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I’ve sat across from too many stressed-out people in my office—brilliant minds who’ve invested years mastering their craft and building expertise, only to find themselves frantically calculating how to escape it all. Why? Because they’ve bought into the FIRE gospel: Financial Independence, Retire Early.
But here’s what I’ve noticed after a decade advising high-achieving professionals: FIRE wasn’t built for you.
The FIRE Movement’s Blind Spots
FIRE champions often paint this picture: slash your expenses, embrace simplicity, invest aggressively, and escape the corporate hamster wheel by 40 or so. It’s a compelling narrative if you’re in a job you secretly hate and just counting down to freedom.
But for someone who spent over a decade in specialized training? For the creative problem-solver whose innovations continue to gain traction? For the community-builder who loves their mission but just needs more control over their schedule? Or what if you ALREADY live simply and still can’t retire early?
FIRE misses the mark entirely.
I was fortunate to spend a summer working with Nobel laureate Dr. Leland Hartwell, who transitioned from leading the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to becoming a sustainability educator at the age of 69. After running a world-renowned cancer center and winning a Nobel prize, many would just call it good and shift to margaritas and golf. But as a purpose-driven human who bike-commuted each day in line with his values, this man had no desire to stop making a difference. He fundamentally changed my view of what retirement could be.
His example helped me see that the most values-aligned professionals often want to keep contributing—but on their own terms.
Meanwhile, I frequently encounter conversations like this: “I just need to save 50% of my income for the next eight years,” an oncologist once told me during our first meeting, referencing the FIRE group that he and his colleagues were part of. He looked sad. “Then I can quit.”
When I asked if he actually wanted to abandon oncology, he paused. “God, no. I’m just tired and sick of missing my kids’ games.”
The unnecessary pressure that movements like FIRE place on dedicated professionals is troubling. Here was a compassionate physician who found meaning in his work, yet felt compelled to sacrifice his present happiness and family life for an extreme retirement timeline—not because he wanted to abandon his calling, or because he needed to retire early, but because of the external FOMO placed on him due to the FIRE movement, along with, perhaps, a muddied view on what else is possible.
That’s when I realized what high-achieving professionals really need isn’t FIRE—it’s WATER.
WATER: The Approach You Deserve
WATER—Work Alignment to Empowered Retirement—starts with a fundamentally different assumption: your career isn’t something to escape; it’s something to get in alignment with.
For people who’ve built meaningful careers based on expertise, purpose, and continuous growth, WATER offers a more sophisticated framework than the simplistic “save until you can quit” approach of FIRE. Retirement isn’t a deadline. It’s a design decision.
WATER allows you to enjoy your life fully now, while still building for later.
The WATER Framework: Principles in Practice
Work Alignment — Reshape your career to align with evolving priorities. This could be LESS impactful work (if your role is just TOO intense) or MORE impactful work if you are bored. Your career does not need to be static, and it’s not too late to pivot.
Retirement as a Transition — Replace the outdated binary “working/not working” paradigm with fluid transitions. Many clients develop encore careers or phased retirements that leverage their expertise in new ways. For a university professor, we mapped out a five-year transition from full-time teaching to part-time research and mentorship of emerging scholars.
Rest and Joy — Recognize that periods of recovery, engagement, self-care, and time for reflection are essential components of a sustainable career. We incorporate planned sabbaticals as needed for many clients, allowing them to pause, recharge, and explore new interests without financial stress.
Intentional Income — Rather than pushing for maximum earnings at all costs, we help clients determine their “enough” number through intentional income planning. This is the path to financial independence without deprivation. By aligning your budget categories with your core values, spending feels joyful and aligned instead of limited, even if you are indeed spending less and saving more. Note: this principle is actually similar to parts of the FIRE philosophy .
Optimize Healthspan — Prioritize cognitive health, physical wellbeing, and social engagement throughout your career and retirement. Finding purpose and meaning in your work supports brain health and extends your productive years far beyond traditional retirement age. This, in turn, can lower healthcare costs in retirement and increase joy.
Who Needs WATER Most?
WATER resonates with professionals who:
- Are growth-oriented, service-focused, and intellectually curious
- Need a purposeful pivot, sabbatical, or slowdown
- Started retirement planning late and need a more joyful approach to saving
- Want to make an impact while gaining more time freedom
- Value simplicity, sustainability, and intentional transitions
Retirement and WATER: A New Paradigm Worth Embracing
Many don’t realize that retirement as we know it barely existed before the 20th century. Otto von Bismarck introduced the first government retirement program in Germany in 1889, partly to manage unemployment and social unrest. Before that? People simply shifted their contributions as they aged.
Today, while 77% of retirees report financial comfort, their happiness correlates most strongly with purpose and social engagement. Evidence from Blue Zones (despite some questioned research) consistently shows that natural movement, genuine community connections, and clear purpose contribute significantly to longevity and healthspan—your social capital predicts both health and longevity better than almost any other factor.
These insights about human thriving directly contradict retirement approaches focused solely on financial accumulation and early exit. Conventional retirement planning, especially the FIRE movement, overlooks these crucial elements of well-being by prioritizing escape from work over evolving one’s relationship with meaningful contribution. For professionals with decades of specialized expertise, FIRE’s message can feel dismissive. WATER, not FIRE, offers a more nuanced approach for those seeking financial security without abandoning their impact or passion
Retirement was never meant to be a finish line. It’s a modern invention—and it’s time to rethink what it means to “retire” with joy, purpose, and health intact.
WATER doesn’t suggest that you should work harder and longer instead of retiring but simply suggests that you can design your life to enjoy it today, while still fully preparing for a happy future.
Research on healthspan indicates that maintaining purpose and cognitive engagement is crucial for brain health as we age. An abrupt transition from intense professional engagement to no engagement can actually accelerate cognitive decline and reduce overall well-being. The WATER framework we use at Equal Path Investments recognizes this reality, helping professionals design a gradual evolution that balances financial security with continued purpose and vitality.
Ready to reimagine what your retirement path could truly look like? Reach out today to start the conversation.
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Carlie Ransom, CFP®, co-founder of Equal Path Investments, helps thoughtful professionals align their finances with a life of rest, reinvention, or purpose—without rushing to retire or sacrificing joy along the way.
This article first appeared on the Equal Path Investments website and is republished on Flat Fee Advisors with permission.