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View Poll Results: Anxiety before retiring
No anxiety - 25 30.12%
Some anxiety - continued to work although plenty of money to retire 14 16.87%
Some anxiety - retired anyway (what was I concerned about) 40 48.19%
I thought this was a poll on poles again 4 4.82%
Voters: 83. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 02-07-2011, 08:57 AM   #41
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Originally Posted by Midpack View Post
Not retired yet, so no vote. However, leading into retirement I can say:

1) Highest level of anxiety was actually telling my boss, I delayed several times. He was in denial for almost a month, but now he realizes I'm serious and we've talked about who will replace me.
2) Moderate anxiety, the period before I told my boss. The one more year syndrome, annoying but probably inevitable.
3) Least anxiety, after I told my boss and ever since. No one aside from DW and my boss know yet, and I like it that way, don't look forward to co-workers once they all know. I am enjoying work a little more now, and whenever something happens I don't like - I smile and tell myself, won't have to deal with this much longer. And mentally checking off some assignments in my head with a 'last time I'll ever have to do this,' and the co-workers/audience doesn't know it.
I had the same experience and really enjoyed it. I was 95% sure I'd retire early for some time before I told my boss. So I mentally said "this is the last time for this ...". In one or two cases I made an unusual effort to document because I knew one of my co-workers would get stuck with a particular job.

My boss was cool with it, especially when I told him I'd stay until a current project got done if he couldn't find a replacement in time. I got to skip a round of annual planning and an HR "make yourself more productive" exercise - that felt great. My co-workers probably knew my personality well enough that the decision wasn't a great surprise to them (and, it did increase their job security).
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Old 02-07-2011, 09:09 AM   #42
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I was most worried when I thought I might get caught in a round of downsizing before I was FI.

That didn't happen. I worked the extra years so when I actually retired I knew we had a significant cushion - no anxiety at that time, just a feeling of success.

As it turned out, we'll probably need all that cushion. Glad we have it.
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Old 02-07-2011, 10:02 AM   #43
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Not required yet - my anxiety is stemmed only by general work frustration...I am REALLY looking forward to retirement! Planning and practicing retirement takes all my free time, and some of my w*rk time! Under 10 years to go...I pray I can keep my head in the game until then!
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Old 02-07-2011, 06:14 PM   #44
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This is what I wrote 5 years ago on Early Retirement Forums:

"I just resigned from my teaching position last week after 20 years.* I agonized over whether or not I should follow through with my resignation for about the last six months. It was especially difficult, because I could have doubled my pension with another 5 years, and tripled it with 10.* What made me finally pull the trigger was my age.* I turn 55 this month and am* still very healthy.* Will I still be healthy 10 years from now, 5 years from now or even 1 year from now?* No one has the answer to that question.* There are a lot of things I'd like to do in the coming years.* Unfortunately, I would have to be healthy to enjoy these things.* Poor health would preclude my being able to experience these dreams at an optimum level.* Not retiring, in my way of thinking would have been a lot* like gambling. Only, I wouldn't have been gambling with money, I'd have been gambling with my quality of life. I could have chosen to work more years, but if something happened, money would never buy those years back for me.* I now feel a tremendous amount of peacefulness and relief with last week's decision."
___

Yes, there was a great deal of anxiety when I retired early, but I am happy with my decision. It has worked out well for both DW and me (she retired a month before I did). I think I am probably healthier now than what I would have been if I continued the daily grind. I have done more traveling in the past 5 years than I did in the first 55 years of my life. We now have more money for discretionary spending than we had when we were both working. Well, I suppose that's as good as it can get.
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Old 02-08-2011, 02:33 PM   #45
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Wasn't quite certain how to answer, but said "no anxiety". I had my share of anxiety for the several years leading up to my decision to RE. All the 'usual suspects' (money, activities, boredom, 'too much togetherness', etc., etc.). I had talked to many associates and friends at work about their decisions to retire and, almost to a person, they said "you will know when it is time" (meaning, I assumed, the non-money issues). Well, they were right. Once I made the decision, all anxiety was replaced by a calm I can't quite describe. The time between the decision and my last day was short, so maybe I didn't have enough time to worry about it anymore. But I think it's just my personality to take forever to make a decision, and then set that decision in stone.
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Old 02-08-2011, 04:08 PM   #46
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Some anxiety because I had originally planned to RE at 55ish. After running the numbers in mid-2010 I realized there was no reason to wait and since w*rk had become less and less fun, I decided (with DH's blessing) to go for it a couple of years early. Four months later, no regrets.
Talked yesterday with a 68-year-old who is terrified of his retirement in 3 months - he has been in a position of power and respect for many years and thinks he will miss it, even though he wants to travel and do other things. He seemed surprised that my biggest problem was volunteering too much.
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