Early retirement is the holy grail of financial freedom. With a large enough nest egg, you no longer have to work, giving you the time to spend with your family and friends or do whatever you want. The problem? Hitting financial independence is much easier than most FIRE-chasers think, and achieving their biggest goal comes with unintended consequences. The fact of the matter is, retiring early is a hard choice, and it’s NOT as simple as walking away from your job. Today, we talk to Phil, who’s bringing in a large salary and doing a job he loves but wants to take more time off work to be around his growing family. Phil has reached financial freedom. He has plenty of money in his retirement accounts, a short-term rental property portfolio paying him a median-income salary, and lots of cash on hand in case he runs out. He’s also got a job that makes him a stellar salary and has the flexibility to allow him to increase or decrease his shifts as he sees fit. Phil has done it. He’s found financial freedom and built a fortress of assets to hold up his lifestyle for the rest of his life.But, the idea of walking away from work is stopping him from taking the time off that he needs. With such high pay and work that gives him meaning, how can Phil slowly start stepping away from work without sacrificing his identityor ability to help others? This is a struggle for many who have hit financial independence, and you, too, may face the same dilemma in the not-so-distant future! In This Episode We Cover Building multiple income streams so you can reach financial freedom faster Giving up the high-pay of a skilled job to spend more time with your family When to pay off your properties and whether living mortgage-free is worth it Transitioning out of a career and why stepping away from work is more complicated than it seems Building your ideal post-FI life (even if that means working!) The “middle-class trap” and why over-investing in retirement could be a mistake And So Much More! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group BiggerPockets Forums Finance Review Guest Onboarding Join BiggerPockets for FREE Mindy on BiggerPockets Scott's Instagram Grab Scott’s Book, “Set for Life” Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show Podcast Talent Search! The Real Estate Rookie Podcast Listen to The “On The Market” Podcast: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, BiggerPockets Money Moment Mr. Money Mustache on Life After FI: The Truth About Retiring Early How to Avoid the “Middle Class Trap” When Building Wealth The “Deathbed Toolkit” That Makes Building Wealth Much More Enjoyable w/Doc G Grab Your Copy of “Taking Stock: A Hospice Doctor's Advice on Financial Independence, Building Wealth, and Living a Regret-Free Life Click here to check the full show notes: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-408 Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Let us know! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices