So asked fellow blogger Cubert at Abandoned Cubicle in a recent post. Cubert is a 40 something engineer who is (by design) a year from Financial Independence and retirement.

In this post, he expresses concerns about being bored and more in retirement. Perfectly normal to get the jitters as one approaches the cliff.  Remember the same feelings myself, but with the parachute strapped on my back, I JumpedToConsulting and never looked back.

Here are my comments of encouragement:

Quit my corporate job 31 years ago to start an engineering consulting practice. It has been a blast, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Was it retirement? No, but it WAS freedom from the cubicle and all the attendant corporate BS. On second thought, maybe it was a form of early retirement.

And while now winding down in my 70s, I still do 6-8 projects a year — of my choosing. Keeps me professionally engaged and brings in fun money.

Did I miss the paychecks? No. While the business income fluctuated, I drew a modest fixed salary and watched expenses like a hawk. Banked the profits in investments and tax deferred retirement accounts.

To begin, I stashed away enough to go six months without pay, but never needed it. Was back to my old paycheck level in a year, and exceeded it soon after. Was fully financially independent in a few short years.

Did I miss the routine? Hell no. As a consultant, every day brought something new and challenging. No more boring and useless meetings. No more cleaning up messes created by higher-ups in the food chain.

Rather, interesting work that helped improve things for my clients.

Did I miss the prestige? Are you kidding? Never needed it, and am often bemused by those who do. Maybe that is why I was never a good corporate rat.

Not bragging — just offering some encouragement for everyone.

And trust me, Cubert — you won’t be bored. Rather, you will wonder when you ever had the time for a full time job. You may even wonder why you didn’t do so earlier. Best wishes as you transition to your new life!

In a reply, Cubert expressed a specific concern about health insurance. With a young family, a very legitimate concern. My advice here was to purchase the highest deductible policy available, and self-insure the nominal stuff. More below:

• Insurance Questions
• More Insurance Comments

The Affordable Care Act makes that simpler, as you can not be denied coverage. I know several independent consultants who have taken advantage of that — one with a congenial heart defect. (Please — no comments from political trolls.)

Cubert also expressed possible interest in consulting in his retirement. As an engineer, that is very doable as his skills and experience are already in demand. More below:

• Top 5 Reasons to Consult in Retirement
• Retirement Success Story – Don the Engineer
• Retirement Successs Story – Karl the Engineer
• Doing Well by Doing Good – Lynn the Nutritional Consultant

Finally, I invited Cubert, and anyone else interested in consulting, to join us for my new FREE monthly teleconference on consulting. Register Here.

Join us for our next FREE monthly teleconference.
“Ask Daryl Anything About Consulting”
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