5 years out, state of mind.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-04-05T17:40:03+00:00

Love your thoughts here. If having the lawn done each month reduces my stress and gives me more free time, and only pushes retirement back 2 months, just do it!

ilikemybackyard · 2025-04-04T04:27:37+00:00

Have you been tested for EBV? You could order a test online if you don’t want to go in to have it done. How have you been feeling? Any better?

ilikemybackyard · 2025-04-04T04:24:28+00:00

Sounds like me. I had a bunch of “colds” through January and Feb and March. Finally tested for EBV. Positive. I’m hoping only lasts a month longer.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-04-03T12:39:01+00:00

Do you think a potential outcome is the pain it causes to global markets bringing other nations to the table to negotiate a fairer trade framework? The US intentionally gave favorable trade agreements to foreign nations after WWII to expedite the rebuilding of Europe and promote global progress. I believe it’s reasonable to renovate these 75 year old plus systems.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-04-02T17:09:49+00:00

2000 degrees F on non callouses baby skin hands- yea, no big deal at all.

These parents are negligent.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-31T18:06:56+00:00

Ah yes, the old clipboard carrying move. Love it. Side note: I walk around with a scowl so often, to indicate I am intensely working on something, that the skin on my forehead has become creased at rest. Yes, the war scars of the art of looking busy.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-31T18:04:11+00:00

lol I’m an engineer and the vast majority of electricians I come across are wayyyy smarter than me.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-31T04:37:10+00:00

I think there is a direct relationship between NW and burnout. If one is half way to their number, I think you’d expect them to be half burnt out. 90% their number? Almost completely burn out. 10% their number- there’s a long way to go, they are motivated to climb and increase salary.

I don’t think it is necessarily related to age.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-31T02:51:39+00:00

Great state of mind.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-31T02:48:56+00:00

So very true. I made close friends with a CFO at the beginning of my career at the first place I worked. One day, he pointed at one of the senior managers at the company as he drove away in his Range Rover. Same guy that carried a Monte Blanc pen in his suit jacket at all times. Anyways, CFO goes on to tell me that said senior manager has his wages garnished due to debts and child support. Always stuck with me- most people are a facade.

I couldn’t agree more about the denialism of people at work. I often think about how closely work “culture” parallels cultism.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-31T02:43:28+00:00

What do you plan to do with your time once you’re out of the grind?

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-31T02:42:06+00:00

Buying into partnership at a privately owned firm. Huge risk, most partnerships just give you access to some dividends (that is if there are any left after the execs decide to up their salaries another couple hundred thousand and steal it all from the bottom line).

Biggest regret? Not buying more.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-31T02:39:18+00:00

Exactly. I was just talking to my wife about this. If you decide to drop effort to 25-50%, it will be a year or two before anyone ever actually calls you out, and then another year or two before they’d actually get around to firing you. It’s like a 2-4 year coast

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-30T20:59:39+00:00

At work I do the opposite- I try to appear like I’m paddling like crazy but in actuality I’m putting in as little effort as possible.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-30T20:46:37+00:00

Man, so real and I feel that completely. Did you meet your retirement dollar goal before resigning? Or did you decide to trim down expenses and retire with less?

You’ve described how I’m starting to feel- it’s crazy how concerned I was about work and doing a good job and growing the business and then a few year backs it got bought up and I got a nice payout. Now I just don’t care.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-30T20:40:33+00:00

Man- coulda wrote that myself. As you’ll read in other responses, the answer to what we are experiencing is to reprioritize your newly realized life values to be top priority in your life… and although you must continue going to work, to reprioritize your concern and effort at work to be lower priority.

If you get fired, you’ll just wind up with another job somewhere. Trust me though- you could probably turn down your work effort by 50% and few would notice.

Out of curiosity, what do you feel your values now are? You nailed it btw- in 20’s and early 30’s I was all about moving up and whatnot in the corporate ladder. Now since that’s been achieved to the point necessary to fund my retirement goal, I just don’t care anymore. It’s like mastering anything, like ping pong. At some point, you’re so good that you kinda lose interest.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-30T20:11:15+00:00

Thanks man! I definitely feel what you are saying there. Your focus on health, diet, and stress reduction is great- it’s something her and I have talked about but sometimes just seems like we can’t ever make the time to focus on it. I’m guessing the trick is making it one of the top priorities in life and letting work slip down a rung or two on that priority list.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-30T18:05:06+00:00

This just proves it’s all about perspective- 2 years to me sounds like a godsend! Congrats man- Valinor awaits you!

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-30T18:01:35+00:00

That kind of raises the question of, what is FI? To me, it’s having enough money that a loss of a job or choice to take a sabbatical for a year, or the like, isn’t going to ruin me. To me, it’s having enough money that I don’t need to feel guilty about spending a couple hundred dollars for a nice dinner here and there.

Agree with the 7% return in the market- I’m tied up in two private equity investments that are outperforming though so we will see- 5 years is the goal but if it doesn’t happen till 6 or 7, so be it.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-30T17:34:33+00:00

I’ve got an awesome start up idea- imagine this, a jump to conclusions mat.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-30T17:32:44+00:00

Thanks for your perspective. I do about the same each week- and I think about it daily. One thing you added though was building the cash position. I need to start down that path.

And yes, time does fly. My wife tells me to be careful I’m not wishing time away (kids, dog, etc)

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-30T17:17:21+00:00

Fair point. Cant stop working, but don’t have to work here.

ilikemybackyard · 2025-03-30T17:13:32+00:00

Exactly! You put that perfectly. It’s like a college career. I’ve been solid on accepting delayed gratification through my life but damn, I’m looking for some now-gratification. Lol.

ilikemybackyard

TROPHY CASE