NeoDialectic
Successfully Exited the Rat Race
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Someone on the forums recently asked about daily life for those who successfully exited the rat race. I was going to point towards the recent Hobbies thread, but that's not quite the same answer. I haven't seen a thread about the daily life or mindset shifts that happen post-exit, so here it is. If you have exited the rat race, let us hear your mindset shift or daily life afterward. Tag someone that you think applies and could contribute!
Sitting down and absorbing the idea that you could technically do whatever you want right now (within reason) is a pretty wild thing. In reality, I think most people go through transition phases. Most people rely on family and "earning a living" for fulfillment. When the second part disappears, you must find meaning in other things. This is extremely difficult for many people and can lead down some pretty bad paths. I think the secret is to continue challenging yourself and improving as a human. I would be interested in seeing what others say about this.
~2.5 years ago, the day after we sold our business and had no more financial/business responsibility, we showed up to "work" as if nothing changed. We got the shovel out and did the only thing we knew. Worked. For the last two years, we have explored many different business "project," and almost all purely out of interest. For example, we spent some time putting together an e-commerce course with others, but about 3/4 of the way through, we decided that's not who we wanted to become (course makers/sellers), so we ditched it with no regrets. No feelings of "wasted" time. We learned new skills along the way, so it was a win/win!
The only thing we did "for money" was put together new brands to sell online. We know it intimately, and making money still "feels" good! We also think that those who give advice should walk the walk and have skin in the game. So this was our way of staying in the know. Next thing we know, we are managing a 6 figure business with eight products on the market. We are still not too excited about being back to selling products, but running a business with income feels nice, so we spend a few hours a week on it.
A little more than a year ago, my wife and I decided to start traveling for two weeks out of every month before our oldest started kindergarten. So I've been away ALOT. Iceland, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, Alaska, Turks, etc... Traveling with two young toddlers is challenging but very fulfilling. Planning a major trip right after returning from one is also much harder than it seems, so there isn't that much free time left.
When I'm home, I usually listen to or read a decent amount of philosophy, debate, or politics. I enjoy it. When I find a spare hour here or there, I'm constantly rotating through some kind of hobby that generally involves learning/skill/practice. I went through a nice mountain biking phase for a while. I bought a nice welder in the last few weeks and learned to Mig & Stick weld. Now, I'm getting ready to upgrade my Bow and spend some time with it to improve my form and increase my accurate range. But really, most of my time outside of "business hours" is taken up by family time. So, I'm always struggling to "find more time."
Keep in mind that this answer would be very different if you don't have wife/kids or if you were a different age (I'm in mid 30s). My own answer will be very different now that my oldest has just started kindergarten, and we will be down to a few vacations a year. I'm excited to spend more time on projects, hobbies, and business ventures.
Most importantly, I am thankful for the freedom to keep figuring out "what now" on a daily basis.
Sitting down and absorbing the idea that you could technically do whatever you want right now (within reason) is a pretty wild thing. In reality, I think most people go through transition phases. Most people rely on family and "earning a living" for fulfillment. When the second part disappears, you must find meaning in other things. This is extremely difficult for many people and can lead down some pretty bad paths. I think the secret is to continue challenging yourself and improving as a human. I would be interested in seeing what others say about this.
~2.5 years ago, the day after we sold our business and had no more financial/business responsibility, we showed up to "work" as if nothing changed. We got the shovel out and did the only thing we knew. Worked. For the last two years, we have explored many different business "project," and almost all purely out of interest. For example, we spent some time putting together an e-commerce course with others, but about 3/4 of the way through, we decided that's not who we wanted to become (course makers/sellers), so we ditched it with no regrets. No feelings of "wasted" time. We learned new skills along the way, so it was a win/win!
The only thing we did "for money" was put together new brands to sell online. We know it intimately, and making money still "feels" good! We also think that those who give advice should walk the walk and have skin in the game. So this was our way of staying in the know. Next thing we know, we are managing a 6 figure business with eight products on the market. We are still not too excited about being back to selling products, but running a business with income feels nice, so we spend a few hours a week on it.
A little more than a year ago, my wife and I decided to start traveling for two weeks out of every month before our oldest started kindergarten. So I've been away ALOT. Iceland, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, Alaska, Turks, etc... Traveling with two young toddlers is challenging but very fulfilling. Planning a major trip right after returning from one is also much harder than it seems, so there isn't that much free time left.
When I'm home, I usually listen to or read a decent amount of philosophy, debate, or politics. I enjoy it. When I find a spare hour here or there, I'm constantly rotating through some kind of hobby that generally involves learning/skill/practice. I went through a nice mountain biking phase for a while. I bought a nice welder in the last few weeks and learned to Mig & Stick weld. Now, I'm getting ready to upgrade my Bow and spend some time with it to improve my form and increase my accurate range. But really, most of my time outside of "business hours" is taken up by family time. So, I'm always struggling to "find more time."
Keep in mind that this answer would be very different if you don't have wife/kids or if you were a different age (I'm in mid 30s). My own answer will be very different now that my oldest has just started kindergarten, and we will be down to a few vacations a year. I'm excited to spend more time on projects, hobbies, and business ventures.
Most importantly, I am thankful for the freedom to keep figuring out "what now" on a daily basis.
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