jobs Archives - CLIPPING CHAINS

January 8, 2024January 9, 2024

Facing the Rest of the World with a Nontraditional Lifestyle

When I left my corporate career in early 2020, I didn’t fully understand the ways that I would, in later years, slowly become decoupled and desynchronized from a society that values hustle, status, and self-worth generated to a large degree around our career titles. You’ll read the same thing repeatedly on the internet: Ignore the haters, do your thing.

But when I actually sit down and talk with those who are living a similar nontraditional lifestyle, regardless of their financial position, I find that the tidy internet talking points leave many of us dissatisfied. After all, humans are one of the most social species on the planet. We shouldn’t be surprised by the difficulty in overriding instinct, to go against the grain of what the herd values most. My thinking has evolved dramatically on this subject in recent years, so let’s dig in.

May 29, 2023May 28, 2023

Six Important Reasons to Reconsider Early Retirement

Today on episode 65 I’m revisiting a post published almost exactly two years ago. At the time of writing, I’d been away from my corporate job for eighteen months. I spent six months of that time living in a tiny A-frame camper with my wife and dog before resettling in the St. George, Utah area.

I was climbing a lot and working on this website, but I can now comfortably admit that I was in a bit of a low spot in terms of overall life satisfaction. The issue was one of expectations. In other words, I expected too much about a life without my career and I took for granted elements of my work life that enhanced life satisfaction. I was feeling stale with this project—I wouldn’t start the podcast until late summer—and despite having all the time in the world to dedicate to the craft of climbing, I was slowly coming to the realization that I’d used climbing as an attempt to fill a void that was not yet clearly defined or outlined.

Two years later, I’ve spent considerable time addressing each of the areas discussed in this post, to varying degrees of success. Stay tuned in the coming weeks and months for other changes still ongoing.

November 21, 2022November 21, 2022

Three Important Myths on Delaying a Career

A combination of economic and cultural influences are propelling the trend of delayed adulthood. Through low-commitment job grazing, one can pursue recreational pursuits into the years previously occupied by traditional adult responsibilities: marriage, careers, parenting, and even home ownership.

Some might say YOLO. Life isn’t as short as we think, but our ability to get ahead might be.

July 5, 2022July 5, 2022

Peter Beal: Can You Afford to Be Sponsored?

Today on episode 39 I’m pleased to welcome long-time climber and Front Range local Peter Beal. Peter, at age 58, has been climbing for over 45 years, with notable achievements including multiple 5.14 first ascents and bagging V12 in his late forties! But Peter is also known for his critical takes on the culture of outdoor life. Today we discuss some of the realities of meaningful work, family life, and the potential opportunity costs of a life of adventure.

May 9, 2022May 17, 2022

Steven Dimmitt: The Simple Ways to Become Remarkable

Steven Dimmitt is the host of the popular Nugget Climbing Podcast, a show about performance climbing and the life-long journey of self-improvement. At the surface, it seems that Steven left his engineering job and moved into a van to pursue what might seem like a whimsical and youthful passion. Digging deeper, however, we see that the journey to critical and financial success is one of dedicated craftsmanship.

How can we all leverage the power and contentment of craftsmanship to build a satisfying and meaningful life?

I really enjoyed this one, and I hope you will too.

March 14, 2022March 13, 2022

EP 25: Erich Purpur: What is the “Good Life?”

Today on episode 25 let’s give a hot stew welcome to climber and all-around curious guy, Erich Purpur. Erich works in the university system in Virginia, finding time in the margins to climb up to V10 and 5.13c. Recently, Erich is beginning to envision a potential life of financial independence.

But achieving financial independence may only be the beginning of the next journey.

February 28, 2022March 13, 2022

EP 24: Bitches Get Riches: What Do We Really Value?

Today on episode 24 I’m thrilled to host Piggy and Kitty of Bitches Get Riches. Yes, you heard that right. These ladies have generously self-applied the “B” word, offering me cover from the internet masses for using it in this case. You’ll hear it soon: I’m cancel-proof on this one. Piggy and Kitty write and host their own podcast dedicated to imparting “funny lessons about the adulting skills we were never taught, yet mysteriously expected to know.” Sound familiar?

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021

Why Trying to Quit My Job (Sort of) Made It Better

It’s been almost exactly 18 months since I quit my job and watched the last corporate world elevator close behind me.

Reflecting on that time, it’s clear that my best career years—those defined by rewarding assignments, autonomy, increased paid time off, and better work/life balance—all came after I knew I was going to leave. Weird, huh?

How can we explain this paradox, and do we even need the drastic measures of financial independence to improve our work life?

May 31, 2021May 29, 2023

Six Important Reasons Not to Retire Early

When I first discovered financial independence, the thought to retire in my 30s warmed my soul like a batch of hot stew on a late February night. If I could rely on the wondrous and fantastic powers of compound growth to build a bitchin’ snowball of money, I’d never need to work again.

And it was never about the money. It was about the life. I yearned for a life spent in pursuit of passion, surrounded by a vibrant and meaningful community, with copious time to immerse in nature, climb, travel, and most importantly…sleep. The rigid and mechanical pipeline of school to work was cracked and beginning to leak.

So, what’s not to love?

April 5, 2021April 5, 2021

Six Lessons From a Year Without a Job

I almost didn’t write this post. It’s been such a strange and bizarre year that I didn’t at first consider it representative of the typical “early retirement” experience. Upon further reflection, however, I realized that life—just like those “irregular” regular one-off expenses—is typically atypical. It’s still life, just without a job.

With so much information about self-care, wellness, early retirement, and a life-by-design, I’ve had a lot of time to sift through the noise. And shockingly, perhaps I don’t recommend retiring early.

Here are some lessons from one year without a job…

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