PS. Of course over the past few weeks I knew this was coming simply depending on the vicissitudes of the market. Because of this, I actually bought an Iphone 11 Pro and a series 5 watch. I talked myself into it, and I can tell you it was a completely unnecessary purchase, and it added no significant value to my life. I'm feeling more directionless than ever from a financial standpoint.
First, congrats!
2nd, looks like you've stepped off the hedonic treadmill, welcome to the crowd! The crowd of folks who don't seek fulfillment from material things.
Now, the hard part. At some point you "took the red pill" and realized that taking certain actions would result in an uncertain, but free, future (well done!).
NOW,
You've taken the "next-level red pill" (I have a philosophy around there being multiple "red pills" one of which is realizing the impact of marketing on our lives, the other is working towards financial security, the other is coming to terms with healthy diet and exercise, the other is about the lack of a "self".... more to follow as I age...) and you realize that this goal that you've been working towards has been achieved and NOW WHAT?
The Buddhist part of my brain says "enjoy, be content, life is good!" come to terms with where you are and what you have, take a breath and recognize that it was the JOURNEY to FI that provided the most value, it is the path so to speak, not the destination. However, the Buddhist though also tells us that desire = suffering, in this case, desiring to be FI eventually lead to suffering since, when you reached the goal, you recognized that you are the same person, with many of the same thoughts/desires/ideas etc. even after FI.
The humanist side of me says that our species likely needs challenge/meaning/a little suffering to grow, it is the rare member of our species that can truly set aside all desire/need for growth/desire to strive.
I would suggest that the "work" now is to decide what "else" is important to you. Why did you want to achieve FI (as other posters have asked) and what are you going to "do" with it? For what it's worth, I'm in a similar situation and working through some of these same questions and have even "backed off" from FI/extreme frugality in order to balance life and security. I have found that seeing a counselor and getting them to call me out on my BS and listen to my ramblings has been very helpful (NOTE: I've got a dumpster fire of other personal issues going on and coming to terms with post-fire angst is only one part of the dynamic).
In addition, I'd suggest working with groups/volunteering at places that bring your meaning and staying plugged in to your local FI/MMM groups.
Lastly, as an achiever, striver, it's probably time to "find the next mountain" even if it's contrived/might not "sit" well with the FI/MMM crowd/other groups you are a part of, finding that long term obstacle that will challenge you and lead to growth may give you peace of mind, just remember to take it slow and enjoy the process, it's often more valuable than the "arriving".
Books/Ideas:
- Wherever you go, there you are, Kabatt-Zinn
- The courage to be disliked
- Principles by Dalio
- The three body problem (life is short, enjoy a little non-fiction!)
- Sam Harris meditation APP
Best wishes on your journey fellow traveler.
Tim