bigato's journal

Where are you and where are you going?
BookLoverL
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by BookLoverL »

Excellent! I'm glad it worked out for you. It's definitely true that sometimes waiting leads to better things than rushing into a suboptimal decision. It sounds like this new place has a lot going for it.

classical_Liberal
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by classical_Liberal »

It appears opportunity+preparation= serendipity. Congrats on the new place! You've spent a ton of time and mental energy on this, so I bet it feels great to finally get it resolved.

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C40
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by C40 »

I’m glad you didn’t rent that underground jail cell !

niemand
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by niemand »

I like how you optimise your current accumulation situation. What is your end game though? Will you move back to your rural property eventually?

With Feb 2021 you’re a couple of months ahead of my own timeline.

I like your idea on hitching a ride with a not-for-profit like the Red Cross. The experiences available in this sector can be quite unique indeed.
Just know that as soon as you leave operations, the work may resemble a normal white collar desk job, with the same office shenanigans and politics.
Another potential downside is that people’s egos may be more inflated and/or toxic than you’d find in the public or for-profit sector. At least that’s been my experience, n=1.

slowtraveler
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by slowtraveler »

I admire your focus on the low expenses. I've trended towards higher expenses as my nw has increased but still saving a high %of income. You still got me beat.

Can I ask where you invested to get 16%? Im guessing it's pretax.

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Seppia
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by Seppia »

bigato wrote:
Fri Jun 14, 2019 4:47 pm
Some minors updates. I'm living at the new place and it already feels like home.
*cut*
What a fascinating post.
I started reading a few recent entries of your journal, will start from the beginning soon.

I'm always blown away by how diverse and interesting the population of this forum is. I should read more journals.

Please keep hanging around!

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Seppia
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by Seppia »

bigato wrote:
Sat Jun 15, 2019 11:19 am
why it made such an impression on you.
In short, it’s the calm attitude you keep in describing as natural and positive what 99.99% of the western (and much of the eastern) world would consider an incredibly stoic life.
There is literally zero feeling of deprivation and struggle coming out of your post.

The only thing transpiring is a person who is comfortable with himself and his life in a way that must be very fulfilling.

horsewoman
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by horsewoman »

Hi bigato, I really like your Journal! Any news on the diagnosis front? I ask because the same questions have been turning around in my head a few years ago. My daughter was very different to other kids from day one and around 6 years we hit on Aspergers. Since my mother’s friend is a child psychologist, we were able to get an “unofficial diagnosis” but have not pursued an official one, since we manage tolerably well. While getting immersed in Asperger’s research it became really clear that my brother, my father and I are on the spectrum as well – it sure explains a lot of things…
Like scott2 I feel like getting really into the coping mechanisms and things like that is probably more helpful than a diagnosis, but YMMV. There is a certain stigma, but I feel like this is worst in the US were “Autism” is somehow connected to “school shootings”. Here in Germany, where logic and rationality are lauded above everything else, most Aspergers can at least shine in a work environment to some extent, though socially it is as difficult as everywhere else I suppose.
I can also relate to your thoughts on intelligence/IQ. My siblings and I are either above average or very much above average in case of my sister (the only one tested of us), and my daughter is gifted as well. I found it very hard to talk with other mothers about my child because it will always be received as bragging – meanwhile having a gifted autistic child is no walk in the park… I think it is doubly hard for Aspergers because we like to say things as they are, it is stating facts, not bragging. But most people cannot deal with this bluntness and think we are arrogant. It is a lifelong process, this “fitting in” business, that’s for sure. At least I’m glad that a few other Aspies are on this forum. In real life very few people are interested in the same things, it feels really lonely very often.

frihet
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by frihet »

Do you have any links to/ pictures on the tatami mat you're sleeping on? I'm inspired to get something thin myself as a warm up to India.

I do believe that soft beds makes you soft ;) It's even one of the rules of the Buddha, it's forbidden for a buddhist to sleep on high and luxurious beds. Not that i consider myself a buddhist. But why argue with sages?

frihet
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by frihet »

Thank you, actually, I do have a foam plastic rolled up thing for camping so I can just use that one. That be easiest. As I have traveled India/Nepal for one year before I've slept on hard beds, but now I've gotten spoiled again. But I'll get used to it quickly. As I've gotten older, I've gotten stiffer. So to get away from chairs and luxurious beds sounds like a plan to counter that. Thanks for the inspiration.

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Seppia
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by Seppia »

Great story, thanks for sharing

George the original one
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by George the original one »

You've done your due diligence, raised the awareness, and should be guilt free now.

slowtraveler
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by slowtraveler »

You've got your freedom now. I'm a little surprised because I recall reading you weren't pursuing early retirement anymore but maybe I'm wrong and I misunderstood somewhere.

