I have a magic number in mind. What if I hit it a little sooner than expected? Seeking perspectives (I'm not young).

I know I don't have a real specific question, and I'm talking about "sooner" in the sense of only a year or so sooner than what I've been planning. There's probably more context here than necessary, but I want to get it out of my system. Anyway, I'd appreciate perspectives from anyone, especially those in a similar position.

I have always believed a person simply does not retire before age 65, and that's the proper thing to do. But that's changed. I turn 57 this summer. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine having enough to retire earlier than 65. But it's starting to look not only possible but increasingly plausible: my magic number to hit is 2.15M. I've got 1.78M in my retirement fund now, and it's done very well over the last 27 years—about 11% annually on average. I've run the numbers up, down, and sideways, projected various market scenarios, considered every expense I can think of, etc., and it seems reasonable to hit the 2.15M within 3 years.

My dream is modest: to be done with my full-time job before I turn 60 (my institution's fiscal year ends June 30; my birthday is in early July). I'll have 30 years in at this university, and while my job is good on many levels, I'm just feeling tired of it. Without giving too many details, I'm in the humanities in higher ed. I do like teaching and other aspects of the job. But it's been a long haul (I've been teaching undergrads since I was 23), the A.I. monster rears its ugly head at every turn, and I'm very much looking forward to the day I never have to grade another paper again.

Anyway, I know it could take longer than three years to close the gap, as there are no guarantees with the market. But what if it I hit it in two years? If it were just me, I'd do it in a heartbeat. However, my spouse is admin at the same institution and needs at least 5 more years to secure a nice pension (I'm on an alternative plan—one big pot, not a pension). And I don't think she's keen on me retiring sooner than I've been talking about (end of 2028-2029 school year). I'm not sure she even loves the idea of me retiring in 3 years.

So I guess my internal dilemma is: do I hold fast to my magic number and work on her to convince her that it's ok if I wrap up this job in 2028, or do I adjust my view and focus more on the 2029 date, and assume I might have a bit more than my magic number, which obviously is not a bad thing?

I know it may seem like a trivial difference (literally just one year), but it's a big deal in our household. Our expenses are pretty modest, but we've got some debt I'd like to vaporize, and I do have a side gig that I could continue. So it just seems obvious in some ways-- duh, hit the 2.15M and I'm done. Still, there are these other things floating around in my mind.

Thoughts?