Author Topic: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?  (Read 11319 times)

Auckland Stubble

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What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« on: March 09, 2016, 12:08:01 AM »
Many people will reply with "not having to work anymore if I choose not to" but what are your other reasons or end goal?

A lot of finance books say focus on the why and the how will sort itself out working backwards from there.

Mattzlaff

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2016, 01:18:51 AM »
I started my career at 21 making 76k/Y salary, this is 45% more than my single mother was making to raise 3 boys.

I've got those values still instilled, I don't want to be the typical 'Berta spender with a jacked up 90k truck 30k quad 20k snow mobile and 600k mortgage in the ever so volatile oil patch.

I want to live comfortably mortgage free with investments making money for me. I don't plan on too early retirement(I have a light work load job that I love) but I do want to be able to say F*@k you If I want and not work anymore if I don't want to.



Trip

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2016, 05:02:31 AM »
Just to extend on the "not having to work if I don't want to" here are some of the things that I want that time for.

1. Hike every national park in the United States
2. Travel to every continent at least once
3. Be able to have both my wife and myself stay home with children if we decide to have them
4. Be able to visit with our aging families in other states more frequently while we still have time with them
5. Volunteer more in the local community

BlueMR2

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2016, 05:06:43 AM »
I figure that if anything were to go wrong and I lose my job, I'll probably never be able to find one again so I should be prepared to live without one.  My wife lost her job several years ago and despite having a degree and good experience, *still* hasn't been able to find a full-time replacement job.  I've got skills in both software development and system administration, but both are heavily ageist industries.  Once you hit 40, the job prospects just disappear.

Nickels Dimes Quarters

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2016, 05:38:01 AM »
I want to retire when I choose, have options if an accident or illness forces me out of the workforce, and not have to stress over how expenses will be paid.

NDQ

KMMK

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2016, 07:17:59 AM »
Be able to do whatever I want whenever I want. And just enjoy life. It's broad but that's the point - to just follow interests as they arise.

homestead neohio

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2016, 07:58:38 AM »
Good topic.  The older I get, the more I seem to know what I want out of my remaining years.  Not all-inclusive, but these pop into mind:

I want to spend the majority of my time outside instead of leading a climate controlled existence.
I want to stop and stare when awed by natural beauty, not pass it by on the way to someplace else.
I want to know what is going on in my wife's life so well that we can once again just sit quietly together and not have to speak... because we already know.
I want to spend enough time with my kids that I can see the world through their eyes.  Everything is still fresh and full of possibility.
I want to watch plants grow.  Weird one, I know, but it is a miracle that sustains our lives and I don't get tired of it.  But you have to be present to see small changes every day.
I want to help friends and family with their projects instead of root from the sidelines.
I want to know my parents' thoughts about life and what they've seen and learned, not just their bios.

Some of these I can do without FIRE, so I try to make them happen when I can.  I anticipate the above will be so much more available to me post-FIRE, though.

little_brown_dog

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #7 on: March 09, 2016, 08:47:47 AM »
Health and family:

1. Chasing an income to simply survive is stressful. Chasing an income to pay for excessive materialism is wasteful. Chasing an income to look powerful or prestigious is harmful to our own self worth and inherently fosters a sense of superiority.

2. The 9-5 grind, for most people, is completely unnatural and manifests in unhealthy bodies and minds. If you watch pre-industrialized societies and animal groups, there are no rigid work schedules. Eating/hunting/foraging are interspersed with periods of rest and play. Basing your entire existence around when you have to be in the office, and rushing to and fro to try to fit everything else around this schedule, is one of the reasons I think so many people struggle with mental illness and chronic health problems. It's just not normal for our bodies to do that day in and day out for decades.