Either eay, congratulations on the freedom and skills you've built for yourself. You're in a position of power and responsibility now.

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Seppia
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by Seppia »

Sometimes the qualities that help us on the ERE path are the same ones that make us hesitant to pull the plug.
The most obvious is being financially prudent: great for accumulation, will bring the famous "one more year" syndrome.
Here bigato is experiencing the same with "sense of duty": the fact that he cares about the team and the future of something he's part of (even if he has no affiliation to it other than the exchange "money for time") is what probably helped him have an above average career.
Now it's making him question doing what's best for him.

It's been a few months that I've been thinking about this.
Normally we think of people as dividend into two groups in terms of potential to ERE (those who have what it takes and those who don't), but I would argue there's actually three.

Those who don't have it (these are usually more of the YOLO type*). This may be 85% of the population
Those who have the necessary skills to get there but not actually do it (those who understand the math and have the discipline to stay consistent) This may be 1% of the population
Those who have the rare combination of skills to get there and pull the plug (ironically I believe it's a mix of prudence and YOLO, or just a very very VERY rational mind) This may be 0.01% of the population**

I am kind of afraid I fall in the second category for now, and that I will need a monster size nest egg (think 1% SWR) to really go full ERE

*allow me these simplifications, as being able to understand delayed gratification is usually skill #1
** the numbers don't add up because I really believe there is a number of peope who have what it takes to do it but tend not to question the status quo and somehow need to be spoon-fed the idea to realize it. I certainly fall into this category, I would never have thought of ERE if I hadn't discovered the movement

slowtraveler
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by slowtraveler »

I agree with you Seppia. Mine would be more forced due to the eventual selling of the business, I suppose I could tag on to the new owners but we'll see whether it makes sense or not first. I hadnt actually considered that idea till now...

But 1%? You're saving over half your dividends at that point. I think having dividends > expenses may comfort you enough to feel comfortable with stopping work for economic reasons. As shown above and is probably also relevant in your case with your kick ass international work, there's reasons beyond monetary to work.

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Ego
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by Ego »

bigato wrote:
Thu Jul 04, 2019 3:50 pm
Other than those three people, there are about other three somewhere in the market, already retired, that could potentially be contacted in a disaster situation. But you see, the situation does not look so good. To make it worse, it doesn't seem like upper management really understand the depth of this. This week I started working on a change that will go in production and then had the chance to have a better grasp of size of the monster.
If you were upper management what would you (manager) want you (Bigato) to do?

Presenting problems then suggesting possible solutions in writing as a follow-up to the discussion could be your key to an extremely lucrative consulting contract in the future, if you want it.

There must be alternatives to the monster. What are other companies doing? How would you transition from the monster to these alternative?

Could be a fun, guilt-assuaging project to write a concise email. On the other hand, you don't want to piss off the person who got the company into the mess.
Last edited by Ego on Sat Jul 06, 2019 3:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

rube
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by rube »

@Seppia thank you, that is very interesting lay-out. I am currently in my "target" last year and it sounds very familiar. I am really pushing myself to not let myself fall in that 2nd category (1 year now from now we could be around 3.5% SWR - but in practice even a bit more). Perhaps that is why I announce here, but also to others that this is the last year, so I can held a bit more accountable.

@Bigato I second George the Original one. No need to fuil guilt, this is a capatalistic world. If "they" wouldn't need you, "they" wouldn't feel guilt "to let you go". I have seen this already too often in my career. I am glad you started to be more active again on your journal. It was yours, together with a few others (like C40, FFJ) that inspired me so much that it helped me to get to the point I am now. It is still very interesting to see how your life is developing.

horsewoman
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by horsewoman »

Egos suggestion is brilliant! You can really not do more than to warn them of the dangers - and when the shit should hit the fan after you left, they know that they can approach you to help them. For a fee :) No guilt necessary.

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Seppia
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by Seppia »

At Google there is an internal document called "No Heroes". It basically says that if your load is too high - let the damn thing fail. Perhaps it's not important, and only you think it is. Perhaps the higher ups don't realize it's important and they need to be reminded of it. Reliable infrastructure cannot depend on heroic actions of a small group of people, and especially on actions of a single person. Let it fail - the world will take notice. Or not, in which case you should move to something more useful.
What a great document.
I'm going to "steal" this for sure

Scott 2
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Re: bigato's journal

Post by Scott 2 »

I am very interested to read about your experience with the autism specialist. The expense and time involved have stopped me from seeking such help, but I often wonder what the returns would be. I know the coping strategies I have adopted from various books and videos do make my life a lot better.

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