Post-FIRE Fun: Ideas To Pursue Given Total Freedom To Do So
First, let’s assume money is not going to be an issue after reaching FIRE.
The resources will be there to support a decent lifestyle, not too radically different from when working and employed.
Let’s also assume there is at least some discretionary income.
And newly FIRE, you are Now ready to start having more “Fun in the Sun.”
How do you want to do that?
Well, we can start by taking a look at what other people who have reached FIRE do.
What exactly is it that people who achieve FIRE do that brings them Fun in the Sun?
I asked Google Gemini, and this is a summary recap of what I was told:
They like to travel. Many do slow, immersive travel.
They “make” stuff — writing, art, digital enterprises.
They work out regularly.
They read, take classes, and/or learn new languages.
They volunteer at events, charities, etc.
They support children and other relatives.
They get involved in arts and crafts.
They join clubs and host dinners or such to make friends.
Good lord, how predictable.
I am beginning to think Joseph Campbell was right.
If FIRE people are self-actualized, could they be any more boring than this list indicates?
Just kidding, but whoa, this reads like plain vanilla stuff.
Therefore, I asked Gemini to just focus on “real” fun. What do they do for Fun, Really?
Here’s what it told me they do:
Deep-dive mastery of hobbies — things like getting very skilled at woodworking, gourmet cooking, photography, playing musical instruments.
Sports and outdoor activities — high-energy, time-intensive sports, like surfing, skiing, mountain biking, long-distance hiking, or pickleball … (Pickleball?? Does that belong here?)
Slow, experimental travel — renting local apartments for months at a time, van or boat life, going to offbeat locations just for the thrill of discovery.
Video gaming. (Maybe they can get a Pickleball video game, too?)
Social and entertainment agendas — hosting midweek dinners, game nights, attending festivals, going places when there are fewer people there.
Hmm.
Weren’t most of these already in the first list?
Egads.
Okay then, smarty pants, do you have any better ideas?
Well, maybe. But I’m still working on it, too.
But here are some things I think one would be wise to consider.
Get To Know Thyself, Better
It’s a great time for continued self-discovery.
Some people spend their whole lives never really knowing who they are and what they really want.
That’s not so much the case for people who have achieved FIRE.
The mismatch they felt between working for a paycheck and who they “really” are and what they value is a big part of what drives them to get to FIRE.
Nevertheless, it is a great time to dive in deeper on who you are and what you value.
This can be done with self-development courses, coaching, therapy, or simply experimenting with different ways of designing their life.
Build and Find Your Tribe(s)
Strengthening Social connections are a huge factor for fulfillent when one leaves the workplace.
It’s even more of one for a FIRE person than a traditional retiree.
Why?
Traditional retirees have friends and relatives essentially the same age who have also retired and are free to mingle.
However, a FIRE person, leaving work at 40 years old or so, will need to figure out who they are going to “hang out” with after FIRE.
I feel this myself, a lot.
Partly because I don’t feel any different.
I am older, but I don’t feel old.
I have as much energy and am more fit than I was when I was in my 30’s.
Thus, the idea of being “retired” Doesn’t work for me.
But, Retirees are the people I can most easily mingle with post-FIRE. That is true.
I regularly go to open mics in my area. I would have observed that 90%+ of the people are retired and older than me.
They have time to do this.
Otherwise, the other people I meet are typically younger, in their 20’s and early 30’s.
Most of these folks are single or dating, so they don’t have family responsibilities.
They may work all day and week, but they don’t have to worry about getting a babysitter or such to leave the house.
Like it or not, I am heading towards the traditional retirement age group.
but am not there yet, so I feel a bit like an odd duck.
It’s an interesting experience.
This is why I started attending conferences and recently just joined a year-long certification class.
Hopefully, I make some great connections.
But dang it. These are far-flung folks.
Interactions are mediated through technology.
It’s texts, emails, Zooms, or phone calls, unless I make the effort to travel.
Perhaps that is the way it has always been, and now that I have more free time, I simply notice it more?
Follow a Calling … or Just Get a Job
FIRE people typically want to keep working.
Typically, they either want it to be something they care about deeply.
That might be a vocational calling or pursuing an idea, or perhaps starting a “lifestyle” business or such.
Or,
they want it to be completely optional.
They get a “job” just for fun.
it’s mostly about and for building community.
But As soon as it starts feeling too much like “work” again, they are out of there.
Traditional retirees do not typically want to keep working.
However, men who do work at least part-time after “retiring” report greater life satisfaction and well-being.
Evidently, men have a harder time making the adjustment from who they were when they were working to who they are becoming.
post-Retirement working helps them transition more smoothly.
Develop a New Identity
A FIRE individual typically can adjust their identity more easily than a traditional retiree.
I totally get that.
I was pretty happy to say buh-bye to my old corporate identity.
There are times I use it to explain who I am and why it helped me get to FIRE.
and I am grateful for that.
Plus, I must admit, the first few months felt weird.
In fact, during the first five years, there have been a few times I have thought, “Gosh, did I really do all I wanted to do in that capacity?”
So far, my answer has always been yes.
And I’m pretty sure I’ve worked through this backwards Looking phase by now.
As much as I wanted it to be a vocational calling, at the end of the day, my career was mostly about survival and security needs getting met, as I discussed in yesterday’s article.
However, the fact that I even considered “diving back in” to pursue a couple of offers that were floated past me told me that I have a “gap” in my life to address.
Now … what if I had taken a different employment path when I was younger?
If I had become a professor in my field instead of pursuing a long-term corporate career, today would probably be a different story.
I picture myself still working in that capacity, at least part-time, and likely still enjoying it.
Hard to say, though.
workplaces always bring some level of drama and unpleasantness, right?
I might be in the same predicament before I reached FIRE.
Unsatisfied and looking for a way to escape.
But, I’ll never know for sure.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I took the path of making more money.
As I have written before, it’s one of my biggest life regrets,
That is, I regret not taking the professor path in my 20’s.
However, that’s spilled milk.
When “milk” is spilt, I think the best thing to do is clean it up and get over it.
That said, I also believe it’s okay to have some regrets.
That shows your living a full life, in my opinion.
Plus, I believe that the biggest and best adventures are still ahead of me.
So, all good.
Now my identity can be based on what I value.
I love learning, so I am starting to act a bit like Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School.
Well, Definitely not that over the top, but I can easily put on a student identity.
I am not sure I ever left it behind.
And, I love creative authentic expression.
That’s how this band and blog came to be.
Yes, I am still dealing with poser issues as a “musician.”
But I am getting more comfortable telling people I am a singer-songwriter.
Because I am.
My biggest problem with both of these identities currently is isolation.
In fact, the more articles I write for this blog, the more I see this is a root issue I must address.
My guess is that it is for a lot of post-FiRe folks, too.
Find Out Where You Want To Be And Where You Belong
This is the key, I am beginning to think.
You have the freedom to change your life when you are post-fire.
Therefore …
Make sure you are living somewhere that fits the goals and intended lifestyle you want to build post-FIRE.
Make sure that you connect with people there and that it is relatively easy to do so.
We’ll be addressing these two factors in much more detail in the coming steps of the journey to a Highway to Yeah.