I was just noticing my 5-year FIRE anniversary has now passed. What a great time to celebrate my five-year-ago accomplishment.
Wait. How could I possibly celebrate anything related to a FIRE anniversary when I am in full celebration/gratitude mode every single day! Think about the relationship between these statements. Should there be a special once-a-year celebration or should you celebrate every day of the year?
I have been living my days with an “enjoy each day” perspective tied to pure gratitude. The attitude of gratitude. The attitude of gratefulness.
Some five-year thoughts:
- My days are awesome. Every single day. Even a bad day where something goes wrong is still better than in the past, not only because of my attitude, but in the ability to use my time/resources to tackle the problem, thereby lowering the stress of the situation.
- There is not enough time to do everything, or even most things, on my to-do list. As a matter of fact, my to do list is insanely long—which is a good thing. It’s not stressful adding items to a to-do list when that list isn’t a burden fighting for your limited free time. It’s a list of activities “available” for your nearly endless free time (we don’t have children).
- Who you are before FI/RE is who you will be after FIRE. People are all so very different, but we are who we are. Don’t expect any great change from any milestone. It’s true your level of stress may change, but you are still who you are. I find I really like doing my own thing, on my own schedule, staying busy at times and other times not running around crazy.
- It feels nice to give/help others when you can. When I have the ability to help, I truly feel better afterward. I find I like giving in ways that can be multiplied by the receivers. If I can share information to one person that they can expand on, or that they can share with others, I find that most rewarding.
- Living Off-Peak is amazing. The ability to run errands, visit places and have adventures M-F from 9-3 and travel in the off-season/shoulder-seasons is great for your time, energy, stress and often wallet. There’s a reason early bird dinners are at 4pm.
- You’re not getting any younger—you will never be this young again. That’s an important thought—similar to “you will never live this day again”—showing you really need to enjoy each day. Everything you do in the future will be a little hard and a little slower as you age. Maximize your life now.
To be honest, I’ve learned so much about myself, life and the universe having the past five years to take it all in, but I just do not have the time right now to put it into this post. Life’s pretty busy. Get out there and enjoy!
*** Nothing in this article is to be construed as financial advice. I am not a financial planner, nor do I pretend to be. You should always consult your own professional when seeking advice.
Congratulations Kevin! And thank you for sharing your optimism and positive attitude. It is inspiring and motivating. Glad to call you friend…and one day compare notes about the transition into Financial Independence while sitting at the beach.
I pale in comparison to the lessons you take the time to share. Fiology.com is the foundation everyone should strive for.