Thoughts and reflections on the past week or so from my own financial independence campaign.

Progress on my goals

Boat plan

The sellers agreed to modify the purchase price for the new boat/home (see last Field Notes). We’re now arranging dates for the sea trial! All going well, we could be living aboard from July.

I’ve written up my budget for the liveaboard life and we might hit CoastFI within 3-5 years, well ahead of schedule. That would be awesome! That said, I won’t know for sure that a) I can stick out boat life, b) I can maintain my job as a lawyer and/or c) that this budget will even work. We’ll see.

Distractions and detours

I saw author Jamie Susskind give a talk on his book The Digital Republic. I’m not sold on his ideas but it was an interesting perspective about the concept of digital power and using regulation to help it evolve.

The entry included breakfast and a copy of the book, so that’s now on my reading pile.

Non-FIRE goals

Fitness is going well

Since becoming a civilian I’ve struggled to make time for fitness training. Legal careers, despite all protests to the contrary that law firms make, suck for personal time.

I’ve found that if I make time to go to the swimming pool, my day still overruns but I’m at least able to keep my heart healthy and my waistline within tolerance. Not super toned and winning modelling contests, but fine for a dude in his 30s.

Fitness is really important to me and part of the reason that financial independence appeals is so that I can prioritise it. Technically I can achieve the Boat Plan dream by remote working a regular(ish) Jo as a lawyer, but ideally I don’t want to be working full time in five years.

I’ve written before about fitness and FIRE. They definitely work together, and an investment in your fitness to my mind is an investment in yourself. I will probably get old at some point, and I’d prefer to be one of those nails old dudes who are still doing foolish stuff in their 70s than being one Guinness away from coronary failure. I can invest a bit of time in cardio.

I think I’m getting better at my job?!

Starting the boat plan now basically means that I could, in theory, take a three year career break. Straight away. No real repercussions.

Which means that frankly motivation has been low.

Bizarrely, I seem to be getting better as a result of caring less. My supervisors seem keen to put me in front of clients, clients seem happier with my work, feedback is improving all the time.

I’m not sure if this is because my career change to law is still pretty recent, because I’m now way more chilled out and philosophical about the whole work thing, or both. I reckon it’s both.

This seems to agree with the general sentiment I have seen on FIRE forums, where the already-FI have said that work becomes more enjoyable when you don’t need it.

Anyway, weird observation, thought I’d share it as part of my experience!

My financial independence campaign continues!