Giving notice tomorrow. A little worried about my Type A personality

[whatnot]

Please let us know how it goes when you gave your notice!
How do you feel now that it is official?

[Rianne]

Congratulations! DH, senior director at megacorp, gave month notice. They gave him a year severance with health insurance in 2011. He kept his pension. Maybe confidential discussion with HR, hahaha, would guide you better.

My older brother who was an Allstate exec. exited after 20 some years. He did not get the full picture of his resignation and missed out on health insurance for life. If he had stayed one more year, so I'm told, that would have been the benefit. This was several years ago and he is paying for it now.

[kaudrey]

To address your other question about the Type A personality....having money is only one part of retirement - you need to have some idea of what you are going to do. What hobbies do you have or will you undertake? Will you volunteer? Travel? Cook more? Work out more?


Read "How to Retire Happy" or a few of the various books on how to plan for a fulfilling retirement. The "what" in addition to the money is just as important.

[Grabberson]

My advice is to take it slow, and don't imagine that your experiences in the first few months necessarily indicate what retirement will be like. Retirement was not a slam dunk for me, as I found that it wasn't just doing different activities, but was a sea change of my world. Stress triggers took a little time to fade. New routines took a little time to feel comfortable. I had odd feelings (in my gut, not my head) about being less productive. The few negative feelings I experienced in the first few months are now laughable 2 years in.

[Bklyn55]

I’m a type A personality and I had absolutely no problem adjusting to retirement. 8 months in and I still feel like this is too good to be true. I would suggest establishing a loose routine (for me it was gym, farmers market, etc) so that the week has some structure to it. That helped me in the beginning. I would also agree with the prior poster —take it slow at first. I have just recently started to fill up my week with volunteering and hobbies.

[2lhasas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnot Please let us know how it goes when you gave your notice! How do you feel now that it is official?

Met with my COO this morning and spoke with our CHRO this afternoon by phone as she is still on holiday. She and I are going to meet tomorrow so I can help them come up with a job description for the search.

Informed each of my managers individually, and the all said if the new person wasn't good they were leaving. One is already FI and was planning to retire in 2 years. After talking to her about my reasons for leaving and plans post retirement, she said she was going to have to spend some time thinking about whether she wanted to work 2 more years. I might have triggered a mass departure. LOL.

Told a few others that I work with in other departments and only one person said I was too young to retire. Most just congratulated me and thought it was awesome. Surprisingly few were surprised, and one even said she couldn't believe I stayed as long as I had.

All and all, it was a pretty good day, although I did find it difficult to stay motivated to work after giving notice. Might be a long slog. I told them I would work until March 31st at the latest. My kid has Spring Break, first week in April, and I am already planning our trip.

Super excited to get this show on the road.

[whatnot]

Congratulations! Sounds like it went well. March 31st will be here soon [emoji898]

[Ed B]

Congratulations. It sounds like it went very well.

[Travelfreek]

My DH gave 6 mos notice so they could hire for his position (principal engineer for Level 1 Trauma Ctr with Power Plant -cogen- responsibility. He's type A (extremely productive and conscientious). What happened? They dinked around and finally made a job offer 2 weeks before his retirement date. The guy ended up taking a diff offer. So my DH walked out 6/30.
For a few months he was hyper but now 6 mos later, he's very happy and relaxed. His former boss called and asked him to train new guy 2 days a week starting Feb 1. The job sat vacant for 6 full mos. My DH won't go back unless he gets same hourly wage as his former salary. We don't need the money and he's having so much fun with all the sports groups he joined! Life is completely different now!!!

[flintnational]

OP, retirement can be anything you want it to be. Type A personalities may simply need to have more structured activities. And, it can take you a few months to identify things to fill your day. But, and this is the important part, you get to do exactly what you want to do, or not. Instead of going to endless meetings, you can meet and have coffee with friends. Instead of paperwork, you can volunteer. Once again, the big change is not that you wont have things to do, but that you will have different things to do. And they will be things you enjoy. All of this can take some time to identify and implement. Enjoy the discovery period. Oh, and congratulations.

