Your 9–5 Doesn’t Have to Be Forever, Here Are a Few Other Lifestyle Options

Build your dream life.

I’m by no means saying quit your 9–5 right now…but maybe?

No, I wouldn’t do that. Instead, I suggest you consider that you don’t have to continue what you’re doing for another 20, 30, or 40 years.

It’s an option. And I recommend you work for someone at least part-time while creating your future dream. But a 9–5 forever, then retire, then death is not the only life available to you.

The 9–5 life is the most common. It is the default most of us start in. And it’s the easiest (at least at first).

But not the only path.

Here are some other options that I’m creating:

Take a year off.

Sabbatical, gap year, or mental health recovery time.

Regardless of what term you want to use, having an extended time off can be a huge benefit to your life.

An opportunity to unwind from hectic work schedules and deadlines. An opportunity to travel the world or spend more time with your family.

From experience, I can tell you that this does not hurt your earning potential (that will be the biggest fear and concern you’ll hear from nay-sayers who are scared of change). Both my wife and I came back to full-time 9–5 jobs with higher salaries.

This is the least impactful of all the lifestyle options I’m looking at because it’s temporary. When you’re just planning on a year, then you need to come back to work full-time (or create another option at the same time, see below).

It takes planning — for the time and money needed to make it a reality — but that’s about the only hurdle if you’re interested in pursuing the work-gap life.

You can also create multiple sabbaticals throughout your 9–5 career. Taking a 6- to 12-month break every few years. Mini-retirements.

My suggestion: Do not tell your current employer your plan. Keep it close. Plan, save, and decide on a date before you share anything publicly.

Work part of the year until you reach full retirement.

Once you are no longer dependent on steady paychecks and you’re responsible with your money, you can work on projects only.

For example, consult on a project for 6 months of the year, then don’t work for 6 months. Or any period of months you want as you rotate between working and extended time off.

This option is great for the Coast FIRE group (the lifestyle I’m creating). As a Coast FIRE-ee, you require less monthly income because you’ve already saved for retirement. You only need to earn enough to cover living costs.

I would suggest that if you pursue this option, then you understand a part-time job or a “traditional” role may be required if a good contract role isn’t available when you need it. Don’t avoid those jobs if you need the money. Flexibility and good money management skills are the key to this one.

My suggestion: Have at least a year of living costs saved for when you start looking for your next contract. This gives you a cushion so you don’t run out of money or have to take on a terrible project just to pay rent.

Create other income streams.

A good idea for anyone (you don’t want to rely on a single company for your livelihood), creating multiple income streams allows you financial freedom.

These could be full-time, part-time, or hobby businesses, but as long as the income coming in covers your living costs, then you can do this indefinitely (a 9–5-optional life).

I love the idea of this scenario and it’s my biggest focus. I imagine doing work I want to do, when I want to do it, and be paid enough to live. Too perfect? I don’t think so.

This is probably the hardest lifestyle to create because it requires creating and selling (versus a 9–5 time for-pay contract). The amount of income is directly related to how much you put into the business (whether that is creativity, passion, or time).

But it’s also the most flexible option for a continued lifestyle change. You’ll create systems and revenue streams that can continue for your entire life (possibly even after you fully “retire”).

My suggestion: Start creating another income stream while you’re still working your 9–5. This allows you to leverage your full-time income to pay your bills and helps provide a foundation of income already coming in when you leave your 9–5.

I believe all of these are valid options.

They work best in combination with a life plan, like Coast F.I.R.E. (see my journey in the article below), but they’re all possible to create. And I plan to use all of these in some combination.

I already had a self-created sabbatical a few years ago — 15 months of traveling. I’m creating other income streams while still working a 9–5. And plan to work contract jobs to fill in the gaps as needed.

You can stick with the easy, tried and true, lifestyle of the 40-year 9–5 life.

Or you can explore alternative lifestyles, some of which I’ve listed above.