u/jayybonelie

I have been thinking about the notion of just how little time we have in this world. In this sub we talk a lot about numbers and the mechanics of FIRE. I believe there are other critical dimensions we do not usually touch such the non financial strategies, tactics, principles or even its philosophical aspects.

Given enough time, everyone is eventually dead. Research suggests, the average lifespan is about 4000 weeks. If you are 40 years old, you many think you have plenty of time but that's only just over 2000 weeks left. Can you fit all your dreams, desires, aspirations, goals, hopes and achievements in this time? Are just 40 more birthdays, enough to see all the places you had hoped and to do all the things that you truly wanted to do? Nonetheless, that's the time we have and how we choose to spend it is of paramount importance.

FI/RE is a philosophy that encourages us to seek that true essence in brain glow and to try and reach it in as short a period as feasibly possible without getting too distracted. And... Yes it can be done while remaining true to your values and having fun! One question I see a lot around here is people who ask about how one might overcome the one more year syndrome. Others ask how you might be able to live without social media and consumerism.

I think once you truly think about how precious your one and only life is, and just how finite your time on this beautiful planet may be... You may come to the conclusion you have no choice but to pull the trigger as soon as you get to your FIRE goal and no later than that. It also becomes natural to embrace the joy of missing out rather than the fear thereof and seeking only those things that authentically matter to you. FIREd or not, perhaps realizing how unique and lucky every single one of us is to be alive may bring us closer to a sense of gratitude and peace, even if one might be having a bad day or dreading yet another up coming Monday...

I've used no AI in this post. These are just my thoughts and I'd love to hear your perspective.

I have been thinking about the notion of just how little time we have in this world. In this sub we talk a lot about numbers and the mechanics of FIRE. I believe there are other critical dimensions we do not usually touch such the non financial strategies, tactics, principles or even its philosophical aspects.

Given enough time, everyone is eventually dead. Research suggests, the average lifespan is about 4000 weeks. If you are 40 years old, you many think you have plenty of time but that's only just over 2000 weeks left. Can you fit all your dreams, desires, aspirations, goals, hopes and achievements in this time? Are just 40 more birthdays, enough to see all the places you had hoped and to do all the things that you truly wanted to do? Nonetheless, that's the time we have and how we choose to spend it is of paramount importance.

FI/RE is a philosophy that encourages us to seek that true essence in brain glow and to try and reach it in as short a period as feasibly possible without getting too distracted. And... Yes it can be done while remaining true to your values and having fun! One question I see a lot around here is people who ask about how one might overcome the one more year syndrome. Others ask how you might be able to live without social media and consumerism.

I think once you truly think about how precious your one and only life is, and just how finite your time on this beautiful planet may be... You may come to the conclusion you have no choice but to pull the trigger as soon as you get to your FIRE goal and no later than that. It also becomes natural to embrace the joy of missing out rather than the fear thereof and seeking only those things that authentically matter to you. FIREd or not, perhaps realizing how unique and lucky every single one of us is to be alive may bring us closer to a sense of gratitude and peace, even if one might be having a bad day or dreading yet another up coming Monday...

I've used no AI in this post. These are just my thoughts and I'd love to hear your perspective.

Overview: Today will be close to 1111 days since I Fire’d from working as a systems engineer for about 25 years+. For the most part the work was fulfilling which is likely why I stayed there so long. I have been doing a lot of reflection on what my life looks like now and wanted to share some thoughts with you. You can read my detailed journey to FI in my earlier posts.

Financials: Here are a few of my numbers: Family of 4, Retired in 2023 with a networth that has increased to 7.9M in 2026. Our withdrawal rate is in the 1-3% range. We no longer budget but naturally maintain annual expenses in the 60-80K range. We feel like we have almost everything we want and are now spending a bigger portion of the dividend income. We are invested in the SMP500 (38%), A single stock from previous RSUs (23%), real estate 35%, other investments (3%) and Cash 1%. Continuing to slowly divest from the single stock RSU and increase the index fund over time. The main reason for not completely liquidated the RSUs is to control the capital gains and also maintaining MAGI. We are also starting to build an international index portfolio for additional diversification.

Life: So far, we have not been bored at all and every day provides new adventures. We have done our first cruise ever in our lives. I have cycled over 900 miles this year alone and hiked over 1 million steps. I’ve also done some things for others that truly brought me joy. There is so much to do and so little time. I have discovered runner’s high and a real sense of calm and joy I like I’ve never known before. Its hard to describe but imagine the best day of your life and then imagine getting to live it almost each and every day. That’s how it feels.