3. Family and loved ones are way more important to us than any job, even a very fulfilling one. The more time we spend at our jobs, the less time we have with our loved ones. We gave up extra income so I could stay home to care for our daughter. It doesn't bother me one bit that my lifetime earnings will be less because I try not to value myself based on something like lifetime earning potential. We save so my husband can have more time with us later on too. Wouldn't change it for the world.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2016, 08:50:15 AM by little_brown_dog »

Cookie78

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #8 on: March 09, 2016, 09:44:27 AM »
I want to spend more time with my family
I want to spend more time with my boyfriend
I want to spend more time with my friends
I want to spend more time with my dog
I want to volunteer more
I want to slow travel everywhere
I want to live simply
I want to make a difference

Philociraptor

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #9 on: March 09, 2016, 09:46:04 AM »
To be able to do whatever I want, whenever I want. I want to FIRE from work, not heading towards anything yet.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2016, 12:00:38 PM by Philociraptor »

2Saving4Life

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #10 on: March 09, 2016, 10:49:51 AM »
What was the reason/drive?  We both hated our jobs, (ultimate goal) get to FI quickly.

What is our current reason/drive?  Create an amazing life with time to enjoy it and everything in it.
Ultimate goal? To be able to look back in 50 years and say "that was an awesome life, I wouldn't change a thing".

It was a long process between those two reason/drives.
Hate jobs
Save like crazy
Deprivation
Introspection
Create a new path
More introspection
Wife job change
Downsize house/possessions
Passing the half way to FI point
Making a lot, working a lot, saving a lot
This isn't it
More Introspection
Time and people are most valuable
Try to find balance
Maybe we should both work part time?
RV around country for awhile?
She will quit and I'll continue working, she can do household stuff freeing up time on nights/weekends until spring then I quit and we start RV adventure

I get laid off
She quits
Maybe we should go travel the country in an RV now?
Let's do it, RV adventure it is
While sitting in RV to purchase, wife's phone rings, amazing job/pay/benefits offered
No RV adventure, at least not yet
She takes awesome job
I'll take care of household stuff and she will work
Still keeping the savings rate above 50%
Today
Tomorrow (I can't wait to see how awesome it is)
The RV Adventure is coming, just not yet

It was a long process and the reasons/drive/ultimate goals have changed a few times but one thing I've learned is to try and enjoy the ride and be ready to adapt.

Ultimate Goal = Happiness and a Good Life






chrisdurheim

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2016, 11:30:49 AM »
Great question - I love the quote "don't retire from something, retire to something"

In our case, i'd like more free time for reading and hiking/walking.  Outside of that, my wife and I have travel goals with our kids (all 50 states before they graduate high school; hopefully some international trips as well) and would like to volunteer more.  We've talked about maybe spending a few months in orphanages in other countries helping out.

We've got a rough enough idea of some things that would be good and continue to refine the list as we get closer :)

SilveradoBojangles

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #12 on: March 09, 2016, 11:44:12 AM »
This is an excellent question. Most of the time I feel like I'm really happy with my life, and because of that I don't really have much "drive", because there isn't a lot more that I want. But I guess I want to protect the lifestyle I have now, in which I have a flexible work schedule that allows me to work from anywhere and isn't full time all the time, so I have plenty of time to pursue hobbies and travel.

There is also a part of me that just doesn't want to end up like my parents, or my husband's parents. We are willing to put in the work now to buy ourselves some security and flexibility later down the road.

mm1970

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #13 on: March 09, 2016, 01:15:28 PM »
I figure that if anything were to go wrong and I lose my job, I'll probably never be able to find one again so I should be prepared to live without one.  My wife lost her job several years ago and despite having a degree and good experience, *still* hasn't been able to find a full-time replacement job.  I've got skills in both software development and system administration, but both are heavily ageist industries.  Once you hit 40, the job prospects just disappear.

This.

I like to think that I could reinvent myself.  Learn to program, move into a nonprofit (I know, two very different things).  But I'm a woman and in my 40's and in semiconductors. If this job goes away, then what?  Try to get another one, but I've seen my friends have difficulty getting jobs in town at my age.

