Accidently Retired

INTRODUCTION
You’ll never get that time back

For those of you living in the US (or at least most of the US), daylight savings time kicked in while you were sleeping. You woke up with 1 less hour of sleep.

Unfortunately, that is an hour you will never get back. That’s the challenge with time. It’s the one “resource” that is non-renewable.

How much time do you lose doomscrolling social media? How about sitting in traffic commuting to work? Binge watching Netflex?

Do you ever think about where you might be if you’d have used that time for taking action toward your goals? Starting a side hustle? Personal development?

Today’s spotlight is on an individual that chose to say “yes” and took action. He took calculated risks.

The result?

He retired at the age of 36.

THE INTERVIEW
Accidentally Retired (AR)

Accidentally Retired (clearly not his real name 😀) is a 39-year-old former CEO who retired at the age of 36.

He’ll admit that he didn’t always do the greatest job of saving or investing early in his career. The one thing he did well was be willing to take calculated risks.

AR’s journey towards financial freedom started when he was young. He witnessed both his father and uncle work demanding jobs. Overall, they just seemed unhappy with their careers.

At that time, he decided to find a different path. The path he chose was entrepreneurship.

AR got his degree in finance and entrepreneurship and set out to start his own company. When things didn’t go as planned, he worked for a marketing company.

It was this moment when he stumbled across a life hack that helped him get ahead. He said “yes” to nearly everything whether he knew how to do it or not.

He forced himself to learn things on the fly and grow as a person and grow his skillset.

Marketing wasn’t his passion so he started a side hustle. As luck would have it, another startup asked he and his business partners to join their company so he left the marketing job.

I know what you’re thinking. This was his big break right…

Well, not exactly.

2008 and the “Great Recession” struck and they weren’t able to get traction. He had learned to code, so the company moved him into a software development role…which he hated.

Clearly AR didn’t give up.

All those “yeses” allowed him to develop skills he was able to leverage.

AR started to reach out and offer to do free work for a company of founders. It was similar to his original vision with a twist that allowed it to get more traction.

Skipping ahead a little, he eventually became the CEO of the startup. AR was making good money but struggling with life balance. So, in mid-2020, he engineered his exit and accidentally retired.

One thing AR shared was he wasn’t always the best with his personal finances. Early, he didn’t have a financial plan. He did poor at saving and investing.

Later, he and his wife made sure to save 20-50% of their income, invest in their 401(k)s, and try to be wise with their spending. Create systems and automate. “When it comes to finances, it’s best not to focus on motivation, but on systems.”

If you want to learn more about Accidentally Retired

Folllow him on 𝕏: @acdntlyRetired
Check out his blog at: Accidentallyretired.com

Subscribe to his newsletter:

KEY LESSONS AND TAKEAWAYS
Don’t be afraid to say “Yes”

The key to financial freedom lies in taking calculated risks, embracing a positive mindset, and automating financial systems.

Embrace Uncertainty and Take Calculated Risks: Start taking calculated risks early on, as these risks often lead to valuable lessons and potential upsides.

Don’t be afraid to say yes. The amount of knowledge and resources at your fingertips is unending. Either find someone to teach you or teach yourself.

Cultivate a Positive Mindset: Believe in yourself, seek knowledge to overcome challenges, and maintain a positive attitude towards financial endeavors.

Automate Financial Systems: Automate investments and savings to remove the reliance on motivation and simplify financial management.

Build a Strong Support Network: Connect with mentors, advisors, or like-minded individuals who can support and guide you on the journey to financial freedom. Don’t be afraid to give away free services to build your network.