FIRE.157 BOOM ?

Let’s start this thought with the fact that I have a lot of friends and peers who share knowledge and wisdom making my life better.

I have a close group of these friends and while keeping their secret identities well, secret, I can say we do meet monthly and talk about very important topics related to what we’re thinking about.  If we were hip enough, it would be a mastermind, but it’s not…

Purpose

We recently spent some time talking about the different articles, blogs, and podcasts we absorb and how they’re so often pushing the motivation topic.  The topic of purpose—or passion.  Those sources aren’t promoting the “what’s your passion,” as much as they seem to now be driving this “what’s your PURPOSE?

The FIRE blog posts push this constantly.  There is a continual trend in finding one’s purpose.  The inherent need of bloggers to push the narrative so that everyone must be forging ahead with the effort to make some part of the world a better place seems so common.

It seemed to some of us that 1) these people are pushing a product/idea/something for business purposes, 2) these people have bigger plans for their future and we all should have the same, 3) they might believe we as a human being must task our energies towards making something better, or bigger, or badass.

One of us said, “I don’t get it, I just want to do my stuff and enjoy my time/days.”  Others agreed as either a general life trajectory or even an “at this time phase.” 

$lackers

I should say will say that some of us feel we could self-identify as what others would call $lackers.  Or at least on some days, we slack.

Is that a bad thing to determine the most enjoyable use of your time—at that time—is free time?  How many decades were we told exactly what to do with most of our daily (waking) time?  In some latitudes, our entire daylight window was taken by our bosses/companies.  If you think about it, we didn’t get out “day,” they did.  Well, now we can “take our day back.”  FU$ !

Can a self-made millionaire be considered a slacker?  If someone were to earn/spend/save/invest enough energy and money to become “rich” on their own merits, can they be a slacker?  Probably not a “life slacker” but maybe a “phase(d) slacker.”  Hmmm?

Retirement/Another Perspective

There are plenty of “life coaches” and “retirement coaches” (that are hirable) to help people work through their retirement transition and find their new purpose.  That’s an interesting concept.  [side note: guidance counselor just popped into my head]

Come to think about it, maybe the coaches are really there to help the person figure out “who” they are without work, which is a much different task than “being “or “doing” something.  A person doesn’t have to find an entirely new path, full of challenges and deliverables, in retirement. 

There is absolutely no question in my mind as to whether or not a person should have some plan, or structure, or general (chapter) guidelines for the future.  This is not a time to waste (away).  Your post-career time was well earned and must be enjoyed.  If not, why bother?

LEFT TURN: this post was supposed to be about learning, gathering data, formulating the data into information, and expanding one’s brain/mind/experience. 

The title of the post means: if our main interest/passion is learning (from others), how much stuff can we take in before our brain fills up, before our brain explodes from being so full of knowledge?  Isn’t the goal of learning new things each day a wonderful pursuit of a life?

I’ll come back to the learning topic.  I’ll no doubt base my thoughts on the data I receive from my wise friends.  I may even stay on topic in the future.

Everything is a learning process.

*** 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. This post is not a piece of literary mastery, just a random thought I had.

2 thoughts on “FIRE.157 BOOM ?

  1. RChase

    My brain is full now I wanna go home. As a fellow slacker I find the notion of purpose intriguing yet I’m “too retired for that”. I’m in my go-go slacker phase (I’m way too lazy to have a mo-jo slacker phase!) and would prefer to watch the birds sing or have an iced tea on the porch… or maybe a nap. Yeah a nap! I really appreciate your thoughts and one I never considered, Can you really be a slacker if you retired early? Be well fellow slacker!

    Reply
    1. Kevin Post author

      Maybe we need to add “exceptional” slacker to the glossary. Is “exceptional” and adverb, is slacking’s an action? Or is “exceptional” and adjective if slacker is a noun. I think too much… I love that you identify as a slacker.

      Reply

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