When you reach financial independence or retirement you may feel empty. After years of hard work, aggressive savings, and smart investing, you may feel depressed because the tough financial challenges are behind you. Based on student feedback from 2009 and my own experience after leaving work in 2012, I realized that having a purpose is essential to living a fulfilling life.
To find meaning after retirement or financial independence, staying active is important. While I’ve previously discussed measuring active and passive income with some metrics, the actual path to fulfillment may be even simpler:
Focus on generating income to meet your discretionary needs while relying on income to meet your essential needs. This approach allows you to maintain purpose, continue to secure your financial future, and lead a more rewarding post-career life—a triple win!
Effective Income for Demands, Income for Demands
Life is a series of challenges. After conquering one, you may find yourself asking, “What’s next?”
For me, two pursuits have kept me focused since I left my corporate job in 2012: writing in A financial samurai and raising my children. These activities encourage me to exercise and generate passive income. Without them, I might have gone into a chaotic life, maybe gone on a Las Vegas bender and never come back.
Despite the demands of parenthood, I’m always looking for new ways to stay engaged—especially since both of my kids are still in full-time school. Their absence during the day created a 40+-hour-a-week gap, which led to me finding more purpose.
Identifying the things I want and making money to pay for them has been really helpful in keeping me busy. If you feel empty, I suggest you do the same.
While it’s wise to use stock market profits to buy fun and practical things when times are good, spending “free money” doesn’t bring the same level of satisfaction that comes from accomplishing something. effort.
Here are some personal examples of quests that have inspired me to earn income.
1) New Clothes
My athletic jackets are 4-5 years old, and it’s time to replace the ones I wear every day. Instead of spending $120 on a new coat, I originally spent $27 to fix the zipper. A year later, the zipper broke again, and the jacket wore out even more. What is my solution?
Get enough working capital to finance the new one. Although I don’t the need new jacket, I want one. To achieve this, I would teach private tennis lessons for $140 an hour at my local park. Along the way, I will meet new people and stay busy. When I want more clothes, I will have more lessons.
2) New Family Car
My current car is 10 years old in July 2025, but with only 59,000 miles. Although it works well, I am tempted by the technological and safety improvements in the new models. Safety comes first when it comes to driving around the family. Replacing my 2015 Range Rover Sport with a 2025 model would cost about $120,000 out the door.
Following mine 1/10th Rule for Car BuyI would need to earn $1.2 million in net income, minus current passive income—a whopping $900,000 gap. This challenge can push me to pursue more consultation, to expand A financial samurai partnership, or get a full-time job.
Alternatively, I can stick with maintaining my current car for $1,000–$3,000 a year or rethink my car preferences entirely. My current car should be fine for another five years. Meanwhile, the well-equipped, all-wheel-drive Honda CR-V for $35,000 seems like a solid choice. Earning $50,000 in active income to comply with my 1/10 Rule is much more achievable than trying to close the $900,000 gap as a retiree!
By needing to earn money to meet your needs, you naturally wonder if those wants are really worth it. Now that I think about it, I have no desire to spend nearly 2,000 – 4,000 hours trying to buy a brand new car that I don’t need. My time is very valuable.
3) First Class Round Trip Tickets to Honolulu
At 47, I accepted Economy Plus tickets for a 30–50% premium over Economy, eg $750 versus $500. However, first class tickets cost 3–4 times more than Economy, which seems like a waste since we all arrive at the same destination at the same time. Besides, First Class still runs on rubber chicken and I’m not much of an alcoholic.
If I decide to spend the extra $1,200 – $1,500 for the first phase, I will fund it by generating passive income. For example, I may take personal financial counseling sessions (one rate per month) to meet needs like these. Helping people navigate their financial challenges is already fulfilling. Having this additional purpose of consulting may motivate me to meet the need and help more people.
Now I have to decide if saving $1,500 on a five-hour flight just by sitting in Economy is easier than doing a lot of consulting. Hmm, taking a nap in Economy for $300 an hour seems pretty easy.
Leave Your Fixed Income Alone to Meet Your Needs
Committing your money to an active income not only keeps you busy but also reinforces discipline in distinguishing between needs and wants. By challenging yourself, you can enjoy a guilt-free luxury life without FIRE while maintaining a solid financial footing.
Unlike an older child whose parents provide everything, you will feel a deep sense of pride and satisfaction knowing that you have earned what you bought—a priceless feeling.
By creating passive income to cover what you want, you allow your income to continue to grow. Since risky assets like stocks and real estate tend to appreciate over time, reinvesting your income can compound it, creating greater long-term financial stability.
However, if you ever find your motivation waning or experiencing a lull in life, you might consider one last strategy for building wealth: self-destruction.
Self-destruction Can Give Renewed Purpose in Retirement
Perhaps the greatest danger of retirement is the natural tendency to drift into inactivity. Without self-control or a compelling reason to stay engaged, the default approach often leads to self-indulgence. This is why intentional self-sabotage can be an effective strategy for keeping yourself motivated and active.
For example, in 2H 2023, I hurt myself by buying a home I didn’t need. This decision reduced my passive income by $150,000 per year. In the first three months after the purchase, my supply anxiety increased as our finances were at risk. However, knowing that my daughter would be starting school full time the following September, I knew I had a gap to fill.
More Motivation and Intention to Achieve
Since then, lack of funds led me to work part-time for four months, which also opened my eyes to the world of the first stage. The experience also gave me a new appreciation for the freedom I have enjoyed since leaving my job in 2012.
Self-harm also inspired me to finish a second new book with Portfolio Penguin, scheduled for release in May 2025. Writing a book is hard because no one is pushing you to write. It takes a lot of self-discipline to translate creative thoughts into a meaningful and entertaining story. Then follows the painstaking process of going through multiple rounds of editing with multiple editors to refine and polish the manuscript.
Living paycheck to paycheck for those six months also led me to explore more business opportunities A financial samurai. These companies introduced me to young people over drinks and dinners and helped me find products that I believe will benefit students.
Setting a clear goal to pay off my house, an unnecessary huge demand by December 31, 2027, has re-energized me. Without this self-harm, I could end up spending my days playing pickles and doing little else.
Meet Your Needs by Generating a Working Income in Retirement
Every dollar you earn is in active income at the time of retirement it feels like a bonus. And if you’re earning that “gravy,” you should enjoy it—especially since you already have a main course covered by passive income.
By keeping an active income to get the things you want, you maintain discipline in controlling your desires and keep living a hunger for achievement, just like when you were working hard.
Here’s to achieving what we want with commitment, no matter where we are in our financial journey!
Readers, have you noticed a decline in morale after retirement or achieving financial independence? Are you challenging yourself to be proactive in your pursuits? What strategies do you use to ensure that your investments continue to grow, generate income and maintain your financial freedom?
Generate Additional Income Using Properties
In the past, generating income from real estate often meant owning a property. Today, you can easily generate real income by investing in REITs and private real estate funds. Another option Fundrisespecializing in private real estate funds focused on residential and industrial properties.
The outlook for real estate prices remains positive due to low interest rates, tight housing supply, good demographics, and a strong economy. With a minimum investment of just $10, Fundrise makes diversification into private real estate accessible.
Personally, I have invested over $300,000 through Fundrise to expand my real estate portfolio and gain exposure. private AI companies. Fundrise is also a long-time sponsor of Financial Samurai.
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