abu13
Well-Known Member
I spoke with a close friend of mine today, he is 55 years old and I know he has been stressed with work for a good while.
He told me a few weeks ago that had made the decision that his mental health is more important than anything else, and he wanted to pack in working. He is in a well paid job, mortgage free, no debt and his kids have left home. He told me that he has around £50k in savings and over £250k in his pension pot, he just thought that he isn't prepared to deal with the daily grind anymore. At the time I thought he was just sounding off, jump back to today and he has only gone and done it, given his notice and not looking back.
He is taking 12 months out to chill out and "find himself", going to take a few holidays and go to the gym each day to get himself fit. He is going to see where things take him and enjoy life for a while. I should mention that his wife is doing the same, it seems she is fully on board with it and was just waiting for him to pull the trigger.
But it got me thinking, would I be prepared to do the same? It just seems like a huge risk to take at a time when he is doing so well financially, then again his mental health is more important. I'm not sure that I could.
There would be the worry about getting back into work in 12 months time, would I even want to go back to work? I doubt it. And the fear of eating into the savings each month and the dread of any major unexpected expense.
On the other hand I think he has just become my new hero, he hasn't ever been the impulsive type but seems to have gone all in this time. He got me thinking when he said, at 70 years old is he ever going to regret having a year out to do the things we wanted to do while still healthy enough to do so.
Anyone else have made a leap of faith like this and how did it work out?
He told me a few weeks ago that had made the decision that his mental health is more important than anything else, and he wanted to pack in working. He is in a well paid job, mortgage free, no debt and his kids have left home. He told me that he has around £50k in savings and over £250k in his pension pot, he just thought that he isn't prepared to deal with the daily grind anymore. At the time I thought he was just sounding off, jump back to today and he has only gone and done it, given his notice and not looking back.
He is taking 12 months out to chill out and "find himself", going to take a few holidays and go to the gym each day to get himself fit. He is going to see where things take him and enjoy life for a while. I should mention that his wife is doing the same, it seems she is fully on board with it and was just waiting for him to pull the trigger.
But it got me thinking, would I be prepared to do the same? It just seems like a huge risk to take at a time when he is doing so well financially, then again his mental health is more important. I'm not sure that I could.
There would be the worry about getting back into work in 12 months time, would I even want to go back to work? I doubt it. And the fear of eating into the savings each month and the dread of any major unexpected expense.
On the other hand I think he has just become my new hero, he hasn't ever been the impulsive type but seems to have gone all in this time. He got me thinking when he said, at 70 years old is he ever going to regret having a year out to do the things we wanted to do while still healthy enough to do so.
Anyone else have made a leap of faith like this and how did it work out?