Why I am retiring at the start of 2012

[piano88]

Update on my "retirement job" in senior management:

Tomorrow, I am on a 3 hour bus ride each way, leaving home at 5:15 AM for a 6 hour board meeting, reception to follow, catching a bus home at 8:00PM. Our organization is imploding. I am making 3 presentations, have gained and lost and gained 20 pounds over last three years.

Our ER numbers work, I am only working at this because I committed to good colleagues to see a few projects through to the end of the year...then, adios.

Thank you for listening to my vent! Now, i can go to bed a little less stressed. And, for any of you who may "miss" the management world...don't.

 

[W2R]

Thanks for reminding the retired members of why retirement seemed like such a good idea in the first place! My sympathies and I hope the time speeds by for you between now and 2012.

 

[Alan]

"Only 7 months, only 7 months,...."

Repeat the mantra each night for 30 days, then change it to "Only 6 months, only 6 months,...."

The time will soon pass. Meanwhile, feel free to vent here as often as needed.

 

[chris2008]

You are very welcome to join the class of 2012!

 

[flyfishnevada]

Press on! It will seem like forever, but once you leave it will have seemed to fly by. I too thank you for reminding us why we left and never went back. It's like night and day, and sometimes it's nice to be reminded why retirement is so great!

 

[Packman]

Thanks, you helped me feel beter the Tuesday of next week is MY LAST DAY

