Hitting the Wall

[frugalecon]

Jeez, some days I just feel like I am running on fumes. Somewhere between 377 and 481 weeks to go. Sad I know it with that level of precision.

Sorry, I just needed to vent. I知 glad I知 taking 10 days off over the holiday. Nothing to see here, move along.

[surfhb]

What happens in 371 to 481 weeks?  If you mean thats your FIRE date, I suggest you think about other things.   Thats 10 years from now.   Life is short!

[frugalecon]

Hey, 377 weeks is only a little over 7 years!

In truth, I typically am pretty good about maintaining a reasonable work-life equilibrium. Some days are just more challenging than others.

[FI4good]

Yup,
 I'm no stranger to them days myself .

I have a plan in action as compared to most people , It will happen eventually .

Keep on with the plan or improve upon it :) 

[mozar]

Reading rants helps me get through the day.

[Bucksandreds]

Living for the future is seriously detrimental to your mental health.
7-8 years is a long sentence to serve.

What do you plan on doing in 7-8 years? Can you start moving towards that sooner?
Do you have to wait until you致e saved enough to stop working altogether? Could you save a certain nest egg, quit your day job, and then work just enough to pay your bills and let that nest egg grow for a decade?

Being fixated on FIRE drove me crazy.
I decided to bail on my FIRE plans, quit my job with no plan, and started living my life now instead of waiting, and it worked out fine.

I知 not saying you should up and quit your job, I知 just saying you might have a lot more options than just slogging through until you can quit.

Second that. Living for 100% FIRE would be pure misery. Instead of 75% saving for 12 years or whatever of misery, I知 doing about 50% saving and will move down to 20-24hours of work per week in about 7 years. I am missing nothing and have no regrets.

[undercover]

While it is a huge and worthwhile goal, and worth every sacrifice you'll make along the way, it will in no way change your life, complete you, or make you significantly happier. Not sure if that helps or hurts, but it is what it is.

[soccerluvof4]

Up at 2:30 am  , two nights in a row not sleeping! know how you feel..

Just keep telling yourself "this too will pass"

[Adram]

While it is a huge and worthwhile goal, and worth every sacrifice you'll make along the way, it will in no way change your life, complete you, or make you significantly happier. Not sure if that helps or hurts, but it is what it is.

I very much doubt that.

[marty998]

While it is a huge and worthwhile goal, and worth every sacrifice you'll make along the way, it will in no way change your life, complete you, or make you significantly happier. Not sure if that helps or hurts, but it is what it is.

I very much doubt that.

I doubt it too. My life would be infinitely better (and happier) if I did not have to go to work every morning.

It will be exhilarating and life changing for sure!

[frugalecon]

While it is a huge and worthwhile goal, and worth every sacrifice you'll make along the way, it will in no way change your life, complete you, or make you significantly happier. Not sure if that helps or hurts, but it is what it is.

I very much doubt that.

I doubt it too. My life would be infinitely better (and happier) if I did not have to go to work every morning.

It will be exhilarating and life changing for sure!

Indeed, I anticipate that once I stop working as a W-2 employee all of those things I can only do now in a limited fashion will expand to fill the available time. Overall I have good life satisfaction now, despite the occasional mopey days, but I anticipate it will be much greater with significantly more freedom.

[Monkey Uncle]

I know how you feel, frugalecon.  I wanted to FIRE pretty much as soon as I started my first career-oriented job in the early 90s (long before the acronym was invented).  But with a young family and a low-paying job, plus our decision for DW to be a SAHM, it just wasn't going to happen quickly.  And as soon as our net worth started really growing, the stock market's lost decade happened.  Then there was college to pay for.  Here I am 25 years later, finally about to pull the FIRE trigger.

Don't lose sight of your FIRE goal, but with that much time to go, you absolutely have to focus on other things to keep yourself sane.  I changed jobs a couple of times, and the change of scenery definitely helped keep me from losing my mind.  Keep as much work-life balance as you can, and make sure you have something enriching to occupy the "life" time (not just errands and chores around the house).

[matchewed]

There really isn't a wall. I would try to change how I'm looking at things and enjoy the journey. While I'm sure that FIRE will increase my quality of life and therefore contentment and other positive feelings it is not the key to those feelings. I am. So now is the time to feel those things and now will always be that time.

[Zola.]

In ten years time, you might regret wishing your life away.

[frugalecon]

In ten years time, you might regret wishing your life away.

I don't think that I said that I was wishing my life away. I actually have a pretty enjoyable life; it is just that there are some days when I am more eager to have completed the "working for the man" phase than other days. When I made my original post I was having one of those days. Today things look sunnier. Overall, the more challenging days make me feel grateful for the (many) good days I experience.

[Zola.]

In ten years time, you might regret wishing your life away.

I don't think that I said that I was wishing my life away. I actually have a pretty enjoyable life; it is just that there are some days when I am more eager to have completed the "working for the man" phase than other days. When I made my original post I was having one of those days. Today things look sunnier. Overall, the more challenging days make me feel grateful for the (many) good days I experience.

Glad to hear it!!

[Livingthedream55]

Practice gratitude for what you have/are right now. Every night write down 5 things you are grateful for.

Help someone else.

Find ways to be present and get a little joy out of every day.

Change the things that are in your control (now).

