Ready to Live the Life After Fire!!!

[1242Vintage]

Hello Early Retirees.

I'm hitting 55 on Sunday and considering retirement within a couple weeks. I took all last Summer off on a "practice retirement" and loved every day of it! Went back to work in September 2018 and now I'm ready to live the dream and take that big step into retirement for real.

My paperwork is all set to submit to my personal department and all I need to do is hit the submit button. We've lived a financially conservative lifestyle and are very nicely positioned for retirement.

Why is retirement such a damn hard decision!!!!

Help me push that button.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Why is retirement such a damn hard decision!!!!

Help me push that button.

The fear of the unknown? If you *are* truly FI, then the RE is the easy part. There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING like it in the world. Ask yourself one question...

If you went to the doctor today and he/she told you that you only have 6 months to live, what would you do? Keep w*rking? Somehow I doubt that.

 

[Aerides]

That's a button only you can decide to push.

How did you feel when you went back to work after your sabbatical?

Refreshed, ready to go?
Or was it a rough re-entry that left you counting the days till now?

If it's the former, you're probably not as ready as you think, and might want to start with your own pros and cons. You've been here long enough to have read the primers and check lists, and to have answered the "what are you retiring to" questions. Another question is What are you giving up? (besides money). Status, relationships, maybe you like those monthly business trips? different for everyone.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

Life is short. No one is promised tomorrow.

 

[MRG]

A fellow I worked with, really enjoyed his company, was riffed last year. He was 60 and took the opportunity. Day 30 of his retirement he was biking and didn't come home that night. Next day they found his body where he went off the trail. Stuff happens.

 

[joeea]

Why is retirement such a damn hard decision!!!!

Help me push that button.

When you are actually ready, it won't be hard.

 

[joeea]

A fellow I worked with, really enjoyed his company, was riffed last year. He was 60 and took the opportunity. Day 30 of his retirement he was biking and didn't come home that night. Next day they found his body where he went off the trail. Stuff happens.

Got it - never go biking!

 

[joeea]

Ask yourself one question...

If you went to the doctor today and he/she told you that you only have 6 months to live, what would you do? Keep w*rking? Somehow I doubt that.

If your doctor told you you had 40+ years to live, would you go back to work?

 

[kgtest]

If your doctor told you you had 40+ years to live, would you go back to work?

Not if I had enough. Money is a means to an end. Which means a job is a means to an end, when the end is met, the means no longer necessary.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

If your doctor told you you had 40+ years to live, would you go back to work?

Well, since I am 44 years old it's not outside the realm of possibility that I *will* live 40 or more years. So...the answer to your question is HELL NO.

 

[MBAustin]

When you are actually ready, it won't be hard.

I think no matter how ready you are, for some people it's very hard to actually do this. The husband of a friend has been preparing to retire for more than a year (she retired last summer) and he unexpectedly started crying during his meeting with HR to turn in his paperwork. He has lots of interests outside of his work so he was surprised he felt that way.

Although I was more than ready to leave as my job had become close to unbearable, I still second guessed myself ("what have you done?") until my last day in the office. By Tuesday of the following week, that feeling was gone.

 

[24601NoMore]

Hello Early Retirees.

I'm hitting 55 on Sunday and considering retirement within a couple weeks.
My paperwork is all set to submit to my personal department and all I need to do is hit the submit button. We've lived a financially conservative lifestyle and are very nicely positioned for retirement.

Why is retirement such a damn hard decision!!!!

Help me push that button.

I went through the exact same thing a year or so ago and finally made the jump last August with a lot of help and occasional arse kicking from people here . It's very hard to make a major life change like you're contemplating, even when everything says you are financially able to do so.

At 55 (very similar to me), it's likely that a big part of your life for the past 35+ years has been w*rk. For most people (me included), it becomes a big part of - if not the major part of - your identity. Letting go of that even if it means you now have a lot more time to dedicate to other pursuits and interests is extraordinarily hard even for the most logical, even keeled people with solid plans on how to do so..throw in all the uncertainty (eg: ACA - what's going to happen?), market volatility, personal health, spouse's health, choice of where to live in ER, etc and it can quickly become overwhelming.

I'm 3 months in at this point (company asked me to stay Aug-Jan to help with transition and I did so as it was mutually beneficial), and I haven't had a single day where I've been "bored" or looking for things to do. I'm still months if not years behind on the things I SHOULD have been doing but was always too busy to do. But the psychological part of the change has been...challenging..to say the least! Candidly, there are days I can't believe I actually did it..and days that I struggle a bit with the emotional aspects of the decision that I made..but I'm working through it, day by day with some days being better than others in terms of being able to fully adjust to the way things now are..

When I told my manager of my decision to retire, he was supportive and the conversation went well - probably because he was living the same hell I was, and totally understood why I'd want to leave. But when I told my DW a few minutes after, I also said "what did I just DO?!!". Her response was very telling as she knew what the job was doing to my health and happiness (essentially totally destroying both) - she said, and I quote.."you just saved your life". When you think about what w*rk can do to your health, happiness and the health and happiness of those you love and those who are around you..or, you see a friend or family member diagnosed with a serious illness - or, worse, not make it to their next birthday (as I've seen happen far too many times these past several years) - the decision becomes a bit easier..

