my "retirement" j-b

[piano88]

Hi,

I haven't logged in awhile. Just accepted a senior management position at a university that I hope gets me comfortably to age 55 (am 52 now) to give a chance for damaged portfolio to return to life...and, as important, for me to find a life! I tried not-w*rking full-time for a short time, and just wasn't ready to do it. Was worried and bored the whole time. So, like some, I "failed" ER. I am reading this section of the Forum more avidly these days than the financial threads, to get ideas and prepare myself to ease into retirement in a few years.

Piano

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by piano88 Hi, I tried not-w*rking full-time for a short time, and just wasn't ready to do it. Was worried and bored the whole time. So, like some, I "failed" ER. . Piano

I also failed retirement the first time . I also was not ready mentally . When I finally made the plunge a new life appeared a little at a time . So give yourself time to rest and then add things slowly as the need arises .

[cardude]

I'm kind of "failing" as well and looking for something to do. My wife is working and I have young kids still in school, and I'm not ready to be a stay at home dad. I was not really ready mentally to retire, but was in the car business and kind of got forced into retirement.

I don't really need a job that would make big money-- something that would be satisfying and fun is the main criteria at this point. I also want to be able to travel during the summer when the kids and wife are off school and work, so that's a consideration.

Got any ideas? I may have to go back to the car business-- maybe start a small used lot with one of my old employees and let him pretty much run it.

[piano88]

Cardude, I keep thinking that a small, low-overhead, home-based business might be a way to cover some income and keep busy

[Meadbh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by piano88 Hi, I haven't logged in awhile. Just accepted a senior management position at a university that I hope gets me comfortably to age 55 (am 52 now) to give a chance for damaged portfolio to return to life...and, as important, for me to find a life! I tried not-w*rking full-time for a short time, and just wasn't ready to do it. Was worried and bored the whole time. So, like some, I "failed" ER. I am reading this section of the Forum more avidly these days than the financial threads, to get ideas and prepare myself to ease into retirement in a few years. Piano

If there's a senior management position out there that doesn't involve a huge amount of stress, I'd like to know about it!

[piano88]

Indeed...I didn't say that this new job has no stress....

[ksr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cardude Got any ideas? I may have to go back to the car business-- maybe start a small used lot with one of my old employees and let him pretty much run it.

How about teaching some business classes at a local community college?

[LiveWell]

I am also "failing" at ER. Have been ERed for 1.5 years now and will be returning to work in a couple months.

The first 4 or 5 months of ER were definitely all about getting over my burn-out. Sleeping without an alarm clock; taking long walks; reading books; enjoying hobbies; etc... Then after that I slowly started to feel like something was missing in my psyche. It took me the next 8 months or so to figure out that it was a two-fold problem. First, I was no longer feeling a sense of accomplishment. None of my day-to-day activities amounted to anything as big as the projects I was accomplishing while at work. Second, without the mental exercise that work provided I felt I was getting dumber by the day. I have never had much satisfaction from volunteering so that wasn't going to fill the void. Have others encountered these same feelings?

-LiveWell

[toofrugalformycat]

Yes, I can relate to the "dumber" syndrome. I used to combat it with foreign travel, by learning a new language (or at least trying to) and encountering situations totally foreign to my experience where I had to figure everything out. No routine. Succeeding at this made me less fearful of life in general.
Now that my nest egg is not growing so much, I've cut back on that, and have to try other new things.
I've had the occasional twinge where I worry about money and/or my purpose on the planet (if any). But compared to what I was going through at my job, this is still paradise. And I was worried about the same things then, too, plus all the job stress. For me, ER has worked.
But of course every day is an adventure.

[Rustic23]

Live Well, it truly is obvious you were getting dumber by the day.... you decided to go back to w*rk! That's got to be proof.

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cardude Got any ideas? I may have to go back to the car business-- maybe start a small used lot with one of my old employees and let him pretty much run it.

Sounds like a fun idea to me. Also perhaps a way to recoup some of those transfer payments your taxes have been funding all these years.

