Retirement: Toward Freedom or Away From Unhapiness?

I read about job burnout today on About.com: 

"Regardless of how much you like your job there will come a time when you just don't feel like doing it anymore.  If you could choose between being sick enough to stay home (and not just lying about being sick) and going to work, you would actually chose to be sick."

Tonight, I realize that in my desire to retire, I'm not just running toward something (freedom, fun, "being the boss of me!") but also running from something, my job.

As this article points out, there are several ways to fix job burn out, the most obvious being quitting your job.  At some point, the job I loved became unfulfilling to me.  I know, at that point, most people would just get a new job, something that fulfills them.  But when I got to this point, I reached the conclusion that if I was going to have to have a job anyway, it might as well be this one, nice people, pleasant environment, and very financially rewarding.

So the real question became, did I have enough saved to take the option of not doing any job?  Well, working more years and amassing more wealth certainly would make that decision more comfortable down the road.  Or would it?  I have a tendency, as more money comes in to expand my lifestyle along with that.  Would it just be a never-ending cycle, make more, spend more, make more, spend more?  I realized, that no matter when I cut that off, it would always involve a sacrifice of some sort. 

Working, I have more money than time, being retired, I will have more time than money.  Living on what I have right now means I'll have to turn some of that time into money (not paying someone to clean my house, take care of my yard, or paint the walls of my house).  That may sound distasteful to some people, but I want the freedom more than I want out of cleaning my own toilet.  I want to wake up without an alarm more than I want to keep my vacation home.  And I want to spend more time traveling more than I want to stay in super fancy hotels during the limited time I am currently allotted for vacations.

It's true "The Start of Personal Finance Isn't About Money", it's really about choices, what you think is more important and what is less important.  It all boils down to a choice about what I want to escape, and what I'm willing to give up for that.

Comments

[Eric Ooi]

Thanks for the comment, Sydney.

I really liked your remarks on waking up without an alarm and traveling more, these are two of my goals, too! In regards to your first post, I can share an experience similar to what you discussed.

Having just graduated December of last year, I took about half a year off before starting my current job. The first thing I did was travel to Europe to visit some family. Once I got back home in January it finally hit me that I had graduated.

I had six months freedom! Exciting but scary as well. While it was cool knowing I had no homework or responsibilities, I soon realized I had little money and had no idea what to do with myself. I felt like I was wasting my time. I had glamorized this time off to myself. Everyone else I knew was working or in school, and here I was essentially doing nothing. I thought great and exciting things would just come to me. But I was bored and wondering what I was supposed to do. Perhaps I should have just started my job earlier.

But once I got over my self-pity, and realized if I didn't want to waste this time away, it was on me to make it so. I ended up starting up a blog, and taking on a part-time job to provide me with some small cash flow. During this time, I found that I was always available for friends' social events, could take care of all sorts of things I had been wanting to do but never got around to, and did even more traveling.

Ultimately I cant' remember a time I was happier. I was free to do whatever I wanted and was the envy of everyone who knew me. It's because of that half-year experience that I've become so interested in planning my finances and retirement so adamantly. My goal is to get back to that half-year but with more money to enjoy myself even more!

But enough about me, here's to you! Congratulations and have fun in retirement!

[Retired Syd]

Thank you for your comments Eric, sounds like you learned a lot about retirement at a young age. That first post was from my father-in-law who learned it at 58 years old--post retirement.

But now you know exactly what your stiving for, having already lived it. Good luck!!

[Millionaire Mommy Next Door]

I love this part: "Working, I have more money than time, being retired, I will have more time than money... I want to wake up without an alarm more than I want to keep my vacation home. And I want to spend more time traveling more than I want to stay in super fancy hotels during the limited time I am currently allotted for vacations."

Yes! Lifestyle is all about choices and identifying priorities. I'm constantly amazed that most people seem completely oblivious to this concept. This alone makes you extraordinary.

[Retired Syd]

Thanks for your comments, Millionaire Mommy. It's nice to find others that get it--as you know, not everyone does!