I'm ready to retire

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
10/14/2020 at 00:25 • Filed to: None

Mentally. Not financially.

A few weeks back due to a seemingly endless series of catastrophic occurrences, I found myself working 18 hour days to keep our company afloat. That amount of work kept us alive long enough to solve the issues that popped up, but after four days of being a living focal point of chaos—taking it all in from every direction and mou lding it into some semblance of order... adrenaline, laser-focused anxiety and an endless barrage of phone notifications my only campanions... I was absolutely burnt.

I finally went home. Hours spent writing emails, devising plans, allocating resources. Everything I could reasonably do to ensure that what I dealt with would not greet my counterpart upon his return to work the following morning.

Finally—11:20pm—I shut my phone off and buried it deep within a drawer. Two entire days off spent at home recovering my mental fortitude, and I didn’t feel as if I’d gotten a moments respite by the time I came back in to work. It was a solid week before I could say I had bounced back and lost the feeling of dread that gripped my chest.

After a year spent relentlessly climbing to ever greater heights on the corporate ladder, I can’t help but think about a friend of mine, semi-retired at 29 after becoming a seller on Amazon. He’s getting more money in a month than I do in a year, and it’s all passive at this point. His infrequent work days consists of putting in a call to manufacturers to order new stock when supplies run low. Everything else is automated at this point. Once a week he’ll put in an evening shift aas bartender because it’s something he enjoys.

Or a slightly older friend who got a high-paying Seattle tech job fresh out of college, saved over 80% of her net income for a decade and is living off of dividends while traveling the world, trying to master new languages and climb the tallest peak in each country.

Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

80% may be out of reach for me right now, but I think this coming year’s financial mission will be to greatly increase savings rate via aggressively lowering expenses.

Once-a-week cook nights definitely aren’t going anywhere though.... Check out this bad mambi jambi. 2" thick ribeye cut at a local butcher. Quite tasty.

I’ve been slacking on the automotive content lately, and for that I apologize oppo. If it makes you feel better, know that I’m still commuting on the sport bike every day, and giggling like a kid whenever I roll on the throttle. I promise I’ll find time to learn how to wheelie on a 500 pound 100hp bike as soon as I double check the level of medical coverage available to me...

DISCUSSION (26)

LastFirstMI is my name > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 00:35

Do it! Spend the next year saving, then leverage your experience into a better job or do something on your own. I would recommend buying some term life insurance before posting about your meat-eating motorcycle-riding habits though ;)

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 00:35

That ribeye looks damn good. I used to cut costs on food constantly to save money but I found that once a week or so spending some extra on a good dinner is worth it for just how much better it can make you feel. Hang in there man. Remember the passive income people are one unexpected swing of the economy from having all of their plans explode.

AestheticsInMotion > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
10/14/2020 at 00:40

It was good, but despite being cooked medium-rare it was a lot chewier than I was expecting. Not sure what went wrong.. . I've wasted a ton of money of delivery since covid started. I gotta cut that out, and focus more on cooking

Just Jeepin' > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 00:44

How dare you not entertain us while working yourself to collapse! Who do I contact about a refund?

AestheticsInMotion > Just Jeepin'
10/14/2020 at 00:47

There’s one particular 180° on- ramp on my way home from work. The more stressful the day, the more of that pent-up anxiety I have to channel towards getting a knee down and perfecting my technique. Taking that corner after a long day is the best feeling in the world, as the bike leans over more and more into the corner...

MrDakka > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 00:48

Work to live, don't live to work.

AestheticsInMotion > MrDakka
10/14/2020 at 00:55

I'm thinking more along the lines of work to not work

Dead_Elvis, Inc. > LastFirstMI is my name
10/14/2020 at 01:02

Bah, I don’t think we’ve got any insurance folk lurking about Fort Oppo.

Not life insurance types, at least.

jminer > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 01:04

Shit that’s rough. I’ve been there before and it’s hard to deal with. As I’ve gotten older though I’ve gotten better about drawing lines between work hours and non work hours. It was really hard to do but it’s payed dividends big-time.

