So, since I mentioned I’m about three and a half years away from FIRE (hopefully), I figured I should start writing about how I got here—the turning points, the detours, and the questionable life choices that eventually led me to “Hey, maybe FIRE isn’t a wild dream after all.”
Let’s start with the basics.
My first thought was: “Investing? Sounds scary.”
And honestly, that was my entire worldview.
Until one day, a thought hit me out of nowhere:
—Isn’t relying purely on savings… way scarier?
I was working full-time, sure, but my salary barely moved, and my bonus was more like “a polite gesture.”
By the end of the month, my wallet felt lighter than my future.
My catchphrase was basically, “Wait, how is it still not payday?”
Financial security? Couldn’t find it with a microscope.
A Tiny Spark of Curiosity Kicked Everything Off
One day, I came across a phrase on social media:
“Make your money work for you.”
My first reaction was, “My money? That stuff evaporates faster than hot coffee on a cold day.”
But for some reason, that line stuck in my chest like a pop-up ad I couldn’t close.
Back then, all I had were a few savings and some credit-card reward points.
So I thought, “Alright… let’s pretend these points are real money,” and started my tiny experiment.
After saving slowly and painfully, I finally gathered my first real 100,000 yen war chest.
And the thing that fascinated me most at the time was FX trading.
My beginner-level reasoning was:
“The charts move a lot. Looks fun.”
(A thought I would absolutely shut down if past-me said it again now.)
I’ll write more about why I chose FX and what I studied in another article.
My First Trade: Suddenly the Entire World Economy Was My Enemy
My first trade was USD/JPY.
And from the moment I bought it, my personal hell began.
I opened the chart every day only to see it bounce up, down, sideways…
My stomach was doing the same thing.
One glance at the red “–〇 yen” text and I swore I lost a few hours of my lifespan.
Probably literally.
But sometimes it turned green, and I’d think,
“Oh! Maybe I’m actually good at this?”
No. I absolutely was not. (But I did enjoy the illusion.)
That’s when I realized:
“If you let your emotions dance with price movements, your mental health will tap out first.”
At the same time, even with small amounts, I could feel my money doing something out in the world—
working without my permission, which was… oddly encouraging.
In my first year, I lost enough money to take a pretty nice vacation.
But weirdly, I didn’t regret it.
Because the joy of “learning what I didn’t know” outweighed the pain.
Soon I found myself checking charts while drinking my morning coffee like some kind of fancy trader.
If I could talk to that version of me, I’d say:
“Buddy… that habit is not sustainable long-term.” (lol)
What I See Now After Sticking With Investing
I still do FX, but now I’ve expanded to mutual funds, insurance, solar power investments, real estate—
basically a buffet of financial experiments.
Of course nothing goes smoothly.
Up, down, up again, down faster…
But I’m calmer now. Mostly.
The moments when I feel
“My money is doing tiny bits of work without me”
have increased.
And slowly, I’m starting to see how the whole system fits together.
That said, to be honest…
I’m still far from the mythical “money makes more money effortlessly” phase.
Right now it feels more like:
“My money moves… because I move with it.” (lol)
What I Wish I Could Tell My Past Self
If I could talk to the old me, I’d say:
“You were scared, but I’m glad you started.”
And also:
“Thanks for sticking with it.”
Staying the same would’ve been scarier.
Starting with something small—like saving points—helped me accept losses as “tuition.”
And that alone made moving forward possible.
Now, I want to stand on the next dream and laugh again.
So I’m leaving the messy middle part of that journey here, on this blog.
Next Articles in This Series (Coming Soon)
- 🔹 FIRE Strategy & Planning: Designing your ideal lifestyle and asset plan
- 🔹 Investment Basics: Stocks, regular contributions, risk management, and more
- 🔹 The Real Side of Investing: What I learned from actually doing it
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