I have a friend in her 50's who had a hard time getting a job. She has one, but her husband has been laid off almost 2 years and can't get a job.

My husband's job is what I consider pretty stable.  We think about making a big move sometimes, but again - he's almost 48, how easy would it be to do that?

Molzy

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #14 on: March 09, 2016, 01:50:42 PM »
Our major motivator has been watching our parents. My fiancé's parents are both past retirement age (65 and 75) and still working three jobs between them, have a mortgage, and are paying off student loans. My mom is 58 and has 24 years left on her mortgage right now, though she's lucky enough to have pensions and a few hundred thousand in her 401k. My dad is 59 and disabled, living off government assistance.

We graduated college during a recession (2008-2010), and did not get the type of jobs that our parents had thought we'd get after college. I'm not blaming them, as I signed the documents, but we were both encouraged to take out loans, that they'd be easy to pay back once we graduated and worth it. And they were, but we both went back to grad school before getting the jobs we have now, and we are attacking our student loans in earnest! I'd say our student loans are what got us motivated to learn about personal finance for sure. That led me to read books by Dave Ramsey and Elizabeth Warren, and eventually led me here.

We want to have options. We both like our jobs fine, but we want to be able to stop working if we ever want or need to. We don't want to worry constantly about money, or fight over it. We'd like to retire early enough to travel and spend time together.

The_path_less_taken

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #15 on: March 09, 2016, 10:04:58 PM »
In a way, I reached my ultimate goal at 18: I realized that I could go anywhere and do anything and....make it.

That if I didn't like where I was or what I was doing, all I had to do was...do something else.

That I could always come up with a Plan B and wing it. It would all work out if I put enough effort into it. Whatever 'it' was, at the time.

My ultimate goal in MMM terms now, is to save more, invest more.

But my ultimate goal as a human being is to always try and treat others the way I want to be treated. Until they fuck with me: then all bets are off. (for those of you who believe in astrology, I've been told it's a Scorpio trait. whatever.)

I want to do a little more traveling, and maybe when I'm older than dirt I won't want to live remotely, but will want to be able to gimp down to the local theatre with my walker....who can foresee the future?

I have mismanaged a bunch of money/investments in the past but, live and learn. Tomorrow is a new day, and....I'm still paying bills on time and feeding my critters so....it's all good.

"the path less taken", etc.

LindseyC

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #16 on: March 10, 2016, 07:37:25 AM »
I didn't realize until my late thirties (thanks to illness) what really mattered in life. In a bizarre way illness was actually a blessing, although an uncomfortable lesson.

What drives me now is really just simplicity and slow living. I envision a future of creative pastimes, spending time with people I love, appreciating all the gifts I have and beauty I am surrounded by.

I never really had life goals before, I was just going through the motions and doing what was expected. I realize now that wanting to live a simple life is in fact a goal and something I should embrace and work towards. I was always under the impression that my lifestyle dictated I was an underachiever, turns out I just place value on things most of the society around me doesn't value the same way.

little_brown_dog

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #17 on: March 10, 2016, 07:56:16 AM »
I didn't realize until my late thirties (thanks to illness) what really mattered in life. In a bizarre way illness was actually a blessing, although an uncomfortable lesson.

What drives me now is really just simplicity and slow living. I envision a future of creative pastimes, spending time with people I love, appreciating all the gifts I have and beauty I am surrounded by.

I never really had life goals before, I was just going through the motions and doing what was expected. I realize now that wanting to live a simple life is in fact a goal and something I should embrace and work towards. I was always under the impression that my lifestyle dictated I was an underachiever, turns out I just place value on things most of the society around me doesn't value the same way.

Yes this happened to me! Living with chronic pain every day and having to go through scary tests to find out if you have something life threatening will definitely change your perspective on what really matters.
The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying also really helped me...http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/01/top-five-regrets-of-the-dying

neo von retorch

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #18 on: March 10, 2016, 08:17:05 AM »
Optimally utilize my unique skills to benefit others.

