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Retire Early Without Regret
A practical, evidence-informed system for building a life you don't need to retire from - and the financial independence to prove it
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: Why Most Approaches Fail — and What Actually Works
The most dangerous thing you can do when planning for early retirement is to focus solely on your net worth. We have been conditioned to believe that the entire equation is mathematical: reduce expenses, maximize savings, hit a specific number, and then suddenly, you are free. This is the common wisdom that is failing an entire generation of would-be early retirees. The problem is not that the math is hard. The math is actually the easiest part. The problem is that we have mistaken the starting line for the finish line. We have built an entire culture and industry around accumulating the financial means to leave work, and simultaneously ignored the psychological and identity crisis that awaits us the moment we actually do.
The evidence is not hidden. A widely cited study of retirees - both traditional and early - from the Journal of Applied Gerontology indicates a significant uptick in depressive symptoms in the first years post-retirement, a condition researchers have called the 'retirement blues.' But the data from early retirees is even more stark. A survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute found that a staggering number of retirees of all ages said they had not planned for the non-financial aspects of retirement. They had the money. They had the free time. They had no idea who they were anymore. They traded the stress of a boss for the anxiety of purposelessness.
We are constantly sold a