The Reality of Early Retirement: More Than Just Luck
When people hear that I retired a few years ago at the age of 42, their reactions are often the same. They look at me with wide eyes and exclaim, “You’re living the dream!”
They talk to me like I hit the jackpot as if my early retirement was a stroke of luck. They treat me like I won the lottery. But their assumptions couldn’t be further from the truth.
Behind my early retirement lies a story of immense satisfice, relentless hard work, and unwavering dedication. In my 20s and 30s, while many of my peers were enjoying their youth, I was juggling the responsibilities of managing rental properties and working a full-time job.
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The Untold Story of Sacrifice
Few understand the financial tightrope I walked. At one point, I was saddled with $1 million in debt, all while earning just $25,000 a year in my day job. It was a constant struggle to stay afloat, let alone get ahead.
Every penny I earned was meticulously budgeted, every investment carefully calculated. This was not a period marked by luck, but by sheer perseverance and financial discipline.
I saved my money. I maxed out my 401k. I didn’t buy nice cars, clothes, or a nice house. I lived within my means. Any additional cash flow I had it any month I used to pay down mortgages. It was hard.
The Hidden Challenges
There were countless challenges along the way that outsiders never saw. Even girls I dated didn’t know when I had issues with rental houses.
Like the time three air conditioners broke down simultaneously on a sweltering 100-degree Memorial Day weekend, and most HVAC companies were closed. One of the tenants was pregnant in one of those houses without AC. But I made sure every one of the air conditioners was fixed.
I had to call around so many places to find someone that would work on Memorial Day. I had to figure out how to keep the tenants comfortable. I didn’t get to enjoy my day off from work (which also happened to be my birthday). I had tenants to worry about.
Or the numerous instances of flooded basements, demanding immediate attention and costly repairs. Or the stress of dealing with tenants who were late on rent, complicating my ability to pay my own bills.
The people who are telling me I hit the lottery weren’t there when tenants destroyed my rental houses or when I had to evict tenants. They weren’t there when I was sued by a tenant.
The people that were there told me I was dumb for having rental houses. My own dad told me I would go bankrupt. But I knew I was doing. I had a plan on how to retire young, and it worked out. So many people complain about their bosses or about money or about free time. I don’t.
When I was a teenager, I figured out how to buy my way out of those things. But it was hard. I sacrificed my 20s and 30s. It was not luck.
The Real Cost of Success
These are just a few examples of the many hurdles I faced. Each obstacle required quick thinking, resourcefulness, and a level-headed approach to problem-solving.
The journey to early retirement was not paved with luck, but with hard-earned wisdom and dedication. It demanded sacrifices that most people never see or acknowledge.
Beyond the Surface
When people assume my success is due to luck, they overlook the years of effort, the sacrifice, and the satisfice. They weren’t there during the toughest times, when I questioned if it was all worth it. They didn’t witness the moments of relentless push to keep moving forward despite the odds.
A Different Perspective
Early retirement is often romanticized as the ultimate dream, but it comes with its own set of challenges and sacrifices. It’s easy to see the end result and think of it as a stroke of luck.
However, the reality is that achieving this milestone required a level of dedication and resilience that goes far beyond what meets the eye.
So the next time someone tells me I’m “living the dream,” I remind myself of the journey that got me here. It was not luck that brought me to this point, but a relentless pursuit of my goals, an unwavering commitment to my vision, and a willingness to endure and overcome countless obstacles along the way.
This is the true story behind my early retirement, and it’s a story of hard work, not just luck.
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