Not Retired, Just Have Zero to Prove

The timing of the WSJ article couldn’t have been better. It validated my decision to graduate from full time work.

Beyond Conventional Defintion of Success

How does one claim post-achievement status?

“You have to earn it by doing something impressive first.”

Can you hear my imposter syndrome alarm going off?

My first post Enter the Dragon | Be Like Water explained why I am writing. It boiled down to two things.

First, rather than fixating on assessing whether I've had a successful career, I aim to share my career journey to assist others on their own successful paths.

Second, sending my son to a therapeutic boarding school imparted a new humility in defining success. Writing enables me to capture the different types of success to compile a "60 over 60 list!"

So I am going to claim the post-achievement title because I am impressive. My willingness to share my stories will help me create ripples in the water no matter what.

Same Values. Different Goals.

The post-achievement lifestyle is described as prioritizing “family, health and passion projects taking priority over career accomplishments.”

Wait a minute!

I have always identified family, health and purpose as my core values. So what’s the difference?

The truth is, when I got excessively busy at work, family and health were the first things I sacraficed. “I am too busy to work out” became my refrain, and my mind was preoccupied during family dinners.

In this post-achievement phase, I intentionally carve out time to align my actions to my values.

Is that a bit fluffy?

Let’s frame it align with what we understand at work. We develop strategies, execute, measure and refine. It’s the same principle, except now the company is now ME!

I apply the OGSM (Objectives, Goals, Strategy, Measure) framework, developing a “personal board” and being accountable with a set of KPIs.

Am I Keeping Up with the Jones?

“With killer résumés and F-you money—could they make dramatic life changes.”

I can't help but wonder if I'm keeping up with the Joneses. Individuals like Kevin Dahlstrom or Khe Hy, featured in the article, seem to be forgoing earning potentials far beyond what I could imagine earning in a decade. Is it realistic for me to pursue a similar post-achievement lifestyle?

I've come to realize that we have the power to define our expectations. I'm at a stage where covering expenses comfortably outweighs the need to accumulate wealth.

Occasionally, the stress of being the sole breadwinner keeps me up at night. During these moments, my inner CFO geek emerges. I would crawl out of bed, open my financial planning spreadsheet, play with the variables, and stare at my net worth to give me comfort.

Understanding your Baseline

But do you need to be a finance expert to understand your personal finances? Not at all.

Personal financial planning boils down to understanding your spending versus your income, deciding the level of risk you want to take (spend it all or save it all), and then having the discipline to follow through.

When a friend was going through a divorce, she trusted me to review her spending and income. I helped her understand if she did not negotiate a better settlement, she would run out of our money by the time she was 44 years old.

Understanding your baseline is the starting point to build your F*** you money.

Bottom Line

I opt out on my own terms.

I continue to challenge myself.

I define my success.

I am a post-achievement professional.

#belikewater #careeradvice #post-achievement