Planning For A Joyful Journey To FI

As fun as it sounds to be financially independent, I’ve got a ways to go. I like my job, and like where I live, and I’m not currently interested in working more or spending hours DYI-ing everything to save a little more money. I’m not interested in more stress.

I want to spend evenings and weekends and vacations watching my kids grow up, spending time with friends and family, and trying new experiences. So the more I think about it, I’m psyching myself up to sit back and enjoy the journey.

Here are some of the ways I plan to enjoy the journey:

• Focus on Family and Friends and Community. I want to make sure that the way that I live and decisions I make take into account those that I care about. I enjoy spending time with and helping other people.

• Learn from others. The way I want to live my life is unique from everybody else. However, with a strong FI community out there, I have a chance to hear how other people take on Financial Independence, both in the lead up to and once they get to the other side (like Scout!). I look forward to considering advice from the community in my own journey.

• Simplify. Worrying about too many things at once is only going to add stress to my life. Over the coming years I hope to get rid of unnecessary clutter, be more organized, and focus on the important aspects of life.

• Continue to Enjoy Work. For the most part, I have felt that I make a difference in the world, but also I’m able to keep work from carrying over into my evening and weekend life. I hope that this balance continues. But while I’m at work I also want to make sure I check in with my colleagues and see how they are doing, both with work and at home. A happy and collaborative workplace where we’re all learning from and care about each other can really make all the difference.

• Take Vacations. I’m not going to invest every dollar I don’t spend on essentials. I’m going to take time off, enjoy spending time with loved ones, and not feel guilty if I use up all of my vacation time, or if I spend a little more money on a big trip with the family than we budgeted for.

• Ease into Post FI. The next ten or so years are going to fly by. When I finally hit FI, I might keep working full time, or maybe I’ll find a way to work a little less at some point. But between now and then, I’d like to try different activities, travel, and consider different fun projects I might want to tackle before or after hitting my FI number. I’m not going to try to rush into it, unless my situation changes.

• Keep Investing. Just because I’m not rushing into retirement doesn’t mean my situation couldn’t potentially change at some point. If something comes up and I need or want to stop working for whatever reason, I don’t want money to be a reason to prevent me from making a change. I’m going to aim to invest more every year. This may not always be doable with house projects, expensive vacations, and who knows what else might come up. I’m still unsure if/how we’ll adjust our strategy as we get closer to FI, but we have some time to figure it out. A good financial plan will hopefully reduce stress and allow for more confidence and joy.

We’ll see if I can incorporate these aspirations into my life, how it all plays out, and what additional ideas come up as we enjoy our journey to FI.

Reader Question

• Are you in a situation where you are/were able to enjoy your journey to FI?

Leave your answers or comments below – or email us directly at info@epicfinancialjourney.com