What do you do part deux? I could spend weeks writing about how many different ways our collective could share our lifestyle with the commoners/consumers. Wait, I already do that here. FIRE is really just relief retirement from a fixed career, a Repriorment if you will. (thanks Linda for sharing this term which sums up the journey so succinctly). So I will expand…
Repriorment is so very simple. For me, it is the act of prioritizing anything or everything. Since you are reading this, you already do this. You make conscious decisions on what you do with your time. You make conscious decisions on how you manage your cash flow. You are thoughtful and rely on the power of your mind. I can confirm to you that you are extraordinary.
Improvement
I’ve seen repriorment used in the retirement context, but actually, it takes place every minute you are active. The entire decision of what to do right now—or coming up—is a decision made on what you prioritize. The little incremental decisions you make over a lifetime shape not only your current actions, but also compound into your future self. It is truly the amazing results mentioned on ChooseFI of the aggregation of marginal gains.
Every once-in-a-while, pause for a second and think about what you’re doing right now, is it what you prioritize or just and offshoot of something you were doing? Are to completing a conscious task? Are you completing a multi-task (consciously)? Or, are you just randomizing? These are all OK, and because you’re extraordinary, they are all probably adding to your awesomeness…at some level. But I feel we could all drive ourselves a sliver more. It’s in our nature as extraordinary people.
Optional
FIOR is a great acronym that has come out of nowhere but I hear it more often. Lisa is a genius. She is exactly correct. OPTIONAL is the key word. More specifically optional is exactly the heart of the entire FIRE/FIOR world.
The option to reprioritize everything, every day. There is near total freedom on how you live your day/week/month. Stop and think about that for a full minute………ANYTHING is possible today, and acceptable. You have ALL the options, especially at FI
Result
We ALL want days like this, where it’s our day to decide what to do.
The very best description I read about FIRE is:
“remember when you got out of school for the summer and you wake up the first morning of summer vacation? And you realize you have no school and no homework you have to do? And you have the whole day ahead of you to do whatever the hell you feel like? It feels like that.” MrFreakyFrugal nailed it.
There is nothing I want to add to that. It’s pure, simple and exactly correct.
In closing, there is a retirement community near me with a billboard that says “Retire Like You Mean It.”TM That’s awesome! Go to sleep knowing you own tomorrow. Wake up knowing you own the day. Imagine living 24 hours a day knowing you are your own boss. This is almost priceless.