Time is standing still

[mamadogmamacat]

I'm now one week into retirement, and enjoying it immensely, so hopefully you have that to look forward to at least as well. The list of things to do can be simple (mine was) or grand, but one thing is just having the list is key. As you focus your energies on the items on it, the time will fly and you will wonder how you ever had time fro work. At work, I had a countdown for my last 2 and a half yrs, and yes it mostly did seem to drag on. had the advantage of being well regarded enough yet at the same time never had any respect for the brown nose office BS, so felt free to tell those colleagues I respected what my plans were, and referred to those last few years as "my long goodbye" and spent as others have suggested being as helpful as possible to others, both with work and financial advice (to those who asked). In the final week, time suddenly accelerated, really felt like going from slow motion to rapid motion almost instantaneously.

 

[Options]

Here's what I did--although not really purposely, or consciously, it just turned out that way--and it worked out quite well. I really liked my boss, and I wanted to make sure she was taken care of after I was gone. So I focused quite intently on wrapping up my position, making sure the transition was smooth, oversaw the recruitment process for my replacement, created a complete onboarding set-up for him, and even trained him for a couple weeks after he started. It helped that I liked him and was sure he would take care of my boss. All of this made the last few months fly by, as I was quite busy making sure my boss would be ok.

Oftentimes when we focus outside ourselves we get a payback beyond what we can imagine. I know I certainly did, and it helped me leave with a sense of satisfaction. A long time ago I read the phrase, "remember the people involved", and took it to heart. Work, no matter how distasteful, is more than just what we do, it's the people (at least the ones we like). Why not choose to close this chapter on your life from a positive perspective and find a way to leave some kindness behind?

 

[COHgirl]

Well, I recall loosing my inhibitions when expressing my opinion at work about anything! By the time I left, no one had any doubt what my opinion was on anything. work, politics, religion, sex/gender crap, etc. I got a lot of eye rolls! Ha!

I agree about loosing inhibitions during the last weeks. I enjoyed the feeling of being able to speak up and say what I really thought.

 

[Ronstar]

72 days left - I'd go out to lunch every day and have a nice meal. You deserve it. And you can always lose the gained weight when you retire. That's what I did for about my last 70 days. It was great.

 

[Buckeye]

72 more work days. It's dragging and getting harder and harder to drag myself to work. I am in a mind fog much like years ago when I quit chewing tobacco.
Any of you forerunners have wisdom to share on how to survive this?


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Just know that it's going to be worth it!

 

[Backdraft57]

I agree about loosing inhibitions during the last weeks. I enjoyed the feeling of being able to speak up and say what I really thought.

Yes! I have done a couple times and yesterday again during a meeting. Everyone gasped. Afterwards several committed about my new found vocal freedoms. That is a pretty cool feeling! And, just had my annual review and said, what a waste of time. ;o). LOVE it!


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[CoolChange]

Somehow, I feel much better knowing that I am not alone in my current situation, both the mind fog and zombie feeling as well as the lame duck around the office.

While I don't have a firm end date yet, most everyone knows that my tenure is almost certainly done at some point this year. As some have suggested, I am trying to concentrate on the things that I do enjoy while ignoring everything else. But, it is a daily struggle, there is still so much that needs to change; unfortunately, I no longer have the energy nor political capital to effect any real change.

One shining bright spot: I do feel much better continuing to accumulate my stash rather than drawing it down in the current market climate.

Many thanks to OP for starting this thread and to all those who have commented.

 

[Backdraft57]

Perhaps the most impactful post I've ever read on this board. As golf slides into the rearview mirror perhaps channel energy into educating those behind you -- you've clearly got some good stuff to say.



Thank you.

+100. I totally agree. I hear Neil Young's "old man" ringing in my ears. Dad died at 69 and I am right at ten years away from that. The young kids at work don't have a clue and I also don't have a clue. Tell us more Johnnie36.


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[H2ODude]

Ah yes. Loosening up inhibitions. As a local government we had an HR department that had excruciatingly detailed policies for every damn thing, which I have noticed in other posts occurred in megacorps as well. One of my last actions was to NOT fire an employee who had stepped over the line despite it warranting termination (HR would have applauded this; there were diversity issues involved). What I then did was unload on him and warn him that the next time his _ss would be gone. I spoke to him sort of "man to man" in a way that would have been highly criticized by HR, trying to get him to see what an idiot he had been. This was not the scripted lecture HR favored. Felt like I might have done some good.

They fired him a month after I left. When a manager told me I should have fired him before I left, I said I knew he'd screw up again but I just had to try. Changing peoples bad behaviors is about impossible.

Just one of those anecdotes about life in the workplace I don't miss. As for waiting out the time, you can always get a countdown clock for your smartphone like I had.

 

[MRG]

72 more work days. It's dragging and getting harder and harder to drag myself to work. I am in a mind fog much like years ago when I quit chewing tobacco.
Any of you forerunners have wisdom to share on how to survive this?


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As a ex-dipper I am impressed, single hardest thing I've ever done was quit that stuff, quitting smoking was a joke in comparison.

