to get a dog...
I've worked myself into the household grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning routine. My wife has been a SAHM for most of our time together, so I didn't do much of those things prior to retiring. DW is still in charge of these tasks since she is the expert, but she seems happy to have a helper.
And finally, I've read more books in the last 13 months than I did in probably the previous 30 years. Reading has become my go-to time filler when I have some down time between tasks and activities. It's been a nice luxury. But I'm beginning to worry that I'm going to run out of books to read at my dinky little small town library.
All in all, I'd say I've succeeded at slowing down and relaxing without turning into a slug. The slowing down has been more mental and emotional than physical, which what I was trying to achieve all along.