To answer your questions…

1) Yes, as far as what I do for a living which I really enjoy, I would like to retire somewhere between 50-55. Maybe I’ll work longer or shorter, but the main thing I want to ensure is that I don’t have to work beyond that 50-55 time frame.

2) Well, honestly, I live very well below my means and I actually enjoy that from the standpoint of my life is simple. I don’t drive fancy cars or have a huge home because those things don’t interest me. I do have a passion that does interest me, and would like to pursue at some point again.

3) As far as retiring by no later than 55, yes my current path will easily provide for that. If I choose to the pursue the passion I mentioned earlier, then that would impact the amount of money I would need in the short term, but would not affect my long term retirement goals.

1. Do you have a Date in mind, when you REALLY want (nay, NEED) to stop working so that you finally have time to live your Life’s Purpose?

2. Do you have a Number in mind, that represents how much you need in your nest egg (be that the bank, ‘passive’ investments, your house – although, you may need to think how you plan to access those funds to live from – etc.)?

If not, I suggest that’s your first task: think about your Number and Date. Already (or just) got them?! Good … now;

3. Will your current financial plans and strategies get you to your Number by your Date?

It’s working, it’s just slow going compared to your strategies I suppose. I’m not under any illusion that I would not need to take more risk in order to accomplish some short term goals I have. But on the other hand, i’m not as astute a business person as yourself, which probably explains why my investments have been pretty conservative thus far. I also know that my biggest income producing asset right now is my job and I have been working hard to free up much of that income to be able to invest as much of it as possible. Of course, what you invest in, and what I do is the problem i’m sure. As I said earlier, I would love to find better ways to have better returns on my capital, but you probably know much better ways to do that than I do.

Even if I did refinance my home and take the cash out and use it to purchase let’s say some rental property, I still would not necessarily be able to make that work out any better than paying off my home and freeing up that full payment. Of course maybe I’m not giving myself the benefit of the doubt that I could do something like that. It’s just not familiar to me.

While I do not disagree with any post I’ve read on your blog in regards to building wealth and doing it more quickly (not as in get rich quick) I am a realist in the fact that most people would probably fail just because they don’t have the proper education and plan going in to make it work. I know what you accomplished sounds great to most people. After all, who wouldn’t want “7 million in 7 years”. But being realistic, what you accomplished was extremely hard work and took a great deal of intelligence and planning on your part to make it happen. A lot of people for whatever reason simply would not have the success you had.

Now that being said, I wouldn’t be here trying to gain knowledge if I didn’t think it would improve my way of thinking and possibly give me the confidence to do what may be necessary to pursue those short term goals I have.

It seems that your current strategy isn’t working for you … so, what do YOU think you should do about it?