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Fear of retiring and working part time.
Old 03-30-2013, 08:51 PM   #1
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Fear of retiring and working part time.

I am new to this forum so feel free to redirect me if this question has been asked recently but I am curious about how many people worked part time and "eased" into retirement and how you managed a fear of retiring (if you were fearful).

Hubby retired at 60 about 5 1/2 years ago but I still work full time and I turned 59 this month. He is a very happy and busy retiree with no regrets. I am anxious about retiring even though the numbers are clear that I could quit tomorrow and we'd be fine. Our house is paid for, we have no debt and we both will have pensions & SS. We have saved 1.2M in various retirement accounts and we are relatively frugal people. Sounds like I need therapy more than anything else! My tentative plan is to give notice at work in the next few months and then get a job working 2-3 days. I am an RN so fortunately I CAN work as long as I want.

Was anyone else fearful about pulling the trigger and what helped you?
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Old 03-30-2013, 09:07 PM   #2
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What fear?? You seem to have the best of all worlds. As an RN just keep up your license & work as much or little as you like. If you enjoy your current employment setting, no harm in asking if they might allow you to continue on in a part-time/temp/'traveler' status.

Good luck!
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Old 03-30-2013, 09:17 PM   #3
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Welcome to the forum. You are all set - to do whatever you decide. Now that's power!
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Old 03-30-2013, 09:25 PM   #4
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Do you want to retire? It doesn't sound like you really want to just yet.
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Old 03-30-2013, 09:35 PM   #5
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Do you want to retire? It doesn't sound like you really want to just yet.
Accidental Retiree...that is probably the REAL issue. Maybe I am not really ready yet. I have a stressful managerial position now but I miss seeing patients and providing direct care. Perhaps a part time job would let me feel good about making a contribution and being of service. Thanks for that insight...it sounds like I might need a job change more than completely retiring at least for the short term.
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Old 03-30-2013, 11:08 PM   #6
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I have had no fear whatsoever because my spouse continues to work. With my Sugar Mama, I think I am all set for the rest of my life.
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Old 03-31-2013, 02:22 AM   #7
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To the OP : like you I am afraid of making the jump to FIRE since I am still relatively young (48 this year) and I am planning until age 95. So like many here, I have the one-more-year syndrome. Nothing wrong with that. Do what feels comfortable to you. Welcome to the forum.
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Old 03-31-2013, 02:44 AM   #8
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To the OP : like you I am afraid if making the jump to FIRE since I am still relatively young (48 this year) and I am planning until age 95. So like many here, I have the one-more-year syndrome. Nothing wrong with that. Do what feels comfortable to you. Welcome to the forum.
Ditto

I added another year now and have a (very) part time arrangement after I retire on 30 September this year (age 47). The first was fear of running out of money. The second is fear of running out of things to do (I know - pathetic isn't it?).
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Old 03-31-2013, 05:34 AM   #9
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Ditto

I added another year now and have a (very) part time arrangement after I retire on 30 September this year (age 47). The first was fear of running out of money. The second is fear of running out of things to do (I know - pathetic isn't it?).
Maybe working part time somewhat to fill our time isn't pathetic and just an appropriate (for us) life style? I've always been a bit of a workaholic but have been blessed with a career as a nurse that I honestly love. I am now realizing that much of my discomfort is that I have "progressed" up the ladder to a level of management that I don't enjoy. Trainee Investor, you are only 47 and could have 40-50 years in retirement so I think you are smart to be aware of potentially running out of things to do and planning for that contingency!

I am so ambivalent about fully retiring so I think my goal for 2013 will be to leave full time employment and find more satisfying part time work. Thanks y'all for helping me think this through!
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Old 03-31-2013, 06:19 AM   #10
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Working part time is not pathetic. Do what you want to do and don't worry about what others think. As an RN, you should be able to get a good non-management role if you desire.

I enjoy my part time work. I sold my share of our business, and now I'm back doing land surveying 1-2 days a week on my terms.

