Update on my pending RE

[dessert]

I thought that this might be a good time for an update.
Here is my original thread. I had to start a new one because it wouldn't let me update it.
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f30/young-dreamer-at-new-personal-milestone-48471.html
First off, I changed my date from January 31st, to March 31st. There were some financial considerations there that I had not realized at the time. So right now, 120 days until RE.

My job was posted and we will be interviewing applicants soon. My replacement will arrive in time for me to work with him/her for three months or so.

What's my mindset? Well, I'm looking forward to moving on. I have lost the passion for this particular job. I am having a hard time staying motivated enough to stay busy but am trying to keep up a good disposition. Others tell me that I am still too dedicated but I feel like a slacker sometimes because I'm not working as hard as in past years.

My major projects were postponed this year and will be picked up again next year. Guess what??.....not my problem. I'll be doing anything but worrying about those so maybe that was a good thing.

33+ years at megacorp and I know I'll miss it. That's too long at one place to just "turn it off". I'll mostly miss the fine folks that I work with but I think that will all fade off with time. That's just life.

DW and I will be spending time at our Lake House, traveling, fishing, bike riding, other outdoor sports, updating our current home, enjoying family and friends, and just anything we feel like doing.
4 months to go and looking forward to it.

 

[walkinwood]

Congratulations! Enjoy your remaining time at work.

I read your other thread and think you nailed the process of getting to ER

Hey thanks. All I can say is LBYM, max out your 401k, save even more than that, DCA into them with an appropriate AA, bank all of your future raises, read all of the books that this forum recommends, and have fun along the way. You still have to live and have a good time while doing all that too. Don't deprive yourself.
You'll be there before you know it.

 

[Blackwoodt]

What's my mindset? Well, I'm looking forward to moving on. I have lost the passion for this particular job. I am having a hard time staying motivated enough to stay busy but am trying to keep up a good disposition. Others tell me that I am still too dedicated but I feel like a slacker sometimes because I'm not working as hard as in past years.

Congratulations! I'm jealous only 120 days, I'm down to 637 days, 13 hours, 16 minutes, and a few seconds.... Like you I'm hanging on for a
few retirement perks like health insurance even though I have lost my passion after 25 years with my megacorp. Keep in touch and post updates!

 

[dessert]

Congratulations! I'm jealous only 120 days, I'm down to 637 days, 13 hours, 16 minutes, and a few seconds....

Not that you're counting though

What I'm seeing too is that all of the Management here is new. None of them know the employees that have been here for 33+ years, nor what we have done to make this place the successful money maker that it is.
I keep getting a new Boss every time that I turn around and then you have to start over with building relationships and trust between the both of us etc. etc.
When I think about it, most of the people that I will leave behind here won't be missed much at all. We just don't know each other well enough for that. I think that is a good thing though because that will make it easier to transition with less regrets.

 

[dessert]

Congratulations! Enjoy your remaining time at work.

Thanks! This month is about a wash with 4 day weeks, Christmas lunches, and remaining vacation that will make it go quickly. When we return in January I'll be training my replacement so that will help the time go by.
How does that old saying go? I can work 3 months standing on my head and no one could make me mad while doing it.
The last time that I counted down the days was when I finished up my short 6 year Navy career. I'm starting to remember how that felt back then.

 

[Moemg]

Congratulations ! Retirement is great ! I was nervous about retiring after working for forty years but the transition was easy .

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

What's my mindset? Well, I'm looking forward to moving on. I have lost the passion for this particular job. I am having a hard time staying motivated enough to stay busy but am trying to keep up a good disposition. Others tell me that I am still too dedicated but I feel like a slacker sometimes because I'm not working as hard as in past years...

33+ years at megacorp and I know I'll miss it. That's too long at one place to just "turn it off". I'll mostly miss the fine folks that I work with but I think that will all fade off with time. That's just life..

Feels good, huh?

I miss my colleagues and they miss me. In both cases, it is that way less and less each month and soon I will be just a remote former colleague. That's the way large organizations are supposed to work.

I have had lunch with a few special folks since FIRE. So far, that is enough for me and certainly validates my decision.

Keep us posted!

 

[Purron]

I am having a hard time staying motivated enough to stay busy but am trying to keep up a good disposition. Others tell me that I am still too dedicated but I feel like a slacker sometimes because I'm not working as hard as in past years.

My major projects were postponed this year and will be picked up again next year. Guess what??.....not my problem. I'll be doing anything but worrying about those so maybe that was a good thing.

33+ years at megacorp and I know I'll miss it. That's too long at one place to just "turn it off". I'll mostly miss the fine folks that I work with but I think that will all fade off with time. That's just life.

DW and I will be spending time at our Lake House, traveling, fishing, bike riding, other outdoor sports, updating our current home, enjoying family and friends, and just anything we feel like doing.
4 months to go and looking forward to it.

33+ years does not = "slacker" to me. I understand about the effort to stay motivated and how hard it can be to let go. I'm happy to hear you and DW have a new life mapped out. This is what it's all about. Enjoy that Lake House and all the other things you have planned. Before you know it, Mega Corp will be a distant memory. Congrats

 

[dessert]

Congratulations ! Retirement is great ! I was nervous about retiring after working for forty years but the transition was easy .

Yes, I'm not going to pretend that I won't be nervous about this when it finally happens but I'll be fully prepared and that will give me confidence and comfort with the change.

 

[dessert]

Feels good, huh?

I miss my colleagues and they miss me. In both cases, it is that way less and less each month and soon I will be just a remote former colleague. That's the way large organizations are supposed to work.

