I think you and I are roughly the same age, and we FIREd around the same time. It also sounds like we share anxieties that rhyme. Something that helped me and that I'd suggest is considering a part-time funemployment job and/or fun gig work. I do both and find the benefits are so multidimensionally beneficial: (1) lowers our taxable brokerage account drawdown sums and/or a need for large(r) Roth conversion monies (we've been doing Roth conversions, but are doing so more for tax optimization than for an ASAP need for the conversion sums); (2) social interaction (if applicable); (3) structure for my "work" days. Maybe most beneficial tho is that the job and income help immensely with lessening the anxiety that comes from taking the drawdowns and a sense of an immediate need to maximize Roth conversions. Worth adding is that my funemployment and fun gig work don't really impact my ability to enjoy all the perks of being FIREd and/or my time with family and friends. If it did at all, that'd be a dealbreaker. So, if you do consider funemployment and/or fun gig work, make sure to have your cake and eat it, too.
Second, I often remind myself that I and my wife will be Social Security eligible in less than 10 years. We might not claim then, but we'll have the option. In reminding myself of this, I think of Social Security as if it were an impending extra investment pot of more than $1 million in that the pay from it would replicate a 4% drawdown sum from more than $1 million in investments. Knowing that this nut will be available to us relatively soon (and an even larger nut if we wait to claim) makes me less nervous about drawing down on our taxable brokerage account now at even a higher percentage than 4%, let alone at 4%. Not sure how large your taxable brokerage account is, but if large enough, maybe this suggestion helps? Full disclosure, my anxieties still make drawing down on the taxable brokerage account painful, even tho I know objectively that I'm good. But I draw down nonetheless.
If I could find the right funemployment opportunity, I'd be all in. I haven't really kicked the tires on anything yet. I have a whole bunch of other anxieties that are on my list :P
I think you and I are roughly the same age, and we FIREd around the same time. It also sounds like we share anxieties that rhyme. Something that helped me and that I'd suggest is considering a part-time funemployment job and/or fun gig work. I do both and find the benefits are so multidimensionally beneficial: (1) lowers our taxable brokerage account drawdown sums and/or a need for large(r) Roth conversion monies (we've been doing Roth conversions, but are doing so more for tax optimization than for an ASAP need for the conversion sums); (2) social interaction (if applicable); (3) structure for my "work" days. Maybe most beneficial tho is that the job and income help immensely with lessening the anxiety that comes from taking the drawdowns and a sense of an immediate need to maximize Roth conversions. Worth adding is that my funemployment and fun gig work don't really impact my ability to enjoy all the perks of being FIREd and/or my time with family and friends. If it did at all, that'd be a dealbreaker. So, if you do consider funemployment and/or fun gig work, make sure to have your cake and eat it, too.
Second, I often remind myself that I and my wife will be Social Security eligible in less than 10 years. We might not claim then, but we'll have the option. In reminding myself of this, I think of Social Security as if it were an impending extra investment pot of more than $1 million in that the pay from it would replicate a 4% drawdown sum from more than $1 million in investments. Knowing that this nut will be available to us relatively soon (and an even larger nut if we wait to claim) makes me less nervous about drawing down on our taxable brokerage account now at even a higher percentage than 4%, let alone at 4%. Not sure how large your taxable brokerage account is, but if large enough, maybe this suggestion helps? Full disclosure, my anxieties still make drawing down on the taxable brokerage account painful, even tho I know objectively that I'm good. But I draw down nonetheless.
Anyway, I hope this helps a bit. Good luck!
If I could find the right funemployment opportunity, I'd be all in. I haven't really kicked the tires on anything yet. I have a whole bunch of other anxieties that are on my list :P