Savor the time, make someone's day. I started buying the security gaurd lunch every couple of weeks. Felt good to do it just cause.

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[ArkTinkerer]

72 days?

Buy a one meter stick, wooden. For starters slowly and methodically using a hand saw, cut off 280 millimeters. Then each day before going to w*rk, slowly and deliberately saw off 10 millimeters.

A wonderful visual reminder of the end in sight.

On the last day leave the last 10 millimeter block on your desk, let the remaining people try figure out what it is or the mening of.

I wish I had done something like this! But I would have used a pocket knife and whittled the end a bit every day instead of sawing it off...

 

[ESRwannabe]

72 more work days. It's dragging and getting harder and harder to drag myself to work. I am in a mind fog much like years ago when I quit chewing tobacco.
Any of you forerunners have wisdom to share on how to survive this?


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Buy yourself a tablet or a smartphone and keep it on your wireless so your company can't track it... Now play games, or watch movies all day. The last 72 days should pass faster...

 

[Backdraft57]

26 days left. My replacement ID'd yesterday. Time speeding up and feeling useless and "has been" but loving the end stretch now. Although I am pretty sick of the "what are you going to do in retirement" question. Sheesh! Whatever I want! A beard and long hair ARE on my agenda for the first few months. How are you other "short timers" doing.


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[Senator]

Buy yourself a tablet or a smartphone and keep it on your wireless so your company can't track it... Now play games, or watch movies all day. The last 72 days should pass faster...

I am doing that now... It still seems slow. 81 days left...

 

[MichaelB]

26 days left. My replacement ID'd yesterday. Time speeding up and feeling useless and "has been" but loving the end stretch now.

Useless and had been? How about hopeful and looking forward. This is not the end, it's the beginning of something.

Although I am pretty sick of the "what are you going to do in retirement" question. Sheesh! Whatever I want! A beard and long hair ARE on my agenda for the first few months.

You don't have to say anything. Just smile and leave them thinking.

 

[Backdraft57]

I am doing that now... It still seems slow. 81 days left...

LOL! I am starting to do a lot of "field work" out of the office. ;0)


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[Backdraft57]

Useless and had been? How about hopeful and looking forward. This is not the end, it's the beginning of something.
You don't have to say anything. Just smile and leave them thinking.

Yes I am hopeful and looking forward to what's ahead. I was referring to work issues and the way it feels being (at least it seems) sidestepped at times. Sorry I wasn't clear.
I like the idea of just grinning and not saying anything to "the question"! Next one to ask gets that response! Love it.


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[Jgot]

I have 72 days left -- I will give my notice in 3 weeks. I decided not to give a lot of notice as I saw some co-workers in lead positions like mine give 7 - 8 months of notice and they were no longer included in many of our meetings and their opinions less valued etc. essentially sidetracked. Their time really began to drag. I have spent the last 8 months (when I decided) making sure my department is at its very best and my employees cared for well. Also, I have taken on mentoring a couple of the younger ones in our organization who I see as having great potential. Time is still dragging for me though - thinking that will improve when I give notice.


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[Bir48die]

Just starting my third week of retirement. Headed to the golf course in a few minutes I gave a ton of notice due to the nature of my job. The last few months I really wound down. I had to re-program my mind that others would be making the decisions that I was used to making. I let my ego go and by the last month I refused to go to any boring meetings that were not absolutely critical. By the end they hardly knew I was there.

 

[Backdraft57]

877,000 seconds left! ;0)


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[jazz4cash]

Been off the rolls almost one year and I still cant believe how quickly time flies by when your time is not spoken for. Every time someone discusses doing something on Wednesday vs. Thursday or Tuesday, I just shrug and tell them I really don't keep track of the days of the week anymore, but my schedule is flexible!

 

[phil1ben]

I wish I had 72 X ? days of work left. I worked for 34 years and retired in 1988. Now that I'm 80 years old, retired for 28 years, growing more feeble by the day, having to give up golf, spending more and more time at the doctor's office, etc. I wish I was back at work again and just thinking about retirement. Don't wish your life away. You might be like me and wishing you could do it all over again. It's hell getting old.

Looking back on it, would you have retired at 52 if you had to do it all over again? When I read your post that was the first thing that came to my mind.

 

[ejman]

I wish I had 72 X ? days of work left. I worked for 34 years and retired in 1988. Now that I'm 80 years old, retired for 28 years, growing more feeble by the day, having to give up golf, spending more and more time at the doctor's office, etc. I wish I was back at work again and just thinking about retirement. Don't wish your life away. You might be like me and wishing you could do it all over again. It's hell getting old.

Amazing. I think this is the only post I've ever seen where some one actually expresses the wish to have spent more time at the office when the time comes to look back and review one's life.

 

[ProspectiveBum]

Amazing. I think this is the only post I've ever seen where some one actually expresses the wish to have spent more time at the office when the time comes to look back and review one's life.

Hmmm, that's not how I read Johnnie's post at all. I read it as him wishing he was at the eve of his retirement again, and still enjoying relative youth and good health.

 

[scrinch]

tick, tick, tick...nine work days left