I wanted to retire at 55, but I kept trying to get a few more million in the bank – why is it so hard to quit?

• Retiring early is an ambitious goal that you will likely have to work hard for.

• Once you get into the habit of investing aggressively to build your net worth, it can be hard to break it.

• You’ll need to consider whether you’re working longer hours because you love your job, or if you just want more financial results.

• Some investors get rich while others struggle because they never realized that there are two completely different strategies for building wealth. Don’t make the same mistake, learn about both here.

When you’ve worked hard all your life to save a lot of money for retirement, it can be really hard to pull the plug and start spending your retirement money instead of continuing to build up the nest egg. That’s the dilemma one Reddit user is currently facing.

The original poster (OP) explained that he had always planned to retire at 55 and that he had been saving and investing to achieve that goal. When the time came, he had double the amount he needed to retire, but he said by then his expenses had skyrocketed and the people he worked with begged him to stay.

He promised another $6 million, but said he believed the amount he would have left after taxes was insignificant, so now if he continues, he will retire at 57, which is not early.

He wonders why it’s so hard for him to quit his job, even though it’s something he’s wanted all his life.

This entry was updated in 2025. Nov. 9 to detail psychological research on well-being in later life, vulture research, and research on overestimation of future earnings.

While the OP’s problem is one that many people wish they had, it is faced by many people who have worked diligently to save millions of dollars to buy financial freedom and retire early.

When you’re making huge amounts of money, it can be hard to just walk away from it when you think about how you can trade just a few extra months for extra millions. Seeing your net worth grow can be addicting, especially if you weren’t born a millionaire and are in awe of the success you’ve achieved.

This is consistent with research on influenza and “non-occurrence”. As incomes rise, people adjust to higher spending, which has been called “lifestyle creep.” Such individuals become emotionally attached to their professional identity and status. Research from the Harvard Business Review and the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization shows that people overestimate future income compared to life satisfaction.

Even if you already have millions in the bank, upping your score and adding an extra few million can make you feel even better about your professional success and, on the contrary, walk away from it all to live in an uncertain future, as a retiree can feel both scary and a little disappointed that you will no longer be a successful big earner.

If you are in a financial position to quit your job but don’t want to, you need to sit down and ask yourself what will make you the happiest.

Some people genuinely love their jobs, and if you can do something you really love, with people you want to spend time with, and make millions doing it, no one says you’re to have early retirement. There are many very wealthy people who continue to work into their 80s and even 90s because their work excites them and gives them purpose in life. If this is your situation, there is nothing wrong with you and you do not need to leave. Psychological research on purpose and longevity (eg, Journal of Epidemiology, 2019) suggests that meaningful work and social connectedness contribute to well-being in later life.

However, if you’re only swinging because you want to make more money, and there are other ways you’d like to spend your time, like traveling or spending time with family, you shouldn’t trade the limited hours you have on earth just for extra money. Many wealthy retirees believe they already have more than they will ever need, and even future generations are set up for financial success. Once you get to that point, continuing to work just to increase your bank account is silly when you could be doing something you love more.

The OP needs to ask himself which of these two scenarios is his situation. If he really is want continue to work because he loves his job, then he should. But if he doesn’t, it’s time to walk away, accept the fact that he has a lot of cash, and break the disappointing news to his co-workers that he’s not going to stick around for another year.