2.5.
Creating an Identity Bridge for Early Retirement
Goal of this lesson:
Help maintain an identity after retirement by defining yourself by more than just your job. An identity bridge helps maintain a sense of self and accomplishment after retirement.
Thanks and interesting way to think about it Adam. Early retirement would be easy if we knew ourselves perfectly and knew exactly what our dreams are but then in getting there we all change over time. Your tiny house example way of doing things has worked for me.
Thanks! If did know ourselves perfectly things would be so much easier right? Just knowing future health could potentially save hundreds of thousands of dollars on insurance and preparation.
I like this idea a lot. Dipping into small steps while still working will help test whether you are even going to enjoy those big visions you imagine for yourself in retirement. Imagine if someone had gone all Dave about it and quickly found out they hated tiny house living! It would be hard to have taken the leap from full-time work into that new identity and found it didn’t fit after all.
PS. I’ve passed this article onto my father who has recently retired (earlyish at 61). Looking forward to seeing what he identifies with now after a lifetime’s full-time corporate career.
Love this reminder on the value of small steps. So much of the work environment is Type A, busy all the time. It’s tempting to step off of that treadmill and then throw yourself into something just as demanding. Balancing parenting and work helped me expand my focus a bit. Now that my husband and I are almost empty-nesters (fall of this year!) we already are lining up plans for that stage and have started experimenting in our interests where we can. In our case, travel is the first priority and we have already started taking trips where we can and investing in real estate where we know we’ll be spending time.
Life Outside The Maze
February 25, 2019
Thanks and interesting way to think about it Adam. Early retirement would be easy if we knew ourselves perfectly and knew exactly what our dreams are but then in getting there we all change over time. Your tiny house example way of doing things has worked for me.
Adam
March 1, 2019
Thanks! If did know ourselves perfectly things would be so much easier right? Just knowing future health could potentially save hundreds of thousands of dollars on insurance and preparation.
Michelle @ FrugalityandFreedom.com
February 25, 2019
I like this idea a lot. Dipping into small steps while still working will help test whether you are even going to enjoy those big visions you imagine for yourself in retirement. Imagine if someone had gone all Dave about it and quickly found out they hated tiny house living! It would be hard to have taken the leap from full-time work into that new identity and found it didn’t fit after all.
PS. I’ve passed this article onto my father who has recently retired (earlyish at 61). Looking forward to seeing what he identifies with now after a lifetime’s full-time corporate career.
Adam
March 1, 2019
Ohh nice! I’d be curious to hear what he has to say about it (don’t be shy to reply Michelle’s dad!).
Caroline at Costa Rica FIRE
March 1, 2019
Love this reminder on the value of small steps. So much of the work environment is Type A, busy all the time. It’s tempting to step off of that treadmill and then throw yourself into something just as demanding. Balancing parenting and work helped me expand my focus a bit. Now that my husband and I are almost empty-nesters (fall of this year!) we already are lining up plans for that stage and have started experimenting in our interests where we can. In our case, travel is the first priority and we have already started taking trips where we can and investing in real estate where we know we’ll be spending time.
Route2FI
March 4, 2019
Thanks for a great read, Adam!