concerned about launching ER

[Asher Aion]

We hit our 1st # in 2010, 1MM, but waited for the next level up. I tried PT 2 times; 24 hours/week, but usually ended up working 70-80 hours, so put a stop to that this year at 50yo. Other reasons to pull the plug was travel and others having a claim on my time.



I never hated my job, but sometimes hated what needed to be done to do my job well.

Wow. This comment resonates with me big time.

 

[tmm99]

Do you generally enjoy workdays more than you enjoy Saturdays?

If you are the type of person who frequently wakes up on a Saturday or Sunday morning, gleefully anticipating jumping in the car and going in to work to finish just a few more things that you are dying to get done, then I think you probably shouldn't retire just yet.

On the other hand, if you are the type of person who looks out the window from work on weekdays, and wishes you were out there doing something else instead of stuck inside, then I think you probably should retire.

If you are neither of these, then I don't know. When we are working, often all of our free time on the weekends is taken up by chores, home maintenance, and so on. Maybe you should spend your weekends and holidays exploring your interests and having fun, doing any chores after work on weekdays so that you can leave these weekends open for fun. Then you can contemplate how you feel each Sunday evening when you know that tomorrow it will be time to go back to work.

Very well said. I used to get a serious Sunday evening blues (The weekend was filled with chores and now I have to finish the laundry and go to work tomorrow morning! ARGH! syndrome), so that is one indication.

 

[pb4uski]

Oh yeah one more thing...

FI had a big impact on my job quality. When I couldn't retire I liked work more because it was a vehicle for independence. Once I can buy that vehicle, that part of job satisfaction became a vehicle for slightly more security.

So lets say I have 20% BS at work but I exchange that for 10% closer to independence. That feels good.

Now let's say it's 20% BS for 1% greater financial stablility. That feels bad.

So I think FI changed my attitude towards work much more than the job itself changed. And I suspect co-workers also feel that... Not necessarily in a good way.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

My experience was the opposite. Once I was FI I didn't give a care about the political BS... just about getting the job done without BS and providing great client service.... so I felt more free to call out things because the worst that could happen was that they fired me and my attitude was... so what. Interesting thing, the more irreverent I got, the more they loved it. A lot of times I was just saying what everyone else in the room was thinking but was hesitant to call out.

 

[Bir48die]

I downshifted in oct 2014 to 3 days a week, after a year of doing this i am ready, the 3 days really began to be an irritant. Going april 2016 @55 i am ready!

I'm three months into P/T. I keep having to jockey around my days. I pass up on opportunities. I work for a good company and it has a real family feel. However, the same issues keep coming up that did when I was F/T. It's a big ship with a small rudder. Too slow to change. At the end of April '16 I will do like the Shark Tank. "I'm Out!"