Channel: CNBC Make It

Category: News & Politics

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Description: If you ask Francis the best way to retire early, his answer is simple: don't. For years, the now 42-year-old went to great lengths to achieve FIRE, which stands for "financial independence, retire early." But in reality, a lifetime without work isn't actually what most people want, he says. It's a lesson he himself discovered after retiring at age 37 in 2017. "I think pursuing FIRE is probably the wrong idea," says Francis. "I don't think most people want to retire early. I think what most people want is a sabbatical of sorts. They're disgruntled with their careers and they want to take a really, really long time off. Maybe a year or two." That same disgruntlement led him to leave his job as an electrical engineer where he earned a $120,000 base salary plus $30,000 to $60,000 in equity and bonuses. But Francis describes life without a job as getting "really boring." In his case, he decided to lean into his YouTube hobby full time, and now earns money making videos for his 350,000 followers on his channel @BeatTheBush. Watch the video to hear more about Francis' FIRE journey, and read more here: cnb.cx/3CE0xQj Subscribe to CNBC Make It.: cnb.cx/2kxl2rf About CNBC Make It.: CNBC Make It. is a new section of CNBC dedicated to making you smarter about managing your business, career, and money. Connect with CNBC Make It. Online Get the latest updates: cnbc.com/make-it Find CNBC Make It. on Facebook: cnb.cx/LikeCNBCMakeIt Find CNBC Make It. on Twitter: cnb.cx/FollowCNBCMakeIt Find CNBC Make It. on Instagram: bit.ly/InstagramCNBCMakeIt #CNBC #CNBCMakeIt #FIRE How I Retired Early At 37 With $1.2 Million In California