After Reaching Financial Independence, I Want to Do Something Super Cool – What Should I Pursue?

If you’re taking part in the FIRE movement (financial independence, retire early), you are likely hoping that once you reach a certain number, you can kick back, relax, and do whatever you want. It should go without saying that this is likely the goal for most people in the FIRE movement, especially those who want to join the “barista FIRE” movement. 

Proof of this mentality comes from a Redditor who posted in r/Fire and is looking to learn more from people who hit their FIRE number and then either switched careers, started a business, or opened up a jet ski rental place in Key West to live out the rest of their days. 

This is one of those posts that most people, even those in the FIRE movement, struggle to answer because the idea of not working day-to-day and having this structure feels so far away. 

Close to Retirement

In the case of this Redditor, we know that he and his wife are close to retirement, and they both know that they don’t want to work their “stressful corporate jobs” indefinitely. However, they believe they have a lot of skills to offer and would like to use those skills in a less stressful but still impactful way, potentially even while retired. 

As mentioned earlier, there is an entire movement for this, known as the “barista movement,” for those who have hit their FIRE goals and now want to enjoy life while still working a job that requires far less stress. 

It is hard to walk away from a job, especially if you have been working for a few decades, as this level of structure is all you know. This Redditor has indicated that volunteering is a plan and that even if they are not able to make as much of their current income, if they move into something like consulting or opening up a pizza restaurant, as they also suggest, they know that it can’t be as stressful as what they are doing now. 

So, What’s Next? 

I wholeheartedly agree with one of the comments in this thread that this Redditor’s next step should be focused on more of a hobby that can make a little side money instead of a full-scale business like a pizza restaurant. While the Redditor might think that running a restaurant is less stressful than a corporate gig, the reality is anything but as restaurant life is hectic, crazy, and unnerving. 

On this note, other Redditors suggest that this couple follow similar paths to their own and move to an area full of activities and things to do and enjoy life. Volunteering at a zoo, library, or even a local school should be a far more attractive option for doing something stress-free. While no money might be involved, as this Redditor doesn’t need to worry about income, volunteering might be the right way to occupy their time and feel fulfilled. 

One Redditor puts it best as they have toyed around with the idea of what’s next but always come back to the notion of “but then I’d have a job…” While the original poster does say that if they could find a job that was “super cool,” they wouldn’t mind, but this feels more like a wish than a real-world scenario. 

The Bottom Line

Personally, I recommend that this Redditor keep going down their path until retirement and start by focusing first on walking away clean from their corporate job. After they have left corporate life behind once and for all and have started retirement life, you can take stock of what you want to do and what feels right with how to spend all of your new free time. 

The hope is that they will find something that speaks to them instead of trying to plan now only to learn later that it wasn’t the best fit for their new lifestyle. This period of your life in retirement is all about slowing down, so don’t be in a rush to find what’s next.