Wk16: When RE already hit home with FI only half done

Many of us blog here about our own FIRE journey (Financial Independence Retire Early) but deep down we know it is difficult to achieve. And perhaps that is precisely the reason why we aspire towards this seemingly “unreachable” goals, encourage others along this same journey and receive encouragement from others to continue to persevere on.

For the last few weeks, I have been mentally prepared myself for a “forced” RE. It has been looming.

This week it finally hit home.

I must say it is a strange mixed feeling. Deep inside you feel the extreme disappointment, yet there is nothing much you can do except to tell yourself you just have to move on.

Over the years, I have seen colleagues/friends who lost control when met with such situations and became very emotional. However, in the end, sadly, it was all pointless. Decisions have been made and our emotions mean very little to those decision makers.

So, rather than feeling emotional and lament about the situation, I have been trying to savage whatever self-esteem I still have, garner them and steel myself to just move on. This is part of the corporate life that I sign up for – I know one day this would happen. Only that it happened earlier than I expected.

We all hope to be FI when we are “forced” to RE. But many of us could never be.

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I am halfway there. You can see this as a glass half full or half empty. Yes, it is a concern that FI is not achieved and now I am forced to RE. But at the same time, I am glad and grateful that I am not carrying lots of heavy burden and still at the starting point either. The 50% mark is anytime better than the 0% mark in any journey.

The difference between a 100% and 50% means that the journey needs to continue. It is extremely difficult especially without an active income but we just have to try !

If raising the mark is no longer possible, then maybe it is time to adjust the 100% mark down. We can try to make the 50% as close to the 100% by making some life adjustments.

Knowing the outcome now pushes me to start planning the next step with greater purpose and intent.

No one would plan this and work this for me – it is for me and my family to work it together.

In the coming months, I would share more about this new life episode and hopefully it would be of use to some of you.

First thing first, I have been a trusted professional all my career and would want to be remembered as a trusted professional. Hence, starting from next week to whatever remaining time I have in the corporate, I would make sure I complete the tasks that I have been entrusted with, be assertive in pushing back requests, be realistic with what I can deliver and also plan to do a proper handover and a smooth transition to whoever is going to pick up the pieces after me.

We must never set anyone up for failure, in fact we should do the opposite and set them up for success. People would remember us and be grateful to us.

I would always remind myself that this decision is nothing personal.

Preserving our own life values, professional reputation and trustworthiness are most important to me.

This is the first of many things I would be doing and planning.

I would share more in upcoming posts.

(Sorry to take a turn in direction for the content of my blog. Anyway just to share, I had “great fun and excitement” by speculating with the US stock – Skillz this week and to do all that in a group setting was simply amazingly fun. I can now understand why the GAMESTOP saga was so powerful among the retail investors who were galvanised via Reddit. But I have to admit I am a bit too old for this – you can really get sleepless night over this and that’s not my objective of investment. With “forced” RE happening, I would have to be even more cautious with my funds in future. I would be doing a more in-depth review of my financial state given the new situation and would share more too if I get any fresh insights)

Meanwhile, have a great investment week ahead.

Stay safe please.

Regards,

Warriortan