Early Retirement - A Lifestyle Choice

I recently ran into a colleague who also decided to retire early. We were comparing notes on our careers and our early retirement decision. We concluded from our discussion that early retirement from our company was really a decision about lifestyle.

As we reminisced about our project in the eighties, we realized that we worked hard, travelled a lot AND we still had sufficient time for our personal and family lives. Our most recent assignments were much more demanding. They had become 24/7 projects, particularly due to global reach and continuous connectivity. While we were well compensated for the work, the trade off was less personal time for family and other matters.

For both of us, our decision on early retirement was one about lifestyle. It was a choice between working hard, being paid well and having less time for family. Or retiring, perhaps working, and having much more time for family and friends. Our decision was for more time and more flexibility.

While we both enjoyed the time we worked for our company, we are also looking forward to future, which we expect to be a better balance between work and a personal time.

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This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

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