I didn't plan to retire early...until life gave me a hard reset

[Kozak.mr]

I always thought I'd work into my 60s, maybe cut back a bit, maybe consult, but definitely stay in the game, well that was the plan, anyway until an unexpected event threw everything off course, a couple of years ago, I was in an accident, as much as it wasnt life threatening, twas serious enough to force me to stop, reassess, and sit still for longer than I ever had before, then I realized I didn't miss the grind, not the meetings, not the emails, not even the sense of importance I thought I'd lose, instead what I did miss was time, real time, with my partner, with myself, with the parts of life I'd shoved to the side "until later." So, I ran the numbers (twice), met with a planner, and decided to stop deferring joy, early retirement wasn't originally on the agenda, but the accident gave me clarity I wouldn't have found otherwise. I haven't regretted the decision for a second

 

[retireearlydreamer]

Totally get it. Sometimes, you need a big shake-up to see what's really important. Looks like you took a hard hit and turned it into something awesome with some smart thinking. Mad respect for that

 

[cozycody]

That's a powerful story!! Sometimes life forces us to pause and really rethink what matters. Its inspiring how your accident gave you clarity to prioritize real time with your partner and yourself over the grind . Early retirement wasn't planned, but it sounds like it's brought you more joy and peace than you expected. Glad you found that clarity and haven't looked back!

 

[VendorianVisky]

This is the thing I've been trying to explain to myself and people around me in theory. We're so focused on making money for when we retire we forget that we need to be healthy enough and sane enough to enjoy them during retirement. @Kozak.mr it may sound harsh, but I'm glad you had that experience, because it definitely sound like an eye opening one.