What a Wuss!

[Midpack]

I planned to notify my boss yesterday on my intent to retire, found myself too busy and the day got away from me (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). Planned to call first thing this morning, hesitated and never got to it again today. This is harder than it looks. I'm 56 and looking at 2.6% WR, but somehow I just can't mentally get past 'sure is hard to pass up another x-9 years of income, and not drawing down the egg for another x-9 years...'

Yes, I've read the "just one more year" thread several times.

Who knows what will happen tomorrow, hopefully someone will really make me angry for no reason. If that doesn't work, maybe I'll have a couple of bloody mary's for breakfast on Friday and see if that works.

Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeez...

It will be a surreal moment if I ever do it.

 

[FUEGO]

That's a sign it is time to retire. Too busy to find time to announce your retirement. Or conversely, your day was going along so well that you forgot to retire!

 

[ESRwannabe]

That would be kind of sweat if you could announce it after someone ticks you off. Just think of how many people have fantasized of having a "take this job and shove it" moment.

 

[REWahoo]

Midpack, face it - you can't retire. No matter what you think you want to do, you are doomed to work for the man until he no longer needs you and disposes of you like you were a used cond...uh, gum wrapper. You'll be chained to the workplace until you are a decrepit shell, leaving only a nursing home to look forward to. Enjoy your enslavement.

(If that doesn't give you motivation to act, let me know and I'll try again. )

 

[Animorph]

I had the good fortune to have my business unit disbanded, with severance pay, at just the right time. While I might have delayed longer if that hadn't happened, no way was I going to look for a new job!

You might have better luck after a long vacation. Otherwise, what the heck, do it when you are good and ready.

 

[Midpack]

Midpack, face it - you can't retire. No matter what you think you want to do, you are doomed to work for the man until he no longer needs you and disposes of you like you were a used cond...uh, gum wrapper. You'll be chained to the workplace until you are a decrepit shell, leaving only a nursing home to look forward to. Enjoy your enslavement.

(If that doesn't give you motivation to act, let me know and I'll try again. )

LOL, might work, thanks!

 

[Nords]

This is harder than it looks. I'm 56 and looking at 2.6% WR, but somehow I just can't mentally get past 'sure is hard to pass up another x-9 years of income, and not drawing down the egg for another x-9 years...'
Yes, I've read the "just one more year" thread several times.

I think you're just agitatin' for a celebrity intervention by none other than one of this board's well-known hosts, Rich_"Just One More Year"_in_Tampa...

As soon as we can locate him to find out what he's been doing all day, we'll point him in your direction.

I'm sure after a couple weeks of his RV parked in your driveway*, you'll develop the necessary spinal stiffening to follow through on all your planning & hard work!

*[You do have a 30-amp receptacle and a sewage-pumpout connection, right?]

 

[audreyh1]

Yeah Midpack - I'm not sure you are ready yet. Your gut is telling yourself otherwise.

Give yourself some time? I respect my gut and almost never override it.

Rich already did the several years of "one-more-year" syndrome, so you have at least a year grace period IMO!

I wonder - your 2.6% WR living expenses - is that based on a lower standard living than you really are comfortable with long term? Is that an issue?

Well, regardless, IMO you have time before saying anything at work that is irrevocable.

Audrey

 

[Midpack]

I wonder - your 2.6% WR living expenses - is that based on a lower standard living than you really are comfortable with long term? Is that an issue?
Audrey

It's actually based on retirement expenses 20% higher than we've actually spent in the past many years. I'm essentially just suffering from 'it's not possible to have too much (financial) security.'

OTOH, I don't want to stay around until I can't stand the work and start performing badly as a result.

 

[Dawg52]

Yeah Midpack - I'm not sure you are ready yet. Your gut is telling yourself otherwise.

Give yourself some time? I respect my gut and almost never override it.

Rich already did the several years of "one-more-year" syndrome, so you have at least a year grace period IMO!

I wonder - your 2.6% WR living expenses - is that based on a lower standard living than you really are comfortable with long term? Is that an issue?

Well, regardless, IMO you have time before saying anything at work that is irrevocable.

Audrey

Yeah, I wouldn't do it unless your ready. Give it some time to be sure.

 

[Moemg]

It is not easy cutting that money supply but one day you just know it is time and the words will just pop out of your mouth until then enjoy your job. You are not a Wuss just cautious !