Those two friends you have sound like they've got it made! Those bastards leaving the rest of us behind.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 01:10

Medical coverage? Nah, you should check your life insurance and perhaps funeral arrangements instead lol.

slipperysallylikespenguins > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 01:13

If there is one thing I’ve learned over the past 10 years of climbing the management ladder, it’s to stay the fuck away from management roles. You seem to be someone who actually cares about what happens to the company and your coworkers and you put that burden on yourself. That burden of actually caring and being responsible is so heavy that it isn’t sustainable.

I make half as much as I used to but am much happier now stepping away from being a leader. When I go home I will not respond to calls, texts, or emails until my start time the next day. Unfortunately having quick paced financial goals makes it very hard to step away from those bigger paychecks.

RPM esq. > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 01:14

It’s the way the fat is distributed, and maybe the need to get the center warmer before cooking...I’m no farmer but the combination of thick white fat deposits at the end of the cap and a minimal cap without more of a divide between the cap and eye indicates a cow that was finished on a rich diet but not started that way, and maybe slaughtered too early. Sous vide, or maybe a longer rest at room temp before cooking, would help here. Bet the flavor was good though...that looks like a ribeye that tastes like a rich strip.

bison78 > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 01:36

Can I ask what sort of stuff your friend sells on Amazon? I keep reading how competitive it is, how thin the margins are, etc.. It’s surprising to read a different story.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 05:34

I know the feeling mate...I’ve been working my butt off sub teaching and doing my side computer repair job and I still don’t have my own place and am living home still at 34...quite frustrating and depressing. :/

But...I keep going with the thought I'll get out of here someday...

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 06:03

Yeah? That doesn't work either. I don't work for money and I've never worked harder...but it's pretty bloody awesome!!

arl > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 08:53

I hear you man, I hear you.

Nice steak.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 09:30

Hope things get better at work . I d efinitely support the FIRE plan so that you can do more of the things you love with money being less of a concern, if not true “early retirement” (Mrs. addiction and I have been incredibly fortunate the past 15 years, and killed the last of our debt a couple years ago - if things proceed as is for 5 more years, our family should be very well set up for the long term, and we can start considering what our next stage of life might look like ). As hard as it is not to compare yourself with others, so your best not to. Focus on your situation, and what changes you can make to get where you want to be and live the life you desire. You have the right mindset and are clearly not afraid of hard work. I have confidence that you’ll get there.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > bison78
10/14/2020 at 09:33

I also know someone who’s had great success doing this (and trains others) , but I honestly don’t know what he sells...

subexpression > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 10:02

I’ve found myself using the phrase “not the life I want anymore” w hen I talk to recruiters or interviewers about work I’ve done in the past . I’ve stayed firm on not going back to the old way.

T he specialized work I do now pays more for a regular work week than I’d make today if I’d stayed on that path of misery. The crazy part is that companies cry that they can’t find enough people in my field , but then when they hire a few it’s usually not long before they push them in to the other crap instead ( and then wonder why they quit so soon ) .

foghat1981 > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 10:09

Sage words from a finance professor years ago: you’re never too young to retire, just too poor.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 10:11

That sucks, but glad you got some time off.

Im heading home today after 24 days in the field for testing.

AestheticsInMotion > RPM esq.
10/14/2020 at 19:27

It was good. Tried out a bellevue butcher when the little Juanita butcher shop didn’t have any available.

You ever do flank steak? I'm thinking about trying something different tomorrow

AestheticsInMotion > slipperysallylikespenguins
10/14/2020 at 19:28

Management sucks, but it's where I have the most opportunity right now. I very much miss a job that doesn't follow me home

AestheticsInMotion > bison78
10/14/2020 at 19:36

No one thing in particular. He’ll just do market research on an item (for example, salt & pepper shakers), and if the item is searched for frequently, and doesn’t have a huge number of listings, that could potentially be a product he launches. Obviously “ salt & pepper shaker” has thousands of different listings, so probably not something he’d find success in. Next step is to go more specific. “pink salt & pepper shakers” might be a niche that’s still in demand, but with less supply.

The most important thing is to find a good course, or ideally a successful seller to train you. It’s a lot of effort and r esearch t o get this started, but once you do...

AestheticsInMotion > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
10/14/2020 at 19:37

FIRE is the idea. I like working, but I do not enjoy needing to work.

RPM esq. > AestheticsInMotion
10/14/2020 at 20:48

Yeah, I like it marinated or wet rubbed : as carne asada for fajitas or tacos, or flavored like bulgogi.