My Working Retirement

As you might have guessed, I am not a big fan of the traditional concept of retirement. When it comes to the financial independence community especially, many choose to work at some sort of passion project or side hustle long after they have “retired”. I prefer the term W2 independence. When you have freed yourself from the indentured servitude of the W2 paycheck, you can go about your business as you please. So it might surprise you, after looking at my income reports, to know that I consider myself in retirement. A working retirement that is.

Working retirement? Aren’t the terms antithetical?

Why no. No, they are not.

Let’s take a look at what I have retired from.

Deadlines

The first thing to go after reaching financial independence was deadlines. In my working retirement, I let go of all responsibilities that came with built in deadlines or time stress. Early in my career, I found the easiest way to suck the enjoyment out of an otherwise cheery task is to introduce time pressure.

I loved seeing patients in my office when I worked for a large medical group. The variety of problems and heterogeneity of the patient population created a good deal of work satisfaction. However, as time passed, the medical group tried to push more and more patients at each of the doctors in shorter and shorter periods of time. Before long, I was rushing through visits, staying extra hours, and feeling like I was delivering inadequate care.

Now, I continue to see patients. Many fewer. And I can take as much or little time as I choose. No deadlines. No time pressure.

Bosses

There is nothing that reminds you more of your station in life than being told what to do by a lug head boss. At some point in time, almost all adults have had to slave away miserably under someone else’s supervision. I’ve worked for bosses both good and bad, but always found that losing control of your own destiny led to feelings of helplessness.

During my working retirement, however, I released myself from such chains. Since I was already financially independent, I could afford to become a consultant or leave all together those situations in which I had to bend to a superior’s will.

My hospice work is an excellent example. Although I could easily become an employee of the company, I purposefully maintain my role as an independent contractor. By doing this, I forego certain benefits like health insurance. But I also relieve myself of late night business meetings, required orientations, and pretty much any other tasks I find distasteful.

I can always quit.

Extras

Ever gotten that email from your boss and gnashed your teeth as you read about how you had been signed up for an extra “opportunity”? Maybe you have been asked to cover an extra shift or if you are a physician see that extra consult.

We all, at one time or another, have become a victim of extra work shoveled onto us by our bosses.

The beauty of my working retirement is that I never have to say yes again. I only have taken on those extras that add something to my enjoyment or even my bottom line if I so choose.

I never have to show up for work in the morning in fear that I will be bullied into doing more than I want to. Nor can I be forced into working late in the night or on weekends.

Not Exactly Retired

Financial independence has given me the luxury to escape some of the most bothersome aspects of employment. I have not retired, however, from physical and mental work, making money, or even taking on new projects. Those are all part of what I have decided to include in my working retirement.

One day, I may get tired of the mental gymnastics and become a manual laborer. Or I might decide to let go of the paycheck and volunteer my time totally for free.

And there is even a possibility that I will stop doing all forms of work all together.

But, I highly doubt that.