 

[clifp]

Well you know Social Security, Medicare are in poor financial shape. Uncle Sam, and your state also really need the taxes revenue. So I vote you keep working. If you were a good patriotic American, you'd find a second job and overpay your social security. Otherwise the terrorist win.

 

[audreyh1]

It's actually based on retirement expenses 20% higher than we've actually spent in the past many years. I'm essentially just suffering from 'it's not possible to have too much (financial) security.'

OTOH, I don't want to stay around until I can't stand the work and start performing badly as a result.

Well - there is a happy medium in there somewhere!

I've gone through periods where I did all the figuring, made plans, but I just wasn't ready. Then I would just chill, and let things settle, and eventually I would be ready to make the move.

Audrey

 

[Texas Proud]

Why not go in and say....

"Look boss... I have been thinking of cutting back some on work... maybe work two or three days a week" (this is according to your commute.. longer means less days.. really short means less hours per day).... "Whadda ya think?"....

See what response you get and if it is good.. do the half retire.. if he give you grief, then it is a perfect opportunity to say "well, I guess I will have to stop working then"....

 

[W2R]

So, you didn't give notice yesterday, and you didn't do it today. That's OK. I didn't give my official notice on the first day that I planned to, either.

Friday isn't really a good day to give notice. Gives them the whole weekend to worry about why you are leaving.

So, I think you should do it tomorrow. Just take a DEEP breath, go in there and do it! It's an exhilarating experience. Smile, and enjoy it. Freedom beckons.

 

[audreyh1]

So, you didn't give notice yesterday, and you didn't do it today. That's OK. I didn't give my official notice on the first day that I planned to, either.

Now that you mention it, I think it took me a couple of days to go in the boss' office and give my notice.

Audrey

 

[REWahoo]

Now that you mention it, I think it took me a couple of days to go in the bosses office and give my notice.

Not me. It was all I could do to control my urge to tell my boss I was exiting the Puzzle Palace forever. I did manage to wait until my annual review in late Dec to tell her I was retiring the end of April. I sprung it on her when she got to the "career development plans" section of my review. I started laughing - couldn't help myself!

 

[Meadbh]

It's a momentous decision and it would be amazing if you didn't want to sleep on it. When you proposed to DW, did you have the same hesitation? Or did DW propose to you?

 

[youbet]

Can't you get them to lay you off with a sweet severance package? Then you don't have to make the decision and you get to collect unemployment for, I think these days, about 17 years.

 

[Nords]

I started laughing - couldn't help myself!

Same here when I got asked if I wanted to extend on active duty...

 

[Koolau]

Related elsewhere, I went through a similar period. I was FI but for some strange reason was enjoying my @ssignment at the time. So I just stayed for a while, sucking up the gravy, savoring the ability to walk whenever I wanted to. It's amazing what financial independence can do for you psyche. I found myself relaxed, sloughed off most of the usual cr*p that went with "being empl*yed" and just sort of cruised for a while. Suddenly, TSHTF and they decided I would have to do something completely different. Something I'd done before and never liked doing. I thought about it over the Labor Day weekend and marched into the boss's office on Tues. and let him know my last day was Friday (vacation to cover the rest of my "notice" period.)

Now, that was sweet!

I would have regretted staying even one day beyond the day I retired, but I've never regretted the several months (maybe even a couple of years) I stayed on beyond FI. I consider it my best time at w*rk. Ironic? You decide.

 

[DivinDave]

A scenario I've been playing with is a little trial retirment. My employer has an established policy for leave of absence or sabaticals.

My plan is in June/2010 (after they pay out bonuses) to see the boss and ask for a 4 month leave of absence for "personal" reasons starting in August and running through to December 2010.

They have to keep your salary at the same level when you return, but can't guarantee the same position. Sooooo I might be able to slide into a lower responcibility job (I'm a dept head now) at a much higher level of pay than the other design engineers.

In that way I can have a little trial retirement and perhaps never go back, or go back for December early January and pull the ejection handle.

Perhaps this might work for Midpack or others?

 

[jebmke]

Classic Stockholm Syndrome if you ask me.

Happened to me too. I finally tunneled out after a year and a half of extension.

Stockholm syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[walkinwood]

Take your time. If you're hesitating, there is some reason. Give yourself time to figure it out.

It doesn't sound like your work is unbearable.

 

[Bikerdude]

Just read an Obit on a guy I worked with. 36 yrs at megacorp, retired last year, 64 yrs old.