Having (financial independence) would allow me to consider what I tend to excel at, and how I can channel those abilities to create positive change.

Now... that probably sounds super selfless, but the reality is that when I'm growing in the things I enjoy doing (well), I'm living. I'm in the flow. I'm loving life. (And I'm usually making money from it, too...)

dreams_and_discoveries

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #19 on: March 10, 2016, 08:18:59 AM »
I tend to look at life in phases, now in the accumulation phase. In this phase, I love that I have a good income, but dislike the lack of freedom I sacrifice for that income. In effect I'm tied to commuting 3 hours, working 9-10 hour days five days a week. I'm prepared to put up with this for (a) the money, (b) the fact my commute = exercise & reading time, and (c) work isn't too bad. I manage to have enough free time to study a masters part time, see loads of theatre, train for marathons and go on nice holidays.

However I am massively looking forward to the freedom phase, where 24 hours a day are mine to choose how I allocate them - I have loads of places I'd love to travel, and lots of frugal hobbies to fill my time. I'm also prone to getting very stressy with work, and not paying enough attention to people -I'm looking forward to slowing things down and making much more time for people.

Fishindude

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #20 on: March 10, 2016, 08:32:24 AM »
FIRE is good and I'm looking forward to it real soon, but you have to live and enjoy life during the working years too, because any one of us could get hit by a bus tomorrow.

The best scenario is to do work you enjoy, which pays well enough that you can sock plenty away to get out of the rat race earlier than most, while allowing enough free time to participate in the things outside of work that you enjoy.

Biggest thing I'm looking forward to as a business owner is no longer having a large portion of my net worth at risk in business every day, and not being tied to a schedule.   Will be nice to take off on a whim and go somewhere or do something knowing that nothing or nobody is negatively affected.

afuera

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #21 on: March 10, 2016, 08:45:24 AM »
When I met my future husband, we were long distance for over 2 years before we got married.  I still remember the heartache whenever I would say goodbye to him and the absolute joy to be able to spend an entire day/weekend/week with him.  Now that we are married and live together, I still feel a little heartache every time we part ways in the morning and I go to work. 
So my drive is I want to be able to spend as much time as I want with my husband, our furbabies, our families, and friends; and never feel the little bit of heartache I get when I have spend my time somewhere other than where I want to be.

Vertical Mode

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #22 on: March 10, 2016, 09:17:20 AM »
Great question.

Finding MMM a few years ago helped me realize just how many OPTIONS I had available if I prioritized having FU money. Having a 'stache meant that I could decide I wanted to, say, move to Denver, and just up and do it, or push back a little bit at work when the boss man makes unreasonable requests (I've literally seen him bully people into canceling weekend plans to come in on a Saturday/Sunday to work on his projects, because of a crisis of his own making). So first and foremost, it's indeed about the freedom - within reason, I'd like to be able to spend my time and money as I see fit.

Secondly, it's about the position of strength. My parents have always led by example, but the message doesn't seem to have gotten through to the rest of their generation or most of mine with the exception of 2-3 of my cousins. I've never actually asked them about it, but I'm curious whether they see themselves as having some sort of responsibility for being the stewards of the family financial legacy. It could just be that neither of them had 2 nickels to rub together at times growing up, leading them to be ultra conservative, but I do think they take a fair amount of pride in the resource stability they have achieved and having the ability to help others right the ship if need be. I consider this line of thinking pretty graceful, and part of me wonders whether I should up my FIRE threshold a little more to build in the capacity to do the same.

Third, its about conservation and responsibility in the lifestyle. Becoming a stoic and consuming fewer resources and luxury goods has obvious financial benefits, but the unburned petroleum and reduction in plastic crap makes me feel like I'm making some small steps in the right direction. I subscribe to the adage that "defense wins championships" - financially, this means that reduction in spending enables quicker/more sustainable FIRE, environmentally it means not using resources at an unsustainable rate or breaking things that can't be fixed. I enjoy being out in nature, and I'd like to be sure that if I'm blessed with a future generation of mini-me's that they'll be able to do the same.

