Very well said.SevenBridgesRoad wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2019 10:57 pmCount me amongst those who didn't hate their jobs. I absolutely WAS motivated...jazzed... by career. My 35 years as a health care leader were extremely challenging and satisfying. I planned out a career path and was able to end my career as a successful CEO as measured by my Board. Extremely rewarding. Maslow's highest level on steroids.
But I now I have shifted gears for my last phase of life. This phase approach has always made sense to me. Life can have different phases. The first 1/3rd of my actuarily projected (not not guaranteed) life was childhood/education/training. The second third was career plus reaching FI (as defined by SS when we start it at probably 65 or so plus DIAs starting at age 65 plus zero debt/no mortgage plus a completely adequate portfolio using the variable withdrawal method but not 1473.05%-or-whatever-level portfolio). The last third (I know...hopefully a third!) is about doing what I want to do everyday without the time commitment and responsibility of a paid job. I've been in this last phase (retirement) for less than a year, but I have to say it's pretty cool. The feeling of freedom is unbelievable. And what if I get bored a year or two from now? The idea that the only cure for boredom is a job doesn't make sense to me. There are a thousand and one things to do in this last phase.
There tends to be a lot of black and white thinking about work/retiring to make it seem like there are only two choices: either you love your job and will work till you die, or you hate your job and will retire as soon as financially feasible.
At least for me, it was more like you describe, transition through different phases of life.
Childhood, college, early career, back to grad school, raising kids, a fairly successful, and very enjoyable career. But, as life progressed, there came a time when I was just ready to move to the next stage.
Everyone transitions at their own pace.