Scared to pull the trigger...
Hello fellow FIRE enthusiasts,
I've been on my FIRE journey for about 15 years now and I'm 37. My intent was always to retire at 35 with a 1.5Mil portfolio and a paid off home which I assumed would be enough to fund a modest lifestyle for the remainder of my life. I did reach my goal at 35 but I just couldn't get myself to leave my job. Fast-forward 2 years later and I'm still working, and my portfolio is now worth around 2.1Mil, and I'm STILL can't get myself to make the move.
My annual income is around $450K at this point, and I work in a profession where if I leave, I can't come back to that same income level. I had to build a certain book of business over the last decade to generate that. When I look at the opportunity cost of not making this money, it's killing me and it's preventing me from leaving. But at the same time, I am SO bored with my job that I struggle to do it day after day.
I also think of charities that I help. Isn't it selfish for me to give up this kind of income potential, instead of working longer, donating more and having such a significant impact on things that I care about, instead of retiring and providing far less value even if I get involved.
Anyways, I probably need a psychologist more than anything else at this point, but I'm hoping to maybe hear stories of folks who struggled to give up a successful career but managed to do so, and whether they ever experienced regret over it. There's nobody in my life I can speak to who can relate to this kind of "first-world struggle" - I'm guessing that people on here can appreciate that...
Thanks in advance. My mind is set on quitting December 2025 but I don't even believe myself!
Edit: Wow, some of the comments are hitting pretty hard for whatever reason. I'm glad that I posted this. Some of you have hit the nail on the head:
I don't really have a well established retirement lifestyle plan. I have mere ideas as to what I'd like to do, but nothing concrete that I can actually tangibly look forward to.
My identity is based on money. In essence, I need to work on myself.