The secret life of an FIer

Over the last year, I’ve been reading lots of FI* books and blogs, squirreling away ideas and mulling them over in my head. There were some good principles, but frankly I wasn’t sure how to implement what I was learning as actually I wanted to take a year out… I wanted to be FI now!

Then over the last month or so, I’ve done a few ‘impressively’ FIey things..!

• Bought my first tracker funds (6 of them, in fact, inspired by David Sawyer’s RESET)
• Developed my spreadsheet (from a very basic one) and calculated my assets, net worth, and savings rate
• Got more interactive: Joined FI facebook groups and; subscribed to some FI blogs
• Researched SIPPs (private pensions)
• Taken up to offer of some free life coaching sessions
• Um, this blog? 🙂

Slowly but surely, I’m absorbing the identity of an FIer! (Am I part of the tribe yet?!) And after months of reading and pondering, I’m definitely in the action phase now, perhaps spurred on by the thought of leaving my work next year for ‘pastures’ new (other contenders: midlife crisis; lfe-long existential crisis; no crisis at all – just sick of my job!).

So I’m very excited by the Life coaching which I’ve never done before. I’ll get to talk about my favourite topic: my personal development! The Life coach Directory defines a life coach as “a trained professional who aims to help and guide individuals to make, meet and exceed personal and professional goals. They support clients on a journey to rediscover their own strength and abilities”.

Exceed personal and professional goals?! Yes, please!! 😀

So I’ve been asked to think about what I wish to gain from the sessions. The obvious answer would be some clarity over what to do if I take next year (or so) out and to get comfortable with my decision, so I’m not flip-flopping even when I’ve made(-not-made) a decision!

I’m a big believer that my own intuition has more of the answers than I know. I know in the quietest hours that I can’t continue in this way, chasing work things that I no longer value. I feel my creative muscles lacking fluency through lack of practice.

But when it comes to the reality of things, the fear rules the day. I’m driven into inertia. Plus I derive a big sense of identity from my position, if truth be told, and it’s difficult feeling like I’m not ‘bringing in’ money into the household.

Maybe this life coach is just what I need to remind me that I’m making a positive choice. At the very least, I might explore what I should do in Life, version 1.2, honing down the possibilities. Maybe even a topic for the book I want to write! 😀

What about you? If you had a life coach, would you work on FI-related issues or take the opportunity to work on other life goals? Maybe FI principles are straightforward to you?

____________

*FI = Financial independence (in short, acquiring sufficient capital/savings not to have to work for it)