I’m so close to my early retirement goals, but I absolutely hate my high paying job – what would you do?

A Redditor is approaching his Coast FIRE goals but is considering an early exit. He didn’t share financials but posted in the FIRE Reddit group looking for some advice. 

It’s harder to share thoughts about finances since the post doesn’t include any numbers. However, it’s filled with comments from Redditors who walked away from their careers early. I’ll share my thoughts as well.

The Wrong Type of Work Can Sap the Joy Out of Life

There are some cases where you have to work even if you don’t want to. The Redditor knows this well, as he has been in a high-stress tech sales position for multiple years. While it’s necessary to work hard in the beginning, people who are so close to retirement may look for opportunities to scale back their careers and get out of a high-stress atmosphere.

The Redditor may be in need of that, as the original poster has said that the “entire week is me counting down the days and the years till I’m not doing this anymore.”

We can’t say definitively if the Redditor has the finances to retire. It’s something we have to assume based on the post. However, the Redditor is going for a Coast FIRE lifestyle instead of a Fat FIRE lifestyle.  Coast FIRE gives more flexibility for downsizing and trimming expenses than Fat FIRE.

Financially Withstanding the Unemployment Gap

The Redditor wants a low-stress job and isn’t looking to retire quite yet. That’s good for the prospects of Coast FIRE within the next few years. However, there will be a gap between leaving the current job and finding a new one.

The Redditor can job hunt while maintaining the tech sales job, so the transition is more fluid. However, the high-stress job may not give the Redditor enough time to do both things at the same time.

Another option is to use an emergency fund that contains enough cash to cover 6-12 months of expenses. With this fund, the Redditor has enough time to leave their current job, search for alternatives, and find the right job that offers stability and less stress.

Trading Extra Money for Less Stress

Many Redditors posted in the comments about taking low-stress jobs for lower pay after being in high-position roles for several years. It makes sense to capitalize on the high-earning years, but a change of scenery can do some good in the future.

Making a high income doesn’t have many merits if it comes at the cost of a happy family. Some rich people are depressed, while some people in low-income families live happy lives. Many people are also pursuing remote work, even if it pays less, just to avoid the stress of the morning commute.

Another Reddit comment mentioned a mailman in their neighborhood who happily coasts fires at the job. It’s lower stress and allows the mailman to walk 20k-30k steps per day while listening to music and podcasts. 

Another Redditor shared a humorous comment about stepping away from a director position for a lower position at a different company, only to then be promoted to the director role at this new company after five years. Although that’s not what the Redditor wanted in this case, it indicates that you can opt for a low-stress role temporarily and go back to a high-earning, high-stakes role if needed.

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