Walking away at your peak: How did you calculate the opportunity cost of retiring early?
Context: I am 51M, and mathematically I do have enough for FIRE. I don't particularly like my job anymore, the prime reason to FIRE. While I can retire, I feel guilty that I'm doing it too early and giving up earnings. In other works, struggling with One More Year (OMY) syndrome. None of my peers are considering retiring.
Your 40s and 50s usually bring peak salaries, maximum seniority, and lower childcare costs if your children are already adults. Choosing full FIRE means leaving a massive amount of guaranteed future money on the table, especially if your job is bearable.
Some may BaristaFIRE or CoastFire. Not an option for me. If you actually pulled the trigger and rely 100% on passive income: How did you balance the math of peak earnings against the desire for immediate freedom? Was the final push purely financial, or mostly emotional?
EDIT : Thanks everyone, for your perspectives. I have realised that once you have FI and a sustainable portfolio, any excess is superfluous. Sure, we want to leave something for our kids, but they will take care of themselves. RE, if you have other priorities, health issues or simply want the freedom, is something you can't put a monetary value on. In the end, you will remember the memories you made in your life, not the paycheck.
I will be stepping back from my full time job and mostly stop by August. Going to look after my health, do some travel and spend time with family. It doesn't have to be perfect, just needs to be what I want to do. Thank you all, and good luck.