It’s been a minute since I last wrote about our FIRE journey, and much has changed in our lives. Life looks different now, especially since becoming a dad roughly 1.5 years ago.

And let me tell you, nothing hammers home the value of controlling your time like raising a child.

With the blog reaching its 10-year milestone this year, I figured it’s the perfect time for a refresher, not just for new readers, but also to reinforce the benefits of FIRE for any aspiring parents out there.

FIRE Gave Me Time, but Took Away Something Else

Here’s the funny thing…

For most of my life, chasing FIRE has been about doing what is best for me.

I wanted to reclaim my time from the ever-growing demands of life. What I did with that freedom was less important. I just knew I wanted it back. I pictured a future where I was no longer tied to a 9-to-5, free to live a more kick-ass life on my own terms.

It was almost a selfish pursuit, if I am being honest.

But something strange happened when I finally started living the life I had spent years working towards. I realised I did not love it as much as I thought I would.

Let me explain.

In 2021, after spending two years living abroad, my wife and I returned to Australia. I entered my second mini-retirement. I was doing a bit of light consulting work, maybe 0 to 15 hours a month. But often I would go weeks without lifting a finger.

This was the dream.

The very life I had been building towards since 2013. I had worked hard, saved aggressively, invested wisely, and now I had more free time than I knew what to do with.

I could finally focus on my health. Start that veggie garden I had always wanted. Cook dinner every night without rushing home from work.

Sounds perfect, right?

But after living that dream for a while, a feeling I did not expect crept in.

Dissatisfaction.

I could not shake it. I had built the exact life I had been working towards for years, but for some reason, it just did not feel right. It wasn’t that I was miserable or anything, but deep down, I wasn’t fulfilled.

Part of the problem was that most of the people I loved hanging out with were still working during the day. My wife had dropped down to three days a week, and she genuinely enjoyed the social side of her job, which made me a bit jealous, especially around the Christmas party season.

I realised that a sense of purpose and contribution was missing from my life.

So, I did what any FIRE nerd with too much time on their hands would do…

I started two businesses 😅.

Finding Purpose, Building a Life That Matters

I had a few key drivers for my new projects.

1. First, I wanted to reconnect with locals and regain the sense of contribution to my community that I had been missing.
2. Second, I wanted to test myself. I have always admired individuals who start their own companies. Building something from scratch always seemed ridiculously hard, and I wanted to see if I had it in me.
3. And third… I missed work Christmas parties lol.

When I reflect on all the significant, positive things I have accomplished in my life, a clear pattern emerges. Every single time, before I took the leap, I felt uncomfortable.

That feeling, that knot in your stomach, is usually a dead giveaway that whatever you are thinking about doing is actually worth doing.

Going for that job interview after uni? Uncomfortable.
Entering my first Jiu-Jitsu competition? Terrifying.
Leaning in for a disco pash with my now-wife at Saloon Bar? Absolutely nerve-wracking.

But every one of those moments led to something incredible.

You do not grow in the comfort zone!

So with all that in mind, I jumped.

I ended up starting a data analytics company that scratches my technical itch. I have always loved problem-solving, and now I get paid to do it.

But it was about more than just the technical work.

I wanted to challenge myself.

I had always admired people who could build something from scratch, create real jobs, and make a difference in their community. There is a deep satisfaction that comes from seeing something you have built actually help people.

When clients use our products and give great feedback, and when we solve real problems for them, it hits differently.

Additionally, I helped build a co-working space with some friends. A completely new concept for our hometown, which has turned into a brilliant spot for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small business owners to work, connect, and build their own projects.

So yeah, I still work.

But the difference now?
I choose when I work, how I work, and, most importantly, I actually get purpose from what I do, something I never had in any of my old jobs.

Now, you might be thinking, “Damn Firebug, you saved all that money just to end up working again like the rest of us.” And fair enough.

But still, there’s a significant difference between working because you need the money and working by choice.

Looking back, my “Why of FI” was predominantly fueled by dissatisfaction with my old job.

Working in government, I often felt like what I was doing did not really matter. The endless meetings and bureaucracy drained my creative energy.

If I had landed a job that felt meaningful and exciting back then, I probably never would have been drawn to FIRE in the first place.

You could argue that if I had just changed jobs 13 years ago, I might have saved myself a lot of effort.

And honestly, you would not be wrong.

But even knowing that, I am incredibly grateful I found FIRE.

Because the real value of it only became clear after we had our daughter.

I cannot stress enough how life-changing it is to have full control over your time when you are raising young kids.

My wife has not been back to work since our daughter was born, and I only go into the co-working space three days a week. And because I work for myself, if my wife needs a hand or if I just do not feel like going in, I can stay home without stressing about it.

Our investment portfolio is our financial security blanket. It shields us from the stress of unexpected expenses and money worries.

The peace of mind cannot be understated.

At any moment, we could liquidate part of our portfolio and have the cash in our account within a few days. If things ever got tight, we could push a button and have hundreds of thousands of dollars ready to go.

The financial security we’ve built gives us a sense of calm and freedom that’s the real payoff for taking control of our finances.

Summary

Life’s weird.

I got into FIRE about 13 years ago and, by mid-2021, found myself in a mini-retirement with all the free time I could ask for. Amusingly, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

I wasn’t satisfied and felt the lack of purpose/contribution unsettling.

I’ve since found a new passion in the small business and entrepreneurial community. Starting two businesses has been one of the most exciting, scary, and rewarding things I’ve ever done.

But just when I thought I’d outgrown the FIRE stuff from my 20s, we welcomed our daughter into the world.

And just like that, all those years of carefully managing our spending, climbing the corporate ladder, and learning how to invest felt completely worth it.

It stopped being about us. We’ve built a financial shield for our family, giving us the freedom to prioritise our time around our kid (more to come hopefully).

That’s why I’ll always be grateful I discovered FIRE in my early 20s. It shaped so much of who I am, even if I’ve changed a lot since then. I don’t see everything the same way I did back then, but the core values still stick with me.