I can see it now-Honest Ha's Motor Madness. My Uncle had car lots; he always did OK and kept up a good tan out on the lot.

Ha

[piano88]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadbh If there's a senior management position out there that doesn't involve a huge amount of stress, I'd like to know about it!

Eighteen months in this job, and...you were absolutely right! I must have been out of my mind.

[Katsmeow]

Well....you don't sound bored any more....

I am about to retire (or maybe semi-retire) at the end of next week from a high stress job at age 56. I really don't worry about getting bored and will probably continue to work at my old employer 1 day a week.

Yet what really appeals to me if I want to work is doing something entirely different. I always felt constrained by education and high income (I am an attorney) to keep doing what I was doing. Now that we've cut our expenses I don't have to have the high income and for the first time could actually just get a job doing whatever I found enjoyable.

A few years ago I used to do a lot of selling on ebay. I sold collectible cards and books and I found that I totally enjoyed it. I really loved the thrill of finding something to buy at a low price and then selling it for several multiples more. I developed a lot of repeat customers that I enjoyed dealing with and realized that "job" was so much more fun than my day job.

So I'm not sure I'll ever work after retiring but if I do I want it to be low stress and enjoyable and won't really care that much how much I make.

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsmeow A few years ago I used to do a lot of selling on ebay. I sold collectible cards and books and I found that I totally enjoyed it. I really loved the thrill of finding something to buy at a low price and then selling it for several multiples more. I developed a lot of repeat customers that I enjoyed dealing with and realized that "job" was so much more fun than my day job. So I'm not sure I'll ever work after retiring but if I do I want it to be low stress and enjoyable and won't really care that much how much I make.

I also started selling on Ebay after I retired and I enjoy it so much . It is so different than my career ( nursing ) and it really is low stress . It started as a hobby but has grown into a part time business . I also have a lot of repeat customers .

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiveWell I am also "failing" at ER. Have been ERed for 1.5 years now and will be returning to work in a couple months. The first 4 or 5 months of ER were definitely all about getting over my burn-out. Sleeping without an alarm clock; taking long walks; reading books; enjoying hobbies; etc... Then after that I slowly started to feel like something was missing in my psyche. It took me the next 8 months or so to figure out that it was a two-fold problem. First, I was no longer feeling a sense of accomplishment. None of my day-to-day activities amounted to anything as big as the projects I was accomplishing while at work. Second, without the mental exercise that work provided I felt I was getting dumber by the day. I have never had much satisfaction from volunteering so that wasn't going to fill the void. Have others encountered these same feelings? -LiveWell

Yup, been there, done that.

The first year or so was the euphoria of "never having to work again". Yippee! Every day's a Saturday!

Then I found I just didn't have the interest I thought I would in radio control airplanes, a hobby that I'd enjoyed for almost two decades. One SIL noted that it was a stress reliever because the concentration required to build and fly them drives everything else out of mind. But if the stress is gone, so is the need to drive it out of mind. And I also think I just plateaued with that hobby.

Not wanting to commit to a job, I helped a friend build a full-size airplane for about a year and a half. He did say that without me showing up two or three times a week he probably wouldn't have finished it, and I did learn a lot about airplane-building. Very similar to R/C models, just different materials and a host of FAA regulations to deal with.

So I stumbled across a job nearby doing armed security that pays almost as much as I was making before retirement as a police officer. The commute is a "brutal" 3.4 miles and I ride a motorcycle to and from work if the pavement is dry and temps above 25 F.

After year and a half of that I find that while it's not as exciting as police work, I don't mind it, the hours are 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM so I still don't use an alarm clock, and the extra income allows us to buy some toys/activities that we wouldn't otherwise buy.

For example, I just bought a second digital camera and am learning to use Photoshop Elements 8 software. Neat stuff - I told DW that with Photoshop I can take ten years off her portrait. She likes that!