Best of luck with whatever you decide..but if it helps, many of us have had very similar experiences when it comes to just pushing the "send" button on your resignation notice, or having that difficult conversation with management..

 

[imoldernu]

Best of luck with whatever you decide..but if it helps, many of us have had very similar experiences when it comes to just pushing the "send" button on your resignation notice, or having that difficult conversation with management..

An excellent post... Thanks for taking the time to share.

 

[foxfirev5]

Hello Early Retirees.

I'm hitting 55 on Sunday and considering retirement within a couple weeks. I took all last Summer off on a "practice retirement" and loved every day of it! Went back to work in September 2018 and now I'm ready to live the dream and take that big step into retirement for real.

My paperwork is all set to submit to my personal department and all I need to do is hit the submit button. We've lived a financially conservative lifestyle and are very nicely positioned for retirement.

Why is retirement such a damn hard decision!!!!

Help me push that button.

You tried it and liked it. By your post it's not about finances. We also lived a conservative lifestyle. By age 60 we were both retired. Three years later our only regret was that we didn't do it at 55. It has nothing to do with finances just maximizing our life.

 

[foxfirev5]

If your doctor told you you had 40+ years to live, would you go back to work?

Double Hell No. Furthermore I would find a real doctor.

 

[HI Bill]

Well, since I am 44 years old it's not outside the realm of possibility that I *will* live 40 or more years. So...the answer to your question is HELL NO.

Since I put 52 years into FIRECALC, and am at 100%, I second that!

 

[24601NoMore]

Question for OP - what's the motivation to retire? And how's the j*b situation?

Curious what's driving you to consider "pushing the button" at 55.

 

[1242Vintage]

I logged in a little earlier and loved reading the responses. Awesome things to think about and I appreciate everyone’s responses.

The job situation is pretty boring. Most problems and challenges that come my way as a mid-level manager these days are not new and fairly easily solved. Not really a challenge for someone with a few decades of experience in the industry.

My pension, from a well-funded System, is generous and includes health care on top of pension through retirement, my youngest kid graduates college next month (so no more college financial help), and we have zero long-term debt. Financially we are set.

My desire to clock out and begin to fully enjoy life after Retirement fundamentally goes back to my Dad. He worked his a$$ off as a Contractor for many years and died of a sudden heart attack at age 56. He never got to enjoy retirement with Mom. I vowed that I’m not going to repeat that pattern.

My wife retired last Fall and now it’s my turn. After a heart-to-heart with my wife today, the decision is to put my paperwork in for a May 1 retirement to give me a couple weeks to close out and transition assignments to others.

This is what we worked for and now is the time to put my working life in the rear view mirror and focus on the things I really love, travel, bicycle racing, volunteer work, the company of grown kids, taking care of Mom, and most important enjoy time with my lovely and supportive wife.

 

[Cassius King]

Congratulations! Sounds like you are all set. Enjoy your new life!

 

[joeea]

Well, since I am 44 years old it's not outside the realm of possibility that I *will* live 40 or more years. So...the answer to your question is HELL NO.

Okay.

So we have established that your desire to work isn't tied in to your medical prognosis.

Maybe we can drop the "If you went to the doctor today and he/she told you that you only have 6 months to live" line as well, since it has nothing to do with anything?

 

[joeea]

The job situation is pretty boring. Most problems and challenges that come my way as a mid-level manager these days are not new and fairly easily solved. Not really a challenge for someone with a few decades of experience in the industry.

To be fair, this isn't a binary decision between a boring job and retirement. You can find other non-boring employment if you choose to do so.

After a heart-to-heart with my wife today, the decision is to put my paperwork in for a May 1 retirement to give me a couple weeks to close out and transition assignments to others.

There you go! Not so hard after all.

This is what we worked for and now is the time to put my working life in the rear view mirror and focus on the things I really love, travel, bicycle racing, volunteer work, the company of grown kids, taking care of Mom, and most important enjoy time with my lovely and supportive wife.

Congratulations!

 

[SumDay]

My wife retired last Fall and now it’s my turn. After a heart-to-heart with my wife today, the decision is to put my paperwork in for a May 1 retirement to give me a couple weeks to close out and transition assignments to others.

This is what we worked for and now is the time to put my working life in the rear view mirror and focus on the things I really love, travel, bicycle racing, volunteer work, the company of grown kids, taking care of Mom, and most important enjoy time with my lovely and supportive wife.

May 1? Wow, you don't have to endure the 'OMG when will this end?' for too long. I gave 6+ months notice and it was not the best decision I ever made.

Good on you, and congratulations! You're gonna love it! I promise!

I look forward to seeing you post more.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Okay.

So we have established that your desire to work isn't tied in to your medical prognosis.

Maybe we can drop the "If you went to the doctor today and he/she told you that you only have 6 months to live" line as well, since it has nothing to do with anything?

You asked me a question, I answered it. My intention was to illustrate (to the OP...not you) that things can happen that we may not be ready for...and a medical diagnosis is one of those things.