I have just updated my FI target. Last Year (Aug 2015) I was 93% there, I had nearly reached my goal and I was actually not working at the time.
Since my break and seeing my FI pot deplete, I went back into the workplace and joined the working drones in Jan this year. I have been investing and saving since I started receiving a salary again.I am maintaining my 60%+ monthly saving rate.
I have seen my FI pot target start to drift away from me. Based on my current targets and actual values I am now 80% away from FI, I am going backwards at the moment (-13%) due to the drop in investment values and my net worth as a consequence. A terrible feeling at the moment, I will keep going and keep saving hard but it just feels like a long and winding hill with no summit in sight. I turn each corner, am I there yet – no – will the next corner be the last? When will I see the summit in view, it teases me with small glimpses that disappear as soon as they flash into view.
Sparkle Bee's Journey to FI 
That is tough. Your head knows that it will work out, you’re nearly there, just this last stretch, but your heart isn’t so sure. Can you remember what it was like when you first started your journey? Back then, I bet you were so far down the mountain, you couldn’t even glimpse the summit! There’s also a possibility, depending on what the markets do, that at your next review in 6 or 12 month’s time, you might be saying “suddenly, I’m 13% closer to my target than my last update!” Uncertainty sucks, but you are doing all the right things. Hang in the there!
Thanks, its the journey – with its peaks and troughs. I am in a better financial position that some so I have plenty to be grateful for. The path is winding and slow at times, the summits far off and lots of false summits to pass by and maintain that focus on the goal – the top..
What assets have driven most of this loss of wealth? Are you materially over exposed to energy shares perhaps?
I am heavily exposed to shares in an old employer. I am slowly re-balancing these across different sectors. Plus I have plenty of funds that are just not doing well at the moment, the general market malaise.
You might be going backwards now but at some point, you know the markets will change and you’ll start going forwards again. If you’re still investing, then you’re buying more units/shares at a cheaper price, which will make the difference as the markets rise again for you. 80% to FI is an incredible achievement!
Thanks Weenie. I know, keep investing while the markets are down and wait for the rise to push that growth up. The swings and roundabouts of investing and aiming for FI.