I’ve reached a point where I realize I’m hitting my FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) target — meaning I no longer need to work for financial reasons. Now I’m considering how best to transition.
I’m still healthy and (hopefully) have good years ahead, so I’m weighing two main options:
Taking a “Barista FIRE” approach — working part-time or in a low-stress role with low income for a few years before fully retiring.
Continuing on my current career path, possibly even aiming for a significant final step or milestone as a way to “end on a high note”.
From a purely financial perspective, reaching FIRE has been straightforward. But emotionally, it’s more complex. After decades of full-time work, stepping back feels unfamiliar — even a little disorienting.
Has anyone gone through something similar? Any advice, insights, or recommended books/articles that helped you navigate this transition?
I also feel uncertain about this. Currently my approach is 2. I will continue in my job for as long as I can.
My idea of FIRE is not to stop working. It is rather the ability to walk away if work becomes unbearable (like a change of manager and the new one is incompetent and it affects my health) and without the pressure to find a new job.
Have you tried creating more space for things besides work?
To me something like that (your first option), taking a few months sabbatical or switching your current role to part time work would be an easy/safe way to try things out (and to be fair even for regular retirement doing it gradually is often a good idea).
I really just jumped in on it 11 years ago. Did leave Switzerland for 2 years, wonderful years that I spent in Costa Rica. Travel a lot and I am still busy investing in the stock market. Try to do some sports at least 3 times a weak, just came back from the pool.
It may get bored sometimes, but I was never a person that got easily bored. I really like to be alone and I like the quiet, but I like going out and having a good time too. It is probably the mix.
Reduced work was not for me. Before I hated to go every day (just the travel to work, like sheep standing in a train, I actually liked my job) and later I hated to go one or two days a week. So I decided to stop working altogether.
Don‘t fall into the “one more year” trap, and then you retire when burned out and swimming in money. Then you might end up at the state of “damn I could have traveled the last 5 years”, or something.
At the end of the day it‘s super personal. You need to have something to retire to for sure. You need a passion that fills up your time in a meaningful way. Else you get unhappy and stop progressig as a person.
I personally plan a transition to part-time, focus even more on my sports, and then fully retire when I don‘t feel like wanting to work anymore or I want to do something that needs even more time.
FIRED since 2019. There have been plenty of times when I wished to be back in my industry. But, by now, I have figured out ways to keep myself busy. Mostly lots of times with my kids and lots and lots of sports. Every single school holiday we’re traveling etc. And active investing (unfortunately instead of passive) also covers some of my time.
FIRE or normal retirement, I get the impression that many don’t know what to do with the time they have when retired. So I would say, have a very clear plan on what you want to do with the extra time. If there is no clear answer to that, then I’d suggest part time. And if you have no idea what to do with your free time and actually love your job, then I’d continue and maybe run a little more risk in the job role, because the worst things that could happen would be to be fired into FIRE.
Also be clear about the expenses like AHV for non working residents. Kinda painful to pay AHV based on overall assets, pay income tax on fictional income (Eigenmietwert), etc. all while non receiving a paycheck.
EDIT: and yeah, if your social life centers around work or work related colleagues, acquaintances, friends… that will change and can lead to some loneliness. Need to find alternative ways- club memberships (Verein), volunteer work etc.
I had several short retirements of 4-14 months, both voluntary and forced by loss of job. I learnt:
I like the option of FI but not RE without interesting and stimulating challenges. Barista FIRE is not for me. Only after 14 months of joblessness have I been able to start building a life without paid work that might satisfy me in the long run. Before it was too much Netflix and lack of focus. Eventually, I want an interesting parttime job to pay the AHV.
With a partner who is is 4 years my junior (and is not ready to FIRE for at least 7 years), it does not feel too good to be in a completely different rhythm from her. Ideally, I can match her work schedule and her spending habits.
Luckily, I have a few friends around me who FIREd. And family. They represent my social life. I like my freedom, so no regular activities in other social circles.
After getting and losing 2 jobs within 2 years, I was initially assuming that the next job would just be around the corner. Only it wasn’t isn’t. For 14 months, I have got job rejections with about 5% ininital positive reactions. Facing this reality at age 59 took me a while.
Getting through the day with healthy habits also took me a while when getting up early and dressing for work was no longer required. Living in an apartment in Zurich does not require a lot of physical effort. I had to force myself to do some forms of exercise. It helps to have goals.
Plotting a way forward also took a while: what do I want to do longterm, how to position myself as a self-employed consultant/contractor, what to study to become more marketable and to gain valuable insights for myself.
With just enough capital at my disposal to go for lean FIRE (in Zurich!), I am far too occupied with checking my portfolio daily and want to become more relaxed financially. So my path to (involuntary) RE is not yet completed (and probably never will be).
I believe your question goes beyond the financial side.
Here’s how I’ve tackled this - much earlier in life.
I spent considerable time picturing what a perfect happy life would look like (I was very unhappy at the time).
I wrote that down (without writing it done, your mind will drift away again)
Then I translated that into some specific targets for 5 years from now
And some even more specific / detailed targets for the next 12 months
I refresh step 3 every 5 years and refresh step 4 every year. That does not mean OVERWRITING the old objectives but rather
assessing what did I achieve and not from the prior annual (or 5 year) objectives
what new objectives do I set
I’ve documented this in excel so I can even review objectives I set 15 years ago which is interesting as you can see how I’ve progressed and evolved.
Don’t make this JUST about career or financial. I’ve put a lot of things in their around other things I want to achieve (health, family, travel) or just keep doing and also interests that I have but am not spending enough time on.
I definitely don’t achieve all things each year but I like aspirational targets. It does force me to ensure I keep dreaming and continue to progress towards achieving my dreams (mostly). Some objectives slip and slip and slip and then at some point I critically ask myself: perhaps it’s not a priority for me after all… OR what should I do to get moving.
I look at this sheet in excel every monday morning and it helps keep me grounded and focused on what matters… which definitely is NOT just work/financial.
This has worked very well for me. Key was first doing some soul searching about life and how I want to look back on life when I’m very old and second was to document it. I really did not want to vegetate in life and just see it slip by. It can be so easy to see weeks become months and quarters and years and that you think “life just slipped by” without feeling a sense of achievement / happiness.
I find the non-financial side of FIRE quite interesting and also a great conversation topic when likeminded people exchange thoughts and experiences. So yes, interested in a meetup. I live in Zurich.
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instead of passive) also covers some of my time.