Early Retirement With Training Wheels and Diapers

To me "early retirement" isn't really about retirement at all.  It's just a label that we in the community use for freedom.  I can work if I want to but I'm not financial obligated to.  I think there is a big difference between someone who has stated "I am done working and I am exiting the job market from now until they plant me in the ground" and someone who says "My money is making me enough money but I will continue to work on my own conditions."  The latter person continues to learn and increase their skill.  Not that the former formally retired person doesn't continue to learn, just that in the traditional sense they are no longer using those skills in the job market.

I work in the education market here in good old Japan.  I am in a very lucky industry in that my customers have several very long vacations that I also get to take part in.  Full disclosure:  I have not taught a single lesson since March 2nd.  I continued going into work until March 16th from which time, until tomorrow April 5th, I did NOT HAVE to go into work.  I COULD go into work if I so choose.  There is obviously a new school year starting soon so I have some lesson planning to do, a few meetings going on, etc.  But I didn't have to go and I still received my paycheck.

I saw this as an experiment I called "financial independence with training wheels, and diapers."  I was in no way trying to fool myself that I was now FI and free.  But in a very real way I was free, just for a limited time.  That might sound like a contradiction, but when you have three to three and a half weeks off paid (and these are NOT vacation days) it will seem very real to you too.

So what did I do with my time?  I'll try to grade myself on a few different levels.

USE OF MY TIME:  C- (Below Average)
I spent many of the first few days sleeping in and just plain lounging.  I did my fair share of internet surfing, watching Japanese TV (which I love), household chores, cooking (made a new recipe), and near the end a lot of video games.  I got out of the house long enough to take a 23km bike ride, take some pictures, and hang out with a few friends.  I noticed this was very difficult as most of them were either working or recovering from work.

What really brought my grade down in this area was studying or improving my skills in some way.  I really wanted to get back into studying some Japanese.  This never happened (outside of watching TV).  We had a few rainy days, and one of Japans worst typhoons in the last 50 years, but I really failed to get out and enjoy a lot of the sunny days that we had.  A big problem I have is I don't have many Japanese friends.  My foreign friends usually just want to drink.  I should have looked for a bike riding, running, conversation exchange club, etc. to fill more of my time.

GOING INTO WORK:  B+
I only went into work once and that was because we were moving desks for the new year.  I felt it was unfair to make other teachers clean up my desk and move it so I went in for a few hours.  This was great as I had a really good idea for a new lesson that I think the students will really enjoy.

Not that going into work is bad, but I think it can be important in the world of FI.  If you really feel like you need to be in the office working that's fine.  To each his own.  I was just delighted to find out that I am not that kind of person.  I was able to enjoy my time with me.

GETTING THINGS DONE:  C
I managed to get done pretty much what I had set out to do.  I wrote some letters to people, tried my hand at a bit more photography, checked out some books from the library, finished Halo Reach on Legendary difficulty, got in a few pull ups, and the apartment isn't a disaster area, and all of my investments are in order.  The big deal is that I could have done this even if I wasn't on vacation.  These were all things I could have done even with the 11 hours I put in everyday at work (I count from the instant my alarm goes off to the second I put my foot back in the door as work.  You should too). 

WILLINGNESS TO WORK:  A
This is where I don't think I dropped the ball.  I have a second part time job and really opened up my schedule.  The big problem is there were just no classes for me to teach.  It's a slow time of the season and not a crumb was to be found.  At the end of the day I wasn't sad about that.  As I said before I found I'm not the kind of person that MUST work.  But I was looking at this second job as a catalyst to getting me out of the apartment more.  Seeing how this failed I will have to focus on other activities to get me out and about.

I'll leave my short evaluation at that.  It was a fun ride and probably around this time next year I might be able to look back and see what I can do to improve my short stint in FI in preparation for the big times.

What about you?  Have you had the opportunity to test the "early retirement you?"