A recorded conversation from a YouTube video by Ramit Sethi (IWT 108) about reaching financial independence and the unexpected emotional outcome: despite hitting financial goals (speaker notes April 2017), feelings did not change upon 'retiring' and participants discuss why money alone didn't produce happiness or immediate emotional transformation.
April 2017 was when we reached our financial goals and I knew I didn't have to work anymore.
Did your feelings magically change the next morning when you woke up knowing that you had hit your goals?
No. I felt exactly the same.
What? I'm shocked. You're telling me that after a lifetime of saving, you didn't magically turn into a sp. What have I been doing my whole life?
How's that possible? I thought once you have the money in the spreadsheet and you show the 4% withdrawal rate, then everything changes.
No, you're exactly right. And that's what I felt too. Like, why am I not happy? Why do I feel pretty much the exact same? It was at that point I learned I probably have to work on myself a little bit. That money isn't going to be this. It's not going to flip a switch. I'm not going to be instantly happy. And I'm kind of foolish because I thought I would be.