Fourth, fulfillment. There is an undeniable sense of achievement when one accomplishes something by "muscle over motor", whether that be chopping wood, biking to work, etc. FI may be a threshold to aim for, but as Nick Saban might say, it's about the process. Wealth is a habit, and the process of building it can be reduced to a series of habits and decisions. Since I started making big changes like moving out of the city and biking to work, selling all my old and underutilized stuff in a move toward minimalism, and eliminating wasteful habits like always going out for $10 drinks at local bars, the process has become a lot more fun and fulfilling. Sometimes when I have tough days at work, the bike commute will be the highlight of my day. It's easier to see the simple joy in life when all the distractions and superfluous bullshit gets cleared out of the way.

I'm still figuring out the details of what exactly I'd like my FIRE to look like, and what elements it will include. The goal is undeniably to buy back time, create self-actualization and personal improvement, with a side helping of charity. Would be nice to travel and see more of this blue marble, too.

rubybeth

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #23 on: March 10, 2016, 09:30:26 AM »
Not having to deal with BS at work is a pretty big motivator, but having the free time to do things I enjoy is the larger motivator:

1. Spend more time with family/friends - especially my husband. I love hanging out with that guy!
2. Time for hobbies (photography, music, reading)
3. Waking up and going to bed whenever I want to
4. More time for travel... so much of our traveling right now is limited due to time rather than money (and we would make different choices to do things more slowly, or stay with friends for longer and use their homes as a base to travel more in their area, like Germany or Denmark).
5. Taking things slow and enjoying the process--like cooking. When I'm tired after a day of work and have to cook a meal, it can be stressful, but when I have a day off and can plan the meal and shop, then spend time prepping and cooking, I enjoy the process a lot more.

nanana13

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #24 on: March 10, 2016, 09:49:07 AM »
Security: I want to be comfortable in the fact that should anything happen (lose my job, disability, divorce, etc.), I am covered financially.

Deep desire for independence: I enjoy the idea of being self-sufficient and not have to rely on others.

Desire to travel: I want to travel the world, and as such, a big chunk of my savings are for this reason.


2Birds1Stone

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #25 on: March 10, 2016, 09:53:11 AM »
When you are FIRE'd everyday's a Friday.

BlueHouse

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #26 on: March 10, 2016, 09:55:49 AM »
Fear. 

Fear of what will happen to me if I don't have enough money to keep funding my current lifestyle. 
Fear of losing my independence.

I think that's really it.  There are many more "fears", but they all really boil down to this. 

JLee

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #27 on: March 10, 2016, 10:10:38 AM »
I just want freedom.  I'm not tired of working yet, but I'd like to be able to quit if I wanted to. I want to build expedition trucks and go explore.  I want to build race cars / race more often.  I want to be able to take a few months off if I feel like it. Etc.   A lot of what I want to do requires more vacation time than any company is likely to give me, so I'm stuck doing things in small doses instead.

chesebert

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #28 on: March 10, 2016, 10:32:19 AM »
I want to retire and found a high tech startup. It would either be something robotics or biotech related. Will probably require me to go back to get my MSEE, meet up with researchers and license some university technologies. I will need to buffer my FIRE amount a bit more so I can have some "skin in the game" that most VC funds will likely require.

ambimammular

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #29 on: March 10, 2016, 01:44:30 PM »
I'd really just like to see the mortgage disappear. Once it's gone I don't know what I'll work toward. In fact I think I'll feel empty and lost once its gone. I hate owing, but it keeps me focused.

Sailor Sam

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #30 on: March 10, 2016, 02:02:57 PM »
Many people will reply with "not having to work anymore if I choose not to" but what are your other reasons or end goal?

A lot of finance books say focus on the why and the how will sort itself out working backwards from there.

