I'm Out of Steam

[KevinC]

Seems like many of us are in the same boat ! Steam's comment about "How do you push through" hits home with me. I have 2 years left, been with same company for over 35 yrs. All I think about is getting out ! I think the walks and naps are gonna help !!!! I'm glad I found this site !! Steam, we're heading in the right direction !!!!!

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fedup Frequent naps at work worked wonders for me.

Or one long one.

OK, maybe several medium length ones - you'll want to take a break for lunch.

-ERD50

[whatnot]

This thread is spot on for me too. Plan was to give notice approx. 1 year from now. And I am so glad I found this site. The last couple of days I have walked outside a couple of times and am truly running out of steam. But I know I have to push through this last year and am trying to not obsess about the retirement date.
I know a year is not that long but sometimes it feels like it is Dragging!

[IMATERP]

I lived in the Washington, D.C. (Rosslyn) area for 40 years. I had become frustrated due to quality of life and was a "work-aholic." On May 30, 2001, I made the decision to relocate to North Carolina. Although my intentions were to live at the coast, God had other plans for me. (The best 15 years of my life - and that includes a quickie marriage and an even quicker divorce.)
Anyway, I am currently 56, my current wife (yes, I remarried) is 56 and we recently purchased our retirement home in a 55 and over community in Raleigh. We both have good jobs and we both have health care paid from age 60 onward.

I have intentions of semi-retiring next year and will transition into seasonal employment. I'm pretty good with taxes and have made connections within a CPA firm. I'd be bored if I didn't do something for a few months out of the year.

We take one or two trips every year and find that we have a wonderful quality of life in that our needs are constantly met (due to our savings) and anything extra just accentuates the quality of our lives.

Anyway, my advice is that when you cannot stomach your current quality of life - it might be a good time to start looking for where you want to be in 3-5 years. Remember: ending life in one place MEANS the beginning of your life someplace else. Your story can be written by you alone and you can choose to have the best life possible or maintain the status quo ..

Cheers,

Michael

[bigcmagor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fedup Frequent naps at work worked wonders for me.

I wonder whether insurance would cover a second cpap for office use.....

[Out of Steam]

Changed my planned retirement date from 2020 to 2019 in my profile. Told my boss I was open to a 2018 early opportunity if it came up.

[gamboolman]

OOS - Good for you on the 2019 and possibly 2018 target date !

I am similar age, 58 and planning to go in 2-1/2 yrs while I am 60 yrs old.

And I share similar feelings and circumstances at work - burn out, megacorp politics, petty stuff that is bizarre to put up with, etc....

We are oversea's and we try to come into the USA 2 X per year and for us - making it 4 to 5 months until the next vacation is how we are coping.

Hang tuff - and all the best. Keep us posted please.

[Out of Steam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gamboolman OOS - Good for you on the 2019 and possibly 2018 target date ! I am similar age, 58 and planning to go in 2-1/2 yrs while I am 60 yrs old. And I share similar feelings and circumstances at work - burn out, megacorp politics, petty stuff that is bizarre to put up with, etc....

Bizarre is the right word. Can't wait for it to be over.

[Jeffman52]

And here I thought it only happens where I work. the last year has been the hardest as the megacorp makes head scratching decisions, then we have to work a Bazillion hours a week and give up weekends and holidays to try to bail them out from the decisions that didnt makes sense. Also the business has changed just this year to a true top down approach to decision making which makes everyone pretty miserable. When you are a Manager and above but don't get to make any decisions of consequence, it takes the drive out of you. The new executive leadership is trying to brow beat their way to change. Leaders should inspire people to go out of their way for them. No one is inspired.

So I have a longer wait (5 years) but man, if it gets much worse I may have to find some gray havens somewhere else.

[Bamaman]

1. How do you push through? About all you can do is take it day by day. 2 1/2 years will be her before you know it. You might take your mind off your job by planning for the next chapter in life--reconditioning your house for resale and researching where you want to move to after retirement. Hopefully you can get top value for your home, as they sell fast and for big $ in the DC area.

2. Has anyone retired and restarted a career at 62 or later? Anyone that's worked 35 or 38 years has already earned their retirement. Forget working after age 62. Go and enjoy every day because you never know how much time you've got on this earth.

