Exercising Optionality With FIRE: Quitting Work... Then Going Back - JT | MHFI 329

Doug chats with JT about quitting his tech job due to burnout, taking time off to spend with family & decompress, but ultimately deciding to return to work.  JT discusses his sudden decision to give an eight-day notice, the psychological transition of being “unemployed” vs. “retired”, why the FI community can sometimes be too prescriptive about never working again, and how he evaluated a new opportunity at a startup while emphasizing optionality, boundaries, and success criteria to avoid repeating burnout.  

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• Guitar Accessories
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Links

• JT on MHFI episode 110
• JT on MHFI episode 264.5
• MHFI episode 316, “Optimizing the Last Year of Work Before Retirement – Rusty (Part 1)”
• MHFI episode 317, “Optimizing the Last Year of Work Before Retirement – Rusty (Part 2)”
• The FI Collective
• Jordan Grumet, “The Purpose Code”
  • Kindle
  • Hardcover
  • Paperback
  • Audiobook
• Ramit Sethi, “I Will Teach You to Be Rich: The Journal”
  • Kindle
  • Paperback
• MHFI Facebook group
• Doug’s site
• Check out Producer Chris’s blog: Epic Financial Journey

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0:00 Introduction

2:02 Quitting

9:44 Reflections on burnout

15:45 Activities since leaving work

22:57 Structure & daily routine

31:21 FI journey

37:39 Spending changes

43:32 Optionality & continuing to work

49:36 Would you do it for free?

55:41 Success criteria for returning to work

1:02:00 Value of additional money

1:06:36 Work vs. early retirement

1:13:51 Soundcheck – Book minimalism