You can always try a part time gig and quit if it isn't enjoyable
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Old 03-31-2013, 06:21 AM   #11
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Maybe working part time somewhat to fill our time isn't pathetic and just an appropriate (for us) life style? I've always been a bit of a workaholic but have been blessed with a career as a nurse that I honestly love.
My SIL has done this. She's a Neonatal nurse and loves it. Actually she really isn't part time as she works 3 days a week, 12 hour shifts. But she has lot's of vacation time and can rearrange her schedule with other nurses to slip off and travel. She is 62 and plans to go on a couple of more years even though she has plenty to retire on.
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Old 03-31-2013, 06:29 AM   #12
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I would also say to do what makes you happy. If you like to work...then do that. One option would be to work till SS age, then retire/quit and start your SS...and live happily ever after! Or work a little longer and live happily ever after...
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Old 03-31-2013, 06:47 AM   #13
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I worked part time for many years prior to retiring. While I enjoyed work I worked part time principally to avoid frequent travel that I had grown tired of.

If you still enjoy what you do and are not ready to fully retire, then I like the idea of getting a different job that is 3 days a week but is principally patient contact and not managerial. Would it be possible to downshift into such a role with your current employer? (Luckily, it was for me so I didn't need to go through the uncertainty/stress of a new job and new coworkers).

My dad did something very similar. He came up through the ranks in sales and was a branch manager but tired of sitting behind a desk and wanted to be out in the field visiting customers. He left the branch manager job and got a sales job and was much happier.
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Old 03-31-2013, 07:51 AM   #14
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[QUOTE=Snow White;1302632]I am new to this forum so feel free to redirect me if this question has been asked recently but I am curious about how many people worked part time and "eased" into retirement and how you managed a fear of retiring (if you were fearful).QUOTE]

In the back of my mind I probably had similar fears (of not having enough to do) so when I retired I decided to keep up my professional certifications/credentials, just in case. It's been over a year now and I have had several consulting job offers but have turned them all down, so any such fears have pretty much gone away now. Some days/weeks, I wonder how I'm going to get to everything done that I want to do.
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Old 03-31-2013, 08:36 AM   #15
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I planned to work part time when I retired, but I never did. I quickly came to resent commitments on my time - even when I had nothing planned at all.

That said, do what you want. Don't be afraid to start and stop if it doesn't work out. That is what the FI part of FIRE is all about. You are in the driver's seat.
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Old 03-31-2013, 09:18 AM   #16
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I am so ambivalent about fully retiring so I think my goal for 2013 will be to leave full time employment and find more satisfying part time work. Thanks y'all for helping me think this through!
"Pathetic" doesn't enter into this IMO. Working full time, part time or retired and not working at all are all fine options.

Being FI (a great goal/accomplishment in itself) does not mean you are 'supposed to retire,' it's just one of the options. I worked about 5-7 years past FI (I was fortunate career-wise) before retiring. If I was still enjoying it, I'd happily still be working at my old career/position, it just got old after so many years. Time to try something else. I'd have gladly gone PT (not an option in my career) and I may still look for an encore career, but I'm enjoying retired/not working for now.
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Old 03-31-2013, 09:22 AM   #17
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When I read the thread title, my first thought was, "That's my fear, too - that I'll retire, and then discover that I need to work part time."

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I planned to work part time when I retired, but I never did. I quickly came to resent commitments on my time - even when I had nothing planned at all.
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Old 03-31-2013, 12:03 PM   #18
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Welcome ,
I am also an RN . I switched from a stressful full time position to part time six years before retirement . I was FI but my husband had recently died so I wanted to stay busy . I worked part time in an Outpatient Surgery Center. What a hoot after years in a major hospital it was like a paid vacation . I finally got burnt out and fully retired but several of my RN friends are still working at 66 and enjoying it . If you still enjoy it keep working .You will know when it is time to leave . Good Luck !
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Old 03-31-2013, 12:32 PM   #19
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Of course Moemg has the best perspective on this, having experienced it personally. I am a physician and over the years have worked with many, many nurses who "retired" when FI and then returned on a casual or part time basis for as long as they enjoyed the work. They had the best of both worlds. Nursing management is certainly more stressful than most types of clinical nursing practice (though clinical nurses might not appreciate that!) so perhaps your first step should be to move back to direct patient care and see how you enjoy it. Hopefully you can work in a reasonably low stress environment, e.g. a clinic rather than an ED, and avoid night shifts!
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Old 03-31-2013, 12:35 PM   #20
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...resent commitments on my time - even when I had nothing planned at all.
Nothing is something!
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