Did You Reinvent Your "Career" after FI?

[mamagoose]

Anyone out there decide to completely change paths after reaching FI and do something rewarding (but not necessarily financially)? For example Mrs. MMM going from the tech field to running an Etsy shop. I'm currently an engineer and often dream about starting over as an educator after FI in a few years. Curious if any of you have done something similar, and what you switched from/to.

[dude]

Not ER'ed yet -- three years out -- but I've already started working part-time (weekends) at what I've planned all along to be my post-career "career," which is being a rock/ice climbing guide. Spent the past three years or so pursuing the requisite training and certifications to transform myself from a recreational climber to a professional guide.  Couldn't have been more rewarding, and I can't wait to go all-in just three years from now.

[GrowingTheGreen]

I always fantasize about this. When I was growing up there was a show called "The Pretender". Dude had a different job every episode. Also currently an engineer. I've though about everything from RE agent to Landscaper.

[Cassie]

I worked with clients with disabilities helping them return to work. When I retired I started to teach an college class something i had never done before and love.

[slackmax]

I guess my retirement started when I was laid off from a high paying IT job in 2001 at age 45. Schlubbed around for 5 years in a couple survival jobs, then got fired from the last survival job. 

Then decided to go for broke and try to land a job in my secret dream career of.....yes, truck driving. I always wanted to be a long haul trucker, but was afraid of it, for various reasons.  Plus I thought I would fail the physical.

Paid for a physical myself, and passed!   Then got unemployment to pay for a training course, got my  CDL license, and got hired as a long haul trucker making $50K per year. Loved the job. Not for everyone, of course. Did that for six years, then retired for good.     



 

[PtboEliz]

Very cool story slackmax - long haul trucking, love it!

[yakamashii]

I always fantasize about this. When I was growing up there was a show called "The Pretender". Dude had a different job every episode. Also currently an engineer. I've though about everything from RE agent to Landscaper.

Awesome show, The Pretender. It's one of my inspirations as well. My favorite line was when Jarrod argued that Silly Putty wasn't silly, and the storekeep' said, "Would you buy something called Versatile Putty?"

Anyway, for me the path to FI has called for reinvention. I'm curious to know how FIRE folks find reinvention after FI to be different than reinvention before FI.

[cpthammer]

This is pretty much what I was getting at with my "making a difference post-FIRE" thread.

FIRE is amazing, but I suspect I may ultimately find it more fulfilling to do something productive in between prolonged periods of "vacation" (rather than nothing but vacation all the time).

Sounds like several people in this thread have already had some success.

I'm still working on it. I'll let you know when I have something to report!

[Gone Fishing]

I'm going to ramp up my small farming operation after FIRE which is pretty much a 180 from my office job.  Not sure if I will try to make any money doing it, but it might happen eventually.  I could also see myself taking on some part time job in auto repair or teaching personal finance at the local community college.  Although, I have made a rule for myself, no outside work other than the farm for the first year!  I want to enjoy it a bit and not get sucked back in too quickly!

[Cookie78]

This is pretty much what I was getting at with my "making a difference post-FIRE" thread.

FIRE is amazing, but I suspect I may ultimately find it more fulfilling to do something productive in between prolonged periods of "vacation" (rather than nothing but vacation all the time).

Sounds like several people in this thread have already had some success.

I'm still working on it. I'll let you know when I have something to report!

I look forward to this as well and have plans, but haven't taken any solid action yet. (Still not FIRE yet either). There are just so many things I'd like to do and I haven't committed to taking action on any one idea.

I listened to a podcast yesterday about a lady who went to Tanzania and ended up staying many years working on improving education, especially the education of girls. I'd love to do something like that, or at least help in a shorter term way; maybe for 6 months to 2 years, but who knows, I could end up loving it and staying long term too. I really loved Tanzania and it's people when I was there and Africa certainly still calls my name.

I'd really love to do something to combat human trafficking too, maybe in southeast Asia, but that's well beyond any skill set I currently have and donating to those organizations who know better may be a more productive (and safer) option.

Also while my dog is around (I plan to FIRE on his 8th birthday) I'm not planning on leaving the continent and since I'm learning Spanish I plan to go spend some time in Central America. I'm not exactly sure what the best way to use my time to help others would be in Central America, but I'm open to suggestions.

[Bolshevik Artizan]

I wrote book reviews for various newspapers, had my first novel published in 2011 and am also the author of four other books, so as you can tell I always wanted to be a writer! I stopped reviewing after a family bereavement eight years ago and have just signed a contract to go back to it, book number six is coming out in June and am also working on my second novel.

I gave up the corporate world (where I was engaged as a copywriter and strategist) in January 2016 after 23 years to devote myself to my son and full-time writing in that order. I will let you know how it goes!

BA

[SwordGuy]

I like doing so very many things!   So does my wife!

For me:

1) Real Estate Investor.   I like playing strategy games and role playing games and this has elements of both.  Plus I leave a bigger legacy for my daughter and son.

2) Artist.   

3) Writer.   Have ideas for a couple of different blogs, plus a personal finance/economics website, and I have a couple of fiction books started.  Might write some technical books, too.

4) Politics.   Because I have at least half a brain and, more importantly, actually use it.   Surely to Gawd I can't do worse than much of the current crop.

5) Teacher.  Will teach metal, glass and woodworking skills in our studios or at the local community college or art workshops around the country.  Possibly personal finance at the community college, too.

6) Student.  May go for an MFA.   I'm willing to work a bit longer to pay for my dream school, The Prince of Wale's School of Traditional Artshttp://www.psta.org.uk/. 

And that's without the luxury of time and income to think up other things!

[gardenarian]

I decided to continue working part-time in my chosen field (librarianship) but am now changing to a substitute position. I've been taking a lot of classes and thinking about how I might continue to contribute to the world in meaningful way.

I don't know what that will be, but I prefer to work alone and outdoors.

[Mr.Tako]

I kind of did this! 

I went from working a professional 60 hour a week job, to....

Being a stay at home dad that happens to write the early retirement blog www.mrtakoescapes.com!

I don't know if you'd call that a career, but I enjoy it!

[arebelspy]

I always fantasize about this. When I was growing up there was a show called "The Pretender". Dude had a different job every episode. Also currently an engineer. I've though about everything from RE agent to Landscaper.

Season 1 of that show was great (then it started getting a bit repetitive).  It petered off starting in season 2, and then went downhill quickly.

The premise was great though.

Definitely thinking about what things I might want to do in ER, or not.. taking it easy to start with, but I could see launching into something new, and have thought about going back to get a degree in something fun, like math or physics.