Why FIRE?

If you read some of my posts or followed me for a while, you probably have a pretty good idea what I’m about.

You know that I’m advocating frugal living and promoting financial intelligence, in the form of a capitalist embodiment of a Monk on a quest for FIRE. And even if you understood my philosophy and way of life, there is still one question that remained unanswered:

Why?

And indeed, why am I doing this? Why is it so important to me? Or let’s go even deeper: why FIRE?

I can be brief and straight to the point by just answering it directly: I live for the day when I’ll wake up with a clear head.

That’s it!

Really, that’s the only reason that I’m working, saving, investing, living frugally, and writing this blog. All for the sole purpose of waking up with a clear head.

Waking up with a clear head

So, am I stressed? Am I a victim of panic attacks, burnout, anxiety, or depression? Why would a guy be so worried about “waking up with a clear head” so early in his career?

Okay, let’s break it down piece by piece.

I can imagine that presenting my reasoning in a single statement may sound like I’m struggling with mental health issues, so let’s make it less abstract and try to understand why I’m pursuing FIRE.

So, is it about money? Although having more than you need grants a peace of mind like nothing else, money is not the ultimate goal.

Do I need time off? No, I regularly take some. Am I on a pursuit of “finding myself”? No, not really. Trying to find happiness? Nope.

At the end, there is only one thing that defines us. It’s not our money, career, or anything material, nor our personality, love, or our feelings… It’s our values!

But let me put in first person:

It’s my values. I’m pursuing FIRE because of my values!

So, what about them?

Believe me, I’m as eager to pour my thoughts out as you are to read them! But before explaining how I relate my values to the state of clear mind, let’s take a closer look at what my values actually are.

My values

The things that define me as a person. The reason I keep going and the motivation to do so. And here it is… The Monk’s list of paramount values:

1. Being self-reliant
2. Nurturing mental health and well-being
3. Being an attentive, considerate, and caring partner/son/husband/parent
4. Being at optimal to prime physical condition
5. Ability to satisfy my emotional, physical, and intellectual needs
6. Stimulating the inner child
7. Maintaining deep connections with people I choose
8. Undertaking ventures I believe in and doing things I enjoy
9. Reading, learning, and teaching
10. Spending quality time with myself, my family, and my friends

That would be it.

Critique

I can add numerous moral principles to this list, but I start to like it as it is, to be honest! It’s short but complete! And beautifully structured in 10 items that I could use as a code of conduct to live by.

And I will, but not yet… I’m on my way, though – 25% there already! And these values are the exact reason I’m pursuing financial independence. There is no other contributor to my passion for FIRE such as the price tag on the freedom I’ll be able to afford to buy!

But I’ve been criticized on my opinions before and I know that there is more to come. I’ve been considered crazy and delusional, been laughed at and called childish. But the most common critique I’d like to address is:

“Working is not stopping you to live by your values!”

I see your point. The problem is that working leaves infinitesimally small amount of time, known as work-life balance, for a person to cultivate himself and his needs, that most of the employees live Saturday to Saturday.

And since the list is personal, I would direct your attention to the first and essential value! Having a job is the definition of not being self-reliant!

Think about it. It may sound odd, but you’re neither providing nor producing for yourself. If your labor stops, your knowledge and skills won’t feed your children automatically. That makes us reliant on the hand that puts bread on our tables.

Please note: I’m merely playing by the rules, not complaining! Accepting these facts make me pursue (and eventually achieve) freedom, while ignoring them or deluding myself will make me a “happy slave” – a person with no identity.

And my last comment on this is: I didn’t put “I don’t want to work” in the list of my values. Actually, I’m sure that I’ll pursue various ventures even after I’m financially independent! But being self-reliant is a big factor when doing so… Otherwise we’re putting our families’ lives in the hands of other people.

My life became so much easier after I came to the point where I could afford to be unemployed for a few year$.

Clarifying my position

It’s extremely easy to be taken out of context on this subject, especially when the society is injected with the “study, work, die” doctrine.

To be perfectly clear, I’m not criticizing capitalism! I actually think it’s the best of all economical systems – the only one in which a person is free to pursue his own path and live the lifestyle he chooses. The catch is: only when he can afford to do so.

And I can’t be judged. You can’t be either. Our values and ideas for “the good life” may differ, and that’s fine. I’m totally immersed into pursuing my path and living by my moral code, and you are completely free to do the same.

And I want you to do so! Maybe we don’t share the same values, but whatever yours are, I highly encourage you to evaluate your situation and put your best efforts to be the person you would enjoy being. That may be the only way to live a life worth living.

Things incompatible with my values

To finish this post off, I’d like to share 10 things that are incompatible with my values.

This list simply can’t be complete. And I don’t want to make it too general either, so I will not include things like lying, stealing, letting people down, hurting or abusing people etc. I will try to keep the items in the context of the idea of this post.

So, below are the things that are conflicting with my values.

1. Showing disregard to friends and family
2. Self-sabotage
3. Doing things just for the money
4. Indulging in activities detrimental to my well-being
5. Not reaching my potential
6. Spending most of my life in an artificial environment
7. Being in the least advantaged tax bracket
8. Waking up with an alarm clock and being drained daily
9. Spending the free time for recovery
10. Little to no time and energy to maintain proper diet, exercise, converse, and relax

I think the pattern becomes obvious… Yes, they’re all hinting towards one thing: the compulsory labor.

“Enough complaining, Monk! You’re pointing out the problem, propose a solution!”

FIRE – reaching Financial Independence and Retiring Early.