I’m Dreaming Of A Different Life

Over the last 12 years I (32M) have been investing consistently in my Roth IRA and Roth 401k through work. Did what the books told me to do keep it in boring index funds and ETFs. I don’t plan on changing my contributions or purchases in those accounts but now all I am struggling with is the idea that I have to wait until I’m almost 60 to really access it and enjoy my money. If I don’t do anything differently those accounts will be worth millions by age 59.5 (assuming America doesn’t fail).

Over the last year I started looking at my two brokerage accounts I have and really changed course. I have a dream of building an income and dividend machine that will allow me to escape the corporate world, buy freedom of time, and have the ability to live off dividends in my 40s at some point.

Am I crazy to want to shift course and just invest heavily into core dividend payers, high yield, REITs, and yes maybe even Bitcoin? I still will try to max out my Roth IRA into index funds and do the bare minimum to get my employers match. But part of me wants to start chipping away at gaining monthly income to replace mine.

Everyone always knocks dividend investing at a young age, NAV decline on HY ETFs, etc. Wondering how others have achieved freedom via an income/dividend accounts and kept smart money growing in tax advantaged accounts?