[24601NoMore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mdlerth I estimate that a quarter of my mental process during every waking hour is devoted to retirement. I think about the activities I will undertake, the arrangements that must still be completed to make it successful, and the apprehensions I need to satisfy before I pull the trigger.

OMG. That is EXACTLY what I am currently doing. Reading this forum and Bogleheads 10X daily..working all weekend - every weekend - on my "plan".

RE cannot come soon enough for me, apparently, but at 53 (54 EOY) that's a pretty tough decision. I keep wondering..should I look for another job? But also know that I am FI and ABLE to RE and will face Age Discrimination undoubtedly..

[Milton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Out of Steam I've given it 35+ years of my life in various forms; they can put up with me for a couple of years.

I doubt that your employer will agree that you are owed anything by virtue of your past 35+ years of work (for which you were presumably paid). Unless your workplace is unusually tolerant, you need to conceal the fact that you feel 'burnt out' and are working on an exit plan.

I'm not trying to be critical; it's just that most private sector employers are quite prepared to terminate older employees who they perceive as disengaged and underproductive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Out of Steam Has anyone retired and restarted a career at 62 or later? I will be retiring wanting work income to allow delaying Social Security, though would like 1-2 years of non-working time for travel first.

I second Bamaman's comment: "forget working after age 62". It is difficult to start a second career after age 40; very difficult after 50; and almost impossible after 60 (especially after a 1-2 year absence from the workforce).

Of course; there are always exceptions ... but I sure wouldn't count on being one of them.

[Nodak]

I have no advice but welcome aboard.

[walkinwood]

Regarding your first question - try meditation. Strip all the religious mumbo-jumbo off and it is about being aware of your reactions to outside stimuli. It really helps with stress and focus. Besides, you never know how long you're here, so you should try to enjoy (however you choose to define it) today, tomorrow and on.

[Teacher Terry]

2. Has anyone retired and restarted a career at 62 or later? I retired at 58 and 7 months later I was asked to teach an online college course which I had never done before. I have been doing it for past 4 years and love it. I teach every semester. It does not tie me down because I can teach anywhere I have internet. When I retired at 58 people said why are you retiring so young. Now at 63 they ask when I will retire completely and I say never.

[Out of Steam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teacher Terry 2. Has anyone retired and restarted a career at 62 or later? I retired at 58 and 7 months later I was asked to teach an online college course which I had never done before. I have been doing it for past 4 years and love it. I teach every semester. It does not tie me down because I can teach anywhere I have internet. When I retired at 58 people said why are you retiring so young. Now at 63 they ask when I will retire completely and I say never.

That would be the type of thing I would be interested in. Don't want to return full-time to the rat race, but non't want to completely walk away from work, either.

[Ben808]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetireSoon RE cannot come soon enough for me, apparently, but at 53 (54 EOY) that's a pretty tough decision. I keep wondering..should I look for another job? But also know that I am FI and ABLE to RE and will face Age Discrimination undoubtedly..

I'm about same age and situation. I don't know what region/area you work but in my area (sf bay), there's extreme age discrimination against experienced workers. Prime example is outright indictment of entire generations of people by Mark Zukerberg:

https://www.cnet.com/news/say-what-y...-just-smarter/

"Young people are just smarter"

"I want to stress the importance of being young and technical," he stated, adding that successful start-ups should only employ young people with technical expertise.

And it's not only Facebook where this attitude is prevalent. Luckily I can probably easily pick up part time contract work so that is an option for me if I choose to do a gradual RE.

[Out of Steam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Out of Steam Changed my planned retirement date from 2020 to 2019 in my profile. Told my boss I was open to a 2018 early opportunity if it came up.

An update, about a year after signing up.

Have straightened out some work issues, and am pretty sure that I won't request early retirement this year.

Late 2019 to beginning of 2020, my original plan, just doesn't seem that far away.

[kimcdougc]

Glad for the update. Your time will go by fast and when you do finally retire, you will look back and wonder why you were so worried. Good luck with it all.

[akidagain2018]

Wow, it sounds like at many a Mega corp 'the inmates have taken over the asylum'. Management is crazy and making bad decisions that the rest of us have to clean up. Where I am it is like the whole org chart is inverted. It's a Dilbert-ish world.