[Golden sunsets]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travelfreek My DH gave 6 mos notice so they could hire for his position (principal engineer for Level 1 Trauma Ctr with Power Plant -cogen- responsibility. He's type A (extremely productive and conscientious). What happened? They dinked around and finally made a job offer 2 weeks before his retirement date. The guy ended up taking a diff offer. So my DH walked out 6/30. For a few months he was hyper but now 6 mos later, he's very happy and relaxed. His former boss called and asked him to train new guy 2 days a week starting Feb 1. The job sat vacant for 6 full mos. My DH won't go back unless he gets same hourly wage as his former salary. We don't need the money and he's having so much fun with all the sports groups he joined! Life is completely different now!!!

I would think your DH should get more than his old hourly wage. I would think he'd be a contractor so he'd be paying the employer portion of Payroll taxes as well. I'd start at 140% of his previous salary, computed to an hourly rate. After all his knowledge is very valuable and he is the only one who possesses it.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

[Bryan Barnfellow]

I would suggest that you prepare yourself for a change to a new way of life, not just your old life minus a j*b. It took me several months to get through the transition; but I did. It was a lot of looking back on my entire life until then, and resolving things in my mind about paths taken, decisions made, both good and bad. Once that process was over, I was able to completely engage the new life that was next.

And it is wonderful! Best of luck to you.

-BB

[brett]

It took me six months to really decompress. I was so happy to be 'out'.

Friends said that I looked very different. Relaxed and at ease.

Changed our lifestyle. Lost 50 lbs, gave up on all the processed and fast food in favor of fresh food, less red meat, more seafood. Travel has changed how and what we eat. We changed our lifestyle, unloaded the house and one car. Lots more exercise and four-five months of interesting travel each year.

I would say do it now with a hard stop date. Enjoy the rest of your life.

The real issue is not how many more years to work (depending on your financial situation of course) but really how many good, healthy years are remaining for you to do the things that your enjoy. I went at 59. I have had two colleagues who worked until 65. Both dropped dead within 12 months of their retirement. They both had unrealized plans for retirement.

[2lhasas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brett The real issue is not how many more years to work (depending on your financial situation of course) but really how many good, healthy years are remaining for you to do the things that your enjoy. I went at 59. I have had two colleagues who worked until 65. Both dropped dead within 12 months of their retirement. They both had unrealized plans for retirement.

Yes - I have two colleagues, younger than me, one suffering with cancer and another 2 years into disability from a horrible car accident. You are not guaranteed your "golden years". That's one of the things I have said to folks asking why I am retiring at 50.

[kimcdougc]

Congratulations. Pretty soon you won't know how you worked and your days will be filled...or not. Your choice.

[cnocmmz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2lhasas I am giving my notice when I return from holiday tomorrow. I plan to work until they find my replacement, as I don't want to leave my team in a lurch. That probably means actual retirement in early March when I will be 50. Hubby plans to work another 18 months until his pension is fully vested. The last couple of years at my job have been extremely stressful, and I am very excited to get out of the pressure cooker. That said, I've been working since I was 13 and I've been running my own department for almost 20 years. I'm pretty used to the grind, and I'm a little worried about how to channel my energy, especially since my husband won't retire for another year. Any advice from those in similar situations appreciated. Thanks.

Congrats for moving at that decision at quite a young age. I too am somewhat worried about what to do next; however, I will be 59 when I walk away. I am sure you will find something to do while your Hubby is still at the grind...lol

[brett]

Just do it. Good for you. If you feel good after resigning then it was the right thing for you to do. I was not ready when I was 50. I was at 58. A lucrative package came my way at 59 and I grabbed it. Never, ever regretted it or not returning to the workforce in some capacity.