Watch this video. A bit of tough love. : 0 )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8NVLq2fGLc

[EngineeringFI]

I'm guilty of falling into the mental trap of becoming totally fixated on early retirement. I realized pretty quickly it could turn me into a miserable, one-dimensional human that is only "surviving" instead of thriving. One technique that helps me with this is whenever I start to focus on that FIRE date in the future, I ask myself what type of person I want to be when I get there? And what can I do today to become that person?

For example, it would be such a shame to achieve FIRE and be in poor physical condition; too unhealthy to completely enjoy the freedom I've earned. Better do some push-ups, go for a hike or bikeride, etc.

For me, little results achieved on a daily basis are powerful motivators. If I learned a new skill, reduced a cost, earned some extra money or had a great workout it gives me a little extra boost on the journey.

Of course, this is all super easy to write while I'm on vacation for the holidays and not stepping foot into MegaCorp...

[Zikoris]

Right now, we've got about 4-5 years , or somewhere between 208 and 260 weeks (lol), to go. We're happy with that timeline. But if we weren't, the solution we'd go with would be a finding a way to reduce it to a level we were happy with. That would probably involve reducing spending, since neither of us are big go-getter side-giggers or career ladder-climbers, but increasing income could be on the table as well.

[undercover]

While it is a huge and worthwhile goal, and worth every sacrifice you'll make along the way, it will in no way change your life, complete you, or make you significantly happier. Not sure if that helps or hurts, but it is what it is.

I very much doubt that.

I doubt it too. My life would be infinitely better (and happier) if I did not have to go to work every morning.

It will be exhilarating and life changing for sure!

Indeed, I anticipate that once I stop working as a W-2 employee all of those things I can only do now in a limited fashion will expand to fill the available time. Overall I have good life satisfaction now, despite the occasional mopey days, but I anticipate it will be much greater with significantly more freedom.

Maybe I was just trying to make OP feel better. Yes, your life will become objectively better if you save enough money to where you don't have to do things you don't want to do. BUT, it's crazy to assume that saving for FI will be the last thing you ever do. Your life still goes on. The need to feel challenged and fulfilled will never really go away. You'll still wake up with problems and those problems will need fixing.

All I'm trying to say is do not feel like you have to do something you don't like for 5-10 years just because you think that after it's over you will feel instantly better. Try your best to improve your life now and and do things that make the ride much more enjoyable.

This isn't completely true in regards to FI, but it's close:

https://waitbutwhy.com/2013/11/life-is-picture-but-you-live-in-pixel.html

It's basically saying that you're always going to want something you don't have until you learn to accept and live within the "pixel" you're given. It doesn't mean you shouldn't try to improve the overall picture, just that you shouldn't always expect to feel the complete effects of improving the overall picture in your day to day life.

[Brother Esau]

Life is way too short. Be grateful for every day you are still above ground.

[Dicey]

Wow, this thread's all over the place! I'm glad you're feeling better, frugalecon.

To all of the naysayers who claim you can't work on a goal that's so big, so far away, blah x3, I call Total Bullshit! FIRE is an audacious goal, of course it takes a long time. Who said the OP is not living a balanced life in the meantime?

If you don't believe FIRE is possible/probable/completely worthwhile, what are you hoping to achieve by epending time on this site? Crab potting, perhaps?

[pegleglolita]

I'm assuming you're in the US.  The insanity of employer-tied benefits (esp. health insurance) keeps so many of us chained to the wheel.  I know where you're coming from, and I'm about on your timeline too.  Like you, I have moments of positivity, moments of despair, and moments in which I realize I'm spending way too much obsessing over color-coded spreadsheets.  I know it seems overly simplistic, but for me getting out into nature in some form (hiking, camping, kayaking, or even just a walk around the block) seems to hit my reset button when I'm stuck in a loop.  Seeing myself as small and insignificant, a mere speck in the universe, seems to kick me in the can and put things into perspective.  :)

[EngineeringFI]

I'm assuming you're in the US.  The insanity of employer-tied benefits (esp. health insurance) keeps so many of us chained to the wheel.  I know where you're coming from, and I'm about on your timeline too.  Like you, I have moments of positivity, moments of despair, and moments in which I realize I'm spending way too much obsessing over color-coded spreadsheets.  I know it seems overly simplistic, but for me getting out into nature in some form (hiking, camping, kayaking, or even just a walk around the block) seems to hit my reset button when I'm stuck in a loop.  Seeing myself as small and insignificant, a mere speck in the universe, seems to kick me in the can and put things into perspective.  :)

I agree so much with this. Going for a hike is amazingly effective at hitting the reset button. There's just something about the crunch of gravel under some hiking boots...

[undercover]

Wow, this thread's all over the place! I'm glad you're feeling better, frugalecon.

To all of the naysayers who claim you can't work on a goal that's so big, so far away, blah x3, I call Total Bullshit! FIRE is an audacious goal, of course it takes a long time. Who said the OP is not living a balanced life in the meantime?

If you don't believe FIRE is possible/probable/completely worthwhile, what are you hoping to achieve by epending time on this site? Crab potting, perhaps?

That's not what I said at all if you're referring to my thoughts. There's far more nuance to what I was saying. Nobody's naysaying here. I am FI and haven't held a job in about three years and am simply speaking from experience.