Thanks Rich. I posted earlier about all of the new people that have come into our location. I have peers that I will certainly miss but I fully understand that a working relation is not a real friendship in a lot of cases so I don't expect to keep in touch with most of them in the years to come.

 

[dessert]

33+ years does not = "slacker" to me. I understand about the effort to stay motivated and how hard it can be to let go. I'm happy to hear you and DW have a new life mapped out. This is what it's all about. Enjoy that Lake House and all the other things you have planned. Before you know it, Mega Corp will be a distant memory. Congrats

Thanks Purron. I agree that Mega corp will slowly become a distant memory. I'm fine with that and expect it.
I feel like "been there, done that" and now it's time for someone else to carry the torch. We have other things to do.

 

[Nords]

The last time that I counted down the days was when I finished up my short 6 year Navy career. I'm starting to remember how that felt back then.

So have you put together a subtle short-timer's chain that you can use as office decoration without management realizing its purpose?

 

[Fireup2020]

Congratulations on reaching your goals - relish all the emotions that come with this milestone!

 

[Nova]

So have you put together a subtle short-timer's chain that you can use as office decoration without management realizing its purpose?

Never thought of a short-timer's chain (one link for each day?). I had a calendar on the back of my office door...vacation, dr appt, etc noted...big Xs on each day as it ticked by. Most people never asked what it was for, but those who knew always looked behind my door to check the count down. I think a chain would have been more fun. Could have a little celebration each day as one more link was tossed in the round file.

 

[obgyn65]

Congratulations Dessert. I plan to FIRE in 2012, seems like a long way to go...

 

[grasshopper]

Good j*b it looks like things are going smoothly. I had to w**k a month pass my [-]eject[/-] last day, for Cobra reasons.

When I FIRE'd, I had to announce about 60 days early. Problem Mr. Big asked me to take a new project. Refused the j*b, and gave him my reason. I thought I may be clearing my desk that day. Instead like I said, I even stayed longer, and had a great send off. Better than any watch. Fire at 55 5 years ago.

 

[Blackwoodt]

Never thought of a short-timer's chain (one link for each day?). I had a calendar on the back of my office door...vacation, dr appt, etc noted...big Xs on each day as it ticked by. Most people never asked what it was for, but those who knew always looked behind my door to check the count down. I think a chain would have been more fun. Could have a little celebration each day as one more link was tossed in the round file.

I'm not as subtle, I have a countdown clock on my desk that has a big BON VOYAGE sign on it, and another countdown app on my computer screen, where I can see them both!

 

[Purron]

I'm not as subtle, I have a countdown clock on my desk that has a big BON VOYAGE sign on it, and another countdown app on my computer screen, where I can see them both!

We need a picture of that BON VOYAGE clock!

 

[Alan]

33+ years at megacorp and I know I'll miss it. That's too long at one place to just "turn it off". I'll mostly miss the fine folks that I work with but I think that will all fade off with time. That's just life.

That is only natural but you'll hopefully find that having a great time in ER will make that "fade off" time really short. Your ER day is far from "Mission Accomplished", it is more like "this is the end of the beginning".

Congratulations, enjoy your last few weeks as best you can and look forward to starting the next phase in your life. I felt really peculiar during my last few weeks, very nervous, sleeping very badly, not what I had expected at all. But it all quickly changed after "the day" and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

 

[Blackwoodt]

We need a picture of that BON VOYAGE clock!

Hope you can see the clock, I enjoy it!

 

[dessert]

So have you put together a subtle short-timer's chain that you can use as office decoration without management realizing its purpose?

No I haven't Nords. Funny thing though, I don't care if Management realizes the purpose or not.
Is this an actual chain with links?

 

[dessert]

Congratulations on reaching your goals - relish all the emotions that come with this milestone!

Thank you Fireup. I will enjoy each day.

Congratulations Dessert. I plan to FIRE in 2012, seems like a long way to go...

I was where you are this time last year. It will go by quickly. It has for me.

had a great send off. Better than any watch. Fire at 55 5 years ago.

Good for you. Five years ago at 55, I didn't feel like quitting yet. Now, I feel totally different. I'm definitely ready.

I'm not as subtle, I have a countdown clock on my desk that has a big BON VOYAGE sign on it, and another countdown app on my computer screen, where I can see them both!

Now that's what I'm talking about! Why be subtle at this point. More like Brash is best.

I felt really peculiar during my last few weeks, very nervous, sleeping very badly, not what I had expected at all. But it all quickly changed after "the day" and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

Thanks Alan. I wouldn't doubt if that happens to me as well. Sometimes I do get nervous at times like that. Like you say, "it passes though".
I'll recognize that and deal with it knowing that soon, all that is going on at Mega Corp won't be my problem to stress over anymore.

 

[RunningBum]

dessert, congrats. I finally got offered a buy out yesterday. Not great, but better than nothing. Still ironing out a couple details, but my last day will be sometime Jan 31 - Feb 28. Turns out my soul is for sale pretty cheap. I'll be doing a training session next week for the group in India that will be taking it over.

Love the clock, Blackwoodt!

 

[dessert]

dessert, congrats. I finally got offered a buy out yesterday. Not great, but better than nothing. Still ironing out a couple details, but my last day will be sometime Jan 31 - Feb 28. !

Good for you Runningbum. There were some buyouts going around here for the past year but they all went to poor performers. I'm not fretting over that though. I'm in good shape and leaving on my terms not theirs.
You're going to have "seniority" over me in the Class of 2011.
I'll be right behind you though.

 

[W2R]

dessert, congratulations! I think you may find that adjusting to retirement is not hard. You might feel adrift for the first few weeks, but you'll get the hang of it.

RunningBum, congratulations to you, too! That's wonderful news.