I would not worry about your type A personality. I was, still am according to my spouse and my former colleagues.

Money is meaningless if you cannot enjoy it because of illness or death. Either you or your spouse. Both of those can arrive on your doorstep at any time. Bad stress is a killer, it ages you and can rob you of the ability to truly enjoy life.

So why spend your time working if you have the financial ability to get out and do exactly what you wish? Whatever that happens to be. For us, it has been a change of lifestyle, downsizing, and lots of travel.

And after a year or so of retirement you can always return to the workforce on a full or part time basis in a stress free job of some sort. Or volunteer.

[retiringby50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2lhasas Just rewrote my resignation letter giving them a hard date I am out the door whether they have a replacement or not.

I'm curious to know how it all went. You don't have to share, of course. I can't wait till it's my turn.

[2lhasas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by retiringby50 I'm curious to know how it all went. You don't have to share, of course. I can't wait till it's my turn.

So, I'm a week past giving notice and here are my takeaways.

1) There are definitely people who get their self worth from their careers and those folks are completely baffled. They ask "what will you do" not in a curious fashion, but in general befuddlement as they cannot imagine early retirement. I was an attorney myself, but transitioned to a role managing the firm's RE portfolio, design and construction and procurement department. When I quit being an attorney, you would have thought I was telling my fellow attorneys that I had a terminal illness. Some of them are very closely tied to their identity as "lawyer'.

2) A number of people have told me that my announcement has caused them to re-evaluate and see if they too could retire early. I work with a lot of pretty high income folks, and frankly all of them should have been able to pull off early retirement if they had put some thought into it.

3) A number of people told me they were proud of me. LOL. I feel a bit like I'm Norma Rae, but instead of standing on the table holding up a sign that says "Union", I'm holding up a sign that says "Retirement"!

4) As long as I'm bringing up Sally Field "They like me, they really like me". I guess it has also made me feel pretty good that folks seem genuinely sorry to see me go, and many have expressed doubt that I can be replaced. I have been in an untenable situation with my job, due to some reductions in workforce, so it will be interesting to see how they hire someone to do all the things I now have on my plate.

5) The advice you all gave on setting a firm date, was a good one. One of my colleagues reminded me that when she was asked to switch from one role to another, the firm took a year to fill her old position and she ended up covering both during that time (and not for 2 salaries either). Plus having a date certain to look forward to has been a great feeling.

6) People outside of my work already have ideas about how I can spend my time in retirement (community politics, volunteering), and I am drawing firm lines in the sand regarding not committing to anything in the first 6 months so I don't leave a job that was paying me for a job that isn't.

7) Giving 3 months notice gives me comfort to know I can get things organized in a way that will help the next person step into this role. I know lots of you will tell me this is about me, not the firm. I get that, but I also don't hate my job, or the firm. I want to leave them in a position where they can be successful without me.

I enjoy reading everyone's posts here, and look forward to being more active after March 31st.

[Bigdawg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2lhasas So, I'm a week past giving notice and here are my takeaways. 1) There are definitely people who get their self worth from their careers and those folks are completely baffled. They ask "what will you do" not in a curious fashion, but in general befuddlement as they cannot imagine early retirement. I was an attorney myself, but transitioned to a role managing the firm's RE portfolio, design and construction and procurement department. When I quit being an attorney, you would have thought I was telling my fellow attorneys that I had a terminal illness. Some of them are very closely tied to their identity as "lawyer'. 2) A number of people have told me that my announcement has caused them to re-evaluate and see if they too could retire early. I work with a lot of pretty high income folks, and frankly all of them should have been able to pull off early retirement if they had put some thought into it.

First of all congrats and good luck. Secondly, these first two points ring true. More so #1 than #2. When I try to talk to people about early retirement they look at me like I am speaking a different language. I believe most people don't even think much about retirement until they are in their late 50's and/or some family tragedy wakes them up.