Yes, I’m an early retiree. But I hardly ever say or think that I am retired. Maybe it’s because of some physiological retirement hangup due to my age. But it’s more likely because I believe early retirement is more about pursuing dreams than retirement. That has certainly been my experience. As I have celebrated yet another birthday, having just returned from one of many planned vacations this year, and look back at my 9.5 years of early retirement, I can’t help myself but reflect on what early retirement has been for me and how I try to explain it.

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I’ve Found Early Retirement Is More About Pursuing Dreams

Mention of the word “retirement” within any context and it evokes different visions for different people. Usually it’s the traditional images of retirement that enters one’s mind. I believe associating that narrow traditional image with early retirement is a barrier. One that keeps many people from taking the necessary steps to successfully retire early. It certainly takes a substantial portfolio to support that image of early retirement. If my younger self knew then what I know now, I certainly would have been even more motivated to retire early. Once you ditch the word “retirement” and all of its traditional imagery, then replace it with having the freedom to pursue dreams, I think early retirement becomes much more attractive. Depending on your dreams it becomes much more attainable too.  

Dreams are meant to be big but also realistic

You have to be a dreamer to walk away from a successful career. The trick is understanding that if you really want it, you need to figure out ways to make it happen. The thing we have going for us with early retirement is youth and energy. That means we are willing and able to pursue dreams and many times some of our dreams will also provide income beyond our portfolio.

My early retirement dream didn’t require me to save a million or more dollars, or even have my mortgage paid off. I didn’t make a huge salary. Trying to first reach that high level of financial accomplishment would have delayed my retirement into old age. My dreams were centered around my family, community, friends, and travel. It was also focused on things I wanted to learn and do. I planned right from the start that I wanted to retire early and often. People I worked with thought I was nuts, but all of this is exactly what my early retirement has been.

Some of my pursued dreams failed and others surprised me when they didn’t turn out to be as attractive as I thought they would. As some dreams were lived, others lost appeal and new ones were born. Early retirement is an amazing adventure.

I saved just enough to allow myself to do it

Paying off my mortgage and increasing my net worth beyond having just enough all came after my first early retirement. I had some awesome retirement jobs and a successful encore career. I have taken criticism with claims that all I did was a late life career change, but I disagree. My early retirement dream is based on this simple definition: Retirement is the absence of needing to work, not the absence of working. I cut my lifestyle cost using smart frugal living and saved just enough to fund that lifestyle.

I walked away from forced obligation to being free to go after anything I wanted to. There were opportunities I really wanted to explore and experience. There’s so much I want to learn more about. I knew that retiring early meant still having the energy and drive to accomplish whatever I wanted to pursue. Once I felt I got all that I wanted from the experience and was ready to move on, I would just retire again. I feel I dreamed big but also realistically. It all started with knowing I had just enough to give me the courage to do what I had long-planned to do.

Early Retirement Pursuing Dreams

Whatever one’s early retirement dreams are, from being a world travel photographer, an artist, starting an encore career of passion and interest, or beginning a business, to living something closer to a traditional retirement lifestyle, either here or abroad, early retirement is more about pursuing YOUR dreams. Figure out what your dreams are, then do what you can to make it happen. I can personally say that it is totally worth the effort.