Best of all, since we don't need the income, my KMA hat is still firmly intact, which is the case with most of the other security staff there. They're also retired cops and have that "I'll do this for as long as I want but screw with me and I'm outa here" attitude.

Now, this may be seen by others as a variation of the "one more year" syndrome, but for now, and for me, it works.

[TargaDave]

Also did the complete change of routine from runnin a small hi-tech biz to teaching in the watersports industy. Last year I did it as a parttime employee, this year as an independent instructor under contract to a resort. So far workin out well. Averaging about 14 hours per week and netting about $65 per hour after all expenses. The job only goes for about 30 weeks per year but for me it's working out to be a nice semi-ER routine (so far). Much higher income than as an employee, plenty of time off, motivation to stay in shape, low stress and workin outdoors. Investment required was pretty modest as well.

Also like the fact that I don't spend time thinkin about how I escaped the last career. Had plenty of good times doin that and having fun doin this; just a different adventure

[flyfishnevada]

You know, I got admonished once on this board or another for suggesting that needing to work part-time meant I wasn't really retired. It got me thinking, why the heck not? Working at something that brings you pleasure and on your terms is fine. You didn't fail at ER, you just found that working was something you wanted to do still. Assuming you could leave at anytime and live on your savings/pension/etc., you are doing what makes you happy even if that is you old job. As far as I am concerned, YOU define your ER, not this board, a book or anything else.

[jimnjana]

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyfishnevada You know, I got admonished once on this board or another for suggesting that needing to work part-time meant I wasn't really retired. It got me thinking, why the heck not? Working at something that brings you pleasure and on your terms is fine. You didn't fail at ER, you just found that working was something you wanted to do still. Assuming you could leave at anytime and live on your savings/pension/etc., you are doing what makes you happy even if that is you old job. As far as I am concerned, YOU define your ER, not this board, a book or anything else.

I agree with you. I'm coming close to exiting full "ER" to officially join my wife in her part-time at home business. Probably gonna make the leap in the next few days.

[Dreamer]

I retired 6/2/06 and did not work until 3/5/10. I took a part-time job as a receptionist at a doctor's office that specializes in glaucoma. I really enjoy my job when I am working. I like dealing with the public and I have always dealt with the public. There are really so many nice people in the world and it is nice interacting with them. I have always had some type of financial goals in my life and I enjoy working towards those goals. One of them was getting the house paid off and another was working to increasing my pension enough that I could live on it. I missed not having any goals. So, I started working the part-time job, with the goal of getting the rest of my social security credits. I am only making $8.50 per hour, but it is the easiest job that I have ever worked and it is completely stress free. I do find that I miss being able to make plans spur of the minute with other people. The patients are in the office on Mon, Wed and Fri and I need to be there on those days also. I was off this past Friday, but told my employer that I would need that day off, when she called to tell me that I had the job. There were several little "joking" comments made about my taking off on Friday and how she (the office manager) would have to do her own work and mine also. I told both her and the doctor, in my job interview, that I liked to take trips and wanted to find a job that would be accommodating. They both agreed that would not be a problem. However, I am getting an uneasy feeling about this. I guess the test will come when I need to ask for time off again. I really enjoy the job and the people, but I am not going to limit my life because of an $8.50 per hour part-time job. If I do stop working at this job, I think that I will probably go to temp agencies and work only part of the year, until I finish getting my social security credits. There was a part-time receptionist job at a temp agency that was paying $10.00 per hour at the time I took this job. They asked me to submit my resume quickly, but I did not submit it, since I liked the atmosphere of the job that I took. There are definitely pros and cons when talking about work.

[Emeritus]

I'm an academic.
Yes I know all the jokes , the professors went on strike!!!
How could they tell ??
What most people don't realize is that academics at a research university are running a small business and their department is actually a larger business. My own department got 35% of its revenue from the state and the faculty raised the other 65%. The pressure to get funding was simply enormous, and the administrative burden was incredible. Finally I was offered Emeritus status, and I went back to teaching and unfunded research.
I've never felt better in my life.