Some thoughts and realizations, on early retirement:

I now regret staying as long as I did in the corporate career. There are so many opportunities I see now which would likely have landed me in the same or better position. I got too busy at work and was not able to pursue them. Nonetheless, I’m still grateful I got to retire at 45 although 35 or 40 would have been better.

Its okay to slow down and have lots of quiet unplanned time. A lot of my inspiration and new ideas have come from idle time in the afternoons just walking or hiking around our area. This has also reduced my stress levels and helped me to improve my sense of well being.

Each and every year has provided new challenges we have never experienced before, but we approach these with a sense of levity, humility, optimism, faith and courage, knowing we have come so far and yet have even further to go. Problems are there to teach us a lesson and if we embrace them, we can grow.

The things we fear the most almost never happen. If you take reasonable action, managed risk and have courage and conviction in your plans, dreams and aspirations, anything is possible.

Deleting social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc has freed up so much cognitive cycles and reduced my anxiety while increasing my satisfaction with life. I didn’t realize how I addicted I was to those platforms till I stopped using them. I feel like I regained my power and so much more time. I use that time to talk to friends, make new goals and enjoy life in the real world.

Having a plan and purpose definitely the optimal way to go, but even if you don’t know what you will do, have faith that you will find it. Most people in this sub are imaginative, intuitive and smart. Trust that like everything else, you will figure it out. Some of my happiest FIREd friends have little or no plans and they are okay.

No AI was used in any of this post and these are my own earnest thoughts! That’s it for now. Hopefully this is helpful to someone. Life is short, but I’m happy to answer any friendly questions or comments :)

Overview: Today will be close to 1111 days since I Fire’d from working as a systems engineer for about 25 years+. For the most part the work was fulfilling which is likely why I stayed there so long. I have been doing a lot of reflection on what my life looks like now and wanted to share some thoughts with you. You can read my detailed journey to FI in my earlier posts.

Financials: Here are a few of my numbers: Family of 4, Retired in 2023 with a networth that has increased to 7.9M in 2026. Our withdrawal rate is in the 1-3% range. We no longer budget but naturally maintain annual expenses in the 60-80K range. We feel like we have almost everything we want and are now spending a bigger portion of the dividend income. We are invested in the SMP500 (38%), A single stock from previous RSUs (23%), real estate 35%, other investments (3%) and Cash 1%. Continuing to slowly divest from the single stock RSU and increase the index fund over time. The main reason for not completely liquidated the RSUs is to control the capital gains and also maintaining MAGI. We are also starting to build an international index portfolio for additional diversification.

Life: So far, we have not been bored at all and every day provides new adventures. We have done our first cruise ever in our lives. I have cycled over 900 miles this year alone and hiked over 1 million steps. I’ve also done some things for others that truly brought me joy. There is so much to do and so little time. I have discovered runner’s high and a real sense of calm and joy I like I’ve never known before. Its hard to describe but imagine the best day of your life and then imagine getting to live it almost each and every day. That’s how it feels.

Some thoughts and realizations, on early retirement:

I now regret staying as long as I did in the corporate career. There are so many opportunities I see now which would likely have landed me in the same or better position. I got too busy at work and was not able to pursue them. Nonetheless, I’m still grateful I got to retire at 45 although 35 or 40 would have been better.

Its okay to slow down and have lots of quiet unplanned time. A lot of my inspiration and new ideas have come from idle time in the afternoons just walking or hiking around our area. This has also reduced my stress levels and helped me to improve my sense of well being.

Each and every year has provided new challenges we have never experienced before, but we approach these with a sense of levity, humility, optimism, faith and courage, knowing we have come so far and yet have even further to go. Problems are there to teach us a lesson and if we embrace them, we can grow.

The things we fear the most almost never happen. If you take reasonable action, managed risk and have courage and conviction in your plans, dreams and aspirations, anything is possible.

Deleting social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc has freed up so much cognitive cycles and reduced my anxiety while increasing my satisfaction with life. I didn’t realize how I addicted I was to those platforms till I stopped using them. I feel like I regained my power and so much more time. I use that time to talk to friends, make new goals and enjoy life in the real world.

Having a plan and purpose definitely the optimal way to go, but even if you don’t know what you will do, have faith that you will find it. Most people in this sub are imaginative, intuitive and smart. Trust that like everything else, you will figure it out. Some of my happiest FIREd friends have little or no plans and they are okay.

No AI was used in any of this post and these are my own earnest thoughts! That’s it for now. Hopefully this is helpful to someone. Life is short, but I’m happy to answer any friendly questions or comments :)