Looking for a FIRE strategy that gives you freedom and joy—now, not someday? After 29+ years of coaching people to design lives they love, I’ve uncovered the most balanced, life-enhancing version of FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early). It blends practical savings with meaningful work and early lifestyle freedom. So I’ve named it: Maximum Joy FIRE. Unlike Lean or Fat FIRE, this approach isn’t about how much you scrimp or spend—it’s about aligning your life with what energizes you. Your ideal life. Your core values. And your joy.
And yes, I’m pleased to be the first to name and teach this unique strategy that combines the best of both worlds—financial freedom and the most fulfilling and enjoyable life now. Now, not some day in the future when you are too old to enjoy life. Given I’m not particularly frugal, I wanted to find a way to enjoy my life fully and still have a bit of fun shopping in there!
What Is Maximum Joy FIRE?
Maximum Joy FIRE is a hybrid of Coast FIRE’s early savings with Flamingo FIRE’s work-life pivot, but with one powerful distinction: it centers on living your ideal life now, not after reaching some magic number or saving $1,000,000.
With Maximum Joy FIRE, you:
- Save enough early on to give your investments time to grow over time.
- Shift to flexible, joyful work that sustains your lifestyle—but doesn’t rely on high savings rates.
- Live in alignment with your values while your nest egg grows quietly toward full financial independence while you are enjoying life now.
This is the only FIRE strategy designed around fulfillment and financial autonomy so I’d say its ideal!
My Story: FIRE Before It Had a Name
At 29, I left a career in banking—not because I had a spreadsheet with FIRE numbers, but because I knew there had to be more to life than stress and spreadsheets. I became a life coach. I lived simply, worked intentionally, and built a business aligned with my purpose. And guess what? My modest retirement investments earned while working in banking at a respectable, but not exceptional salary, kept growing in the background.
Years later, I realized—I had been following a FIRE strategy. But not Lean. Not Fat. Not Coast. It was something different, something joyful. Something sustainable designed around enjoying my life now, doing rewarding and fulfilling work that enabled me to work part-time, giving me time freedom from the age of 29, not 67. And, as you get older, you may realize that time is much more valuable than money, so I was maximizing my time freedom from a relatively early age. That’s why I named it: Maximum Joy FIRE.
Olivia’s Story: From Burnout to Balance
Olivia was doing everything right—on paper. She was saving for FIRE, climbing the corporate ladder, and maxing out her savings and retirement accounts. But she was exhausted and missing out on precious time with her young family. When we looked at her numbers, we discovered she had already hit Coast FIRE. She didn’t need to save another dime. Her investments could do the heavy lifting, and so she stopped overworking.
She launched a boutique creative agency, cut her hours, and carved out time for painting again. “I thought I had to wait ten more years,” she said. “But I finally feel free and alive. And what’s more, I can enjoy my family now because I’m not so stressed out from working all the time.”
James’s Story: A Life by Seasons
James reached 50% of his FIRE number by 42. He didn’t hate his job, but he didn’t love it either. We mapped out a Maximum Joy FIRE plan: six months of consulting, six months of global sailing. Now he lives in seasonal rhythms—balanced, engaged, and deeply fulfilled. He calls it his “sabbatical lifestyle.” Now, he enjoys his work more because he has enough time off from it to feel refreshed every year.
Maximum Joy FIRE lets you:
- Pivot earlier to joy-filled, value-based work.
- Maintain autonomy over your time.
- Let investments grow quietly while you live a deeply satisfying life.
How to Start Your Maximum Joy FIRE Plan
Step 1: Calculate Your FIRE Number. Multiply your annual living costs by 25 (based on the 4% withdrawal rule).
Step 2: Find Your Pivot Point. This will vary depending on how much you already have saved and how old you are. It could be:
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- Coast FIRE — your retirement fund will grow on its own from here.
- Flamingo 50% FIRE — you’re halfway to your number; stop saving, start living.
- Saving $100K by 30 — start young and let compounding work for you.
Step 3: Cover Living Expenses with Work You Enjoy. What kind of work would you do even if you didn’t have to? That’s your sweet spot. The trick is finding work that covers your bills that you enjoy. (We use the Career Change Kit to help you find that ideal career at any age.) Many of my clients were amazed that they naturally spent a lot less when they were doing fulfilling work. They started to see just how much of their spending was compensating for a stressful, demanding job.
Step 4: Let Your Investments Grow. Don’t touch them. Let time and compounding finish the journey.
Design It Around Your Ideal Life
Your ideal life isn’t a fantasy—it’s the blueprint. And the best part? You don’t have to wait to live it. Ask yourself:
- What would I do with 20 more hours a week?
- How much do I actually need to feel free?
- If I didn’t need to save anymore, how would I redesign my life?
- What energizing, purpose-filled work could I do part-time or full-time?
- What small shift would bring the most joy right now?
The “What If” Critique (And Why It Doesn’t Break This Strategy)
A financial advisor might ask these questions: What if you hit a market downturn? What if your portfolio underperforms? Or you face unexpected costs?
Here’s the difference: you’re not living off your investments yet.
You’re working—intentionally, joyfully—and covering your lifestyle with ease. If the market stalls, it doesn’t wreck your plan. You’re still thriving because your work is part of your ideal life, not a prison. And you’ve designed a life so appealing, you wouldn’t want to retire from it. If you hit a market downturn, you can ride out the storm without panicking. Of course, it helps if you know how to manage investment risk with a simple system that reduces risk.
Ditto for an underperforming portfolio. Diversify your investments with other sources of income, such as rental income. If you face unexpected costs, thank goodness you have a cash reserve for the inevitable road bumps in life.
That’s the power of Maximum Joy FIRE. You’ve created freedom through lifestyle, not just numbers.
Your Next Step: Live Joyfully Now
If you’re ready to stop deferring joy and start living your values today, the best place to start is with clarity. Here are some resources to get you started:
You could start building your financial snowball in the FIRE Course.
If you aren’t sure what your ideal life would look like, sign up for the Coach Yourself to Success Online Course.
If you aren’t sure about what work you would find fulfilling that aligns with your core values, try the Career Change Kit. This will help you to clarify your core values, define your ideal life, and take confident steps toward a career that you love.
My book, Coach Yourself to a New Career, has proven techniques to help you succeed on any career path.
