A Five Career Path Smoothie

I’m back at the coffee shop today.

Right on cue, the negative self-talk showed up:
“Really? You were just here yesterday…”

Uh, yeah, Unhelpful One.
That’s kind of the point.

I said I wanted to become a regular.
Turns out… that requires showing up regularly.

Anyway—back to FIRE, and why you might actually want to do this in the first place.

Back in the 2000s, I came across an exercise that inspired me.

The idea was simple:
If you had five lives to live, what five careers would you choose?

One per lifetime.

I don’t remember all of mine, but I’m pretty sure I had:

• University professor

• Architect

• Some form of psychologist

• Writer

That sort of thing.

What would your five be?

It’s worth actually sitting with that question for a few minutes. You might surprise yourself.

What I don’t think I chose?

Singer-songwriter.
Traveling minstrel.

That wasn’t even on the radar.

In fact, at one point, I had removed “get the band back together” from my top 10 list of things to do before I die.

Which… in hindsight… is kind of hilarious.

And yet—here I am.

Still questioning my talent some days.
Still wondering what exactly I’m doing.

But also moving forward.

Because I can.

Because I’m FIRE.

If I’m being honest, though, my strongest “fantasy” back then wasn’t even about a career.

It was about a place.

A small, modest house on—or near—the Oregon Coast.
Soft light. Scattered clouds. Waves crashing in.

Me at a simple table—reading, thinking, writing.

Then long walks on the beach throughout the day.

Very quiet. Very simple.

Very… hermit.

So what actually happened?

First, I went and got a PhD in psychology.

It was tough.

About halfway through, something shifted. The vision I had—professor, counseling, that whole path—started to feel… off.

I lost my “mojo”…

I finished, but it took longer than I expected.

And in the end?

No clear “payoff” in the conventional sense. No new career. No big financial upside.

But it was still a rich, meaningful experience.

Second, I reached lean FIRE in 2015.

And then something unexpected happened.

Music started pouring out of me.

I wrote constantly. Song after song after song. Honestly, I got a bit lost in it.

I’m only now working back through that catalog and figuring out what I want to keep developing.

Has it brought joy?

Absolutely.

Is it a “career”?

…hard to say.

Third, Lee and I got the band back together.

We released an album last year.

Little fanfare—because we didn’t really promote it, and we’re still figuring out what we want this to be.

But it’s been great.

Financially?

A little bit of money, but let’s just say the income statement is comfortably in the red.

Fourth, this blog.

You’re reading it.

I’m putting in the reps now—daily posts, building the habit.

Is there a payoff expected?

No.

Could it become something more?

Maybe.

But that’s not really the point.

Fifth, I recently joined the International Association for the Study of Dreams.

I’m going to their conference this summer.

I’m also considering a year-long certification program in dream work.

Back during my PhD, I had the chance to sit in on some dreamwork sessions led by Dr. Stanley Krippner. They were powerful experiences for me.

So now?

I’m circling back.

Not for a career.
Not for the money.

Just because something about it keeps calling.

So if you zoom out…

What does this look like?

It looks like I’m building a five-career-path smoothie.

A little psychology.
A little music.
A little writing.
A little dream work.
A little… whatever this all becomes.

And here’s the interesting part:

None of these match what I thought my “five careers” would be back when I needed a paycheck.

Not even close.

Because once you reach FIRE…

The equation changes.

“Career” starts to loosen its grip.

Time-for-money becomes optional.

“Career capital” becomes less of a driving force.

And something else opens up instead:

You start following threads.

Curiosity.
Interest.
Energy.
That quiet pull toward something you can’t fully explain.

That’s what this is, for me.

Not five careers, but a blend.

A lifestyle.

My version of the Back On Campus approach… it’s starting to come together.

And none of it would be possible without FIRE.

So if you’re on the path…

Keep going.

And in the meantime?

Start now.

Take one small step toward something you’re genuinely interested in.

You don’t need five lives to explore five paths.

You can start blending them right here.

It might take you somewhere you never would have planned… but end up loving anyway.