Right now my ultimate goal is to be the Commanding Officer of a big, big ship. I'm 10 years into the process, and I have about 6 to go. Every step in my career has been geared towards that goal. Every work project I undertake is looked at with the aim of improving myself, so I will make a good CO.

Currently, I don't want to go any higher than CO. I might make Captain, but I don't think I'd made a good Admiral. So I suppose the ultimate goal of my high savings is to ensure I don't have to stay in a job where I've peaked. I won't necessarily like leaving with 18 years of service, but I won't be indentured to that 20 year pension.

RyanAtTanagra

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #31 on: March 10, 2016, 04:28:28 PM »
I've got skills in both software development and system administration, but both are heavily ageist industries.  Once you hit 40, the job prospects just disappear.

Yep, this is my main driver right now.  At 36 I'm already starting to feel it.  I just don't have the excitement over IT that the 20yr olds have, and I know it shows in interviews.  At some point I just won't be able to fake it anymore.

Also the time to spend time with my kids when I have them, and the time to help my parents when they start to need it.  Plus the laundry list of hobbies I'm interested in.  Life is way too short to spend time working for someone else.

zinethstache

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #32 on: March 10, 2016, 04:34:54 PM »
A fairly fresh health scare (2013 through 2015) for DH and myself forced us to review our life plans. He retired 5 years ago and has grown our rental properties to the point now that I now longer need to work. Originally I was going to work until 55 but boy oh boy did these health issues make us escalate my exit plan so we can slow travel in our RV setup (already own it free and clear) BEFORE we can no longer do so.

We want to travel until we are done traveling. Now we are even considering living full time in a fifth wheel should the tiny house bug take hold.

bacchi

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #33 on: March 10, 2016, 05:27:59 PM »
I've got skills in both software development and system administration, but both are heavily ageist industries.  Once you hit 40, the job prospects just disappear.

It's really amazing how quickly this happens. Maybe it is something about enthusiasm like RyanAtTanagra mentioned. (Deadpan: "Yes, I'm really interested in mining data to customize a buyer's shopping experience. That sounds like quite the challenge.")

Ah, well, FI will let me sink my teeth into some fun open-source frameworks.

Adventures With Poopsie

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #34 on: March 10, 2016, 05:50:57 PM »
Poopsie and I don't hate our jobs. They're alright. But, we spend eight hours a day apart from each other, and we'd much rather spend all our time together. FIRE let's us do that.

We want to travel, very slowly, together.

I want to be able to spend large chunks of time with my future nieces and nephews. They will not live near me, so FIRE is necessary for me to be able to do this.

I'd like to coach children to play tennis. I think that would be a lot of fun.

Eric

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #35 on: March 10, 2016, 06:08:50 PM »
Like lots of others above: Travel.   Planning perpetual slow travel until it's no longer appealing. 

tj

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #36 on: March 10, 2016, 06:51:27 PM »
I save because I can. Most are not as fortunate as me, and I feel like if  squander my opportunities, that would be a life fail.

aperture

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #37 on: March 10, 2016, 07:36:56 PM »
What I teach my kids: FREEDOM!!!!

-Ap

SwordGuy

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #38 on: March 10, 2016, 08:20:53 PM »
Job #1: We have a mentally handicapped child who is unable to take care of herself.  We want to make sure that her brother and his children can make sure she is taken care of without her being a financial burden on them.  Rather, we want her to be a financial blessing to them.

Job #2: Free us to have more time to do the things we want to do, that we can't do when we're tied to a 9-5 job with just a few weeks vacation.

Job #3: Having financial security is a good feeling.

Axecleaver

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #39 on: March 11, 2016, 01:58:06 PM »
I'm an entrepreneurial guy, so I wonder often if I will be able to step away from work when the time comes. My business can be very fickle, it could all disappear overnight. So I'm trying to bank as much as I can while the gravy train is rolling, in hopes that I can get off completely once it slows down.

