A lifestyle without achievement

America Giving up a seven-figure annual income, Kevin Dahlstrom took a less-paying job but had time to pursue his passion for mountain climbing.

“I estimate I’ve forgone more than $10 million in future earnings, but if I had to work the same way I don’t feel the need to earn another penny,” said Kevin, 53.

The turning point for Kevin came when he was leading a meeting and looked around the room and saw colleagues with high status and good compensation but no one was happy. "At that time, I thought, why bother if the work doesn't bring joy?", he said.

Kevin decided to quit his job and move to Boulder, Colorado to climb in 2018. His decision shocked people in the industry and many considered him a hero for daring to give up.

Kevin Dahlstrom quit his seven-figure job as a marketing director to climb mountains. Photo: Jeff Jones

Kevin says he's still ambitious, so he recently took a marketing executive position at a smaller company, a flexible job that allows him to work when he needs to and get up on the mountain whenever the weather permits.

“For me, this is ‘nirvana’ because I still want to go to work,” he said. “But I also want it to be just a part of my life, not the biggest part of my life anymore.”

Some people who strive to accumulate money and status say they have moved beyond the relentless hustle and are pursuing what they call a “post-achievement” lifestyle where family, health and passion take precedence over career achievements.

People who live a “post-achievement” lifestyle don’t necessarily want to retire, even if they have enough money. Many have moved on to jobs with fewer hours and responsibilities, leaving more time for activities they find meaningful, like meditation and guitar playing.

Khe Hy, who helped popularize the term “post-achiever” on his website and YouTube channel, said it’s hard to leave a good job without regret. He left his job as a hedge fund manager in 2015 and still occasionally feels jealous of the fortunes his former colleagues have amassed.

Hy, 44, is worth about $5 million. That’s probably enough to retire frugally, but hardly enough to sustain a family in expensive coastal California. Sometimes he wishes he could have stayed on Wall Street a few more years and never worked again.

Former hedge fund manager Khe Hy. Photo: Henry Thong

But he overcame those feelings by remembering how paralyzing his work had become. “The tipping point is when you realize that no subsequent achievement can significantly change your level of happiness. I consider myself accomplished because I’m no longer really striving for anything,” Hy said.

Rachel Barek, 44, says she’s not ready to step down as CEO of the marketing company she founded, even though she’s sold her stake. “It’s easy to fall into the trap of becoming an entrepreneur again after leaving my company. I was born that way,” she says.

In the upcoming “post-achievement” phase, Barek plans to do something completely different, like a “beauty school.” She got inspired while cutting her son’s hair during the pandemic and wanted to offer professional haircuts to children.

Kristopher Abdelmessih, 45, also left the labor market after receiving about $1 million in 2021.

Kristopher Abdelmessih is on vacation with his mother in Vietnam. Photo: Kristopher Abdelmessih

He said his motivation for success was his humble upbringing in an immigrant family. Without the opportunity to pursue higher education like many others, he chose a high-paying field and played to his strengths.

"I quit my job not because I lost my ambition, but because I wanted to pursue my own interests," he said. That includes teaching low-income children, learning to play the guitar on stage with confidence, and traveling with his family for 6-8 weeks a year.

He and a partner are currently in the early stages of developing a trading software tool. Abdelmessih hopes it will be profitable. If it becomes successful one day and requires more time, he is willing to commit because it is a passion project.

Bao Nhien (According to WSJ )

Source: https://vnexpress.net/loi-song-khong-can-thanh-tuu-4722315.html