Mrs Axe and I both grew up poor and achieved success. A couple of years ago I had to drop what I was doing and fly to Honolulu for a year (I know, rough life!). All my stuff was left behind. When I got back, I realized I didn't miss any of it. The happiest times of my life weren't about the things I had, they were about the relationships I had, and the time I spent nurturing them. So I'd like to retire and spend time with people who interest me, and on the projects that interest me.

Minimalism, slow food, homebrew beer, a well-kept vegetable garden, home cooked dinner with close friends, local meat raised by a farmer whom I've known for 40 years, the smell of freshly cut grass in the summer, the silence at midnight after a snowstorm, and all the time in the world to spend it on these things.

Kaspian

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #40 on: March 11, 2016, 02:13:29 PM »
Just plain old freedom.  Not having to answer to or rely on anyone else for my daily bread.  Just plain knowing that's gone forever.  So I'll never have to explain to a boss, go into work on a snowy day, beg from friends/family, never have to go to a food bank and fill in a form or explain to a social worker why I need a welfare check or to a bank why I need a loan.  In a forum where we quibble over wants versus needs, I need it.  If I knew I was beholden to someone else forever with no attainable goal I could ever reach to ever escape, I really think I would commit suicide.  (Not joking.) 
« Last Edit: March 11, 2016, 02:15:04 PM by Kaspian »

mozar

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #41 on: March 12, 2016, 10:02:02 PM »
Even though I've improved my job situation since finding mustachianism, I still can't relate to people who want to spend 8 hours a day plus a commute with a bunch of unpleasant normals.

Quote
I really think I would commit suicide.

I would become a monk if there was no end in sight.

Trimatty471

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #42 on: March 13, 2016, 12:36:14 PM »
My dream is to only work seasonally.  I want to make enough money to work for a few months out of a year. 

I want to spend more time outdoors than I currently do.  Hiking, walking, gardening or just sitting out.

Trimatty471

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #43 on: March 13, 2016, 12:37:38 PM »
I figure that if anything were to go wrong and I lose my job, I'll probably never be able to find one again so I should be prepared to live without one.  My wife lost her job several years ago and despite having a degree and good experience, *still* hasn't been able to find a full-time replacement job.  I've got skills in both software development and system administration, but both are heavily ageist industries.  Once you hit 40, the job prospects just disappear.


I believe this as well.  And gets even worse after age 50.  I just want to prepared.

stlbrah

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #44 on: March 13, 2016, 12:43:07 PM »
Travel.

Take a paycut and get a systems administrator job at a community college or something else low on stress and corporate BS where I can enjoy computers. Might actually do that before I fire, but at the point where I am pretty close to it.
« Last Edit: March 13, 2016, 12:46:24 PM by stlbrah »

Secretly Saving

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #45 on: March 13, 2016, 12:58:41 PM »
I have such a long list, but the spark is definitely watching so many people in my life die at a young age having not gotten to ENJOY life.  Selfishly, I don't want this for us.  I want to make sure that when it's time to go, that I had some fun AND made a difference!

Stasher

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #46 on: March 13, 2016, 01:08:01 PM »
Everything I do comes down to the guiding phrase that took a while for me to create and come to finally.
Let's call it a Mission Statement which can be applied to every aspect of my life and the force behind my writing on my website.

Authentic Experiences Going Beyond Where Others Stop

I am minimizing my footprint in my community, exploring the remaining wild places around me while inspiring others to live in a mindful positive manner.

BrickByBrick

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Re: What is your reason/drive and ultimate goal?
« Reply #47 on: March 13, 2016, 07:16:16 PM »
The ability to say No and Yes whenever I want.

My job is under threat at the moment, and it makes me very grateful for my FU fund.  I'm tired of the shortsightedness of Mega Corps, where its better to put off projects and fire employees to increase this quarters margins - then freakout when the predictable collapse in performance happens the following quarter.

I want the freedom to pursue more meaningful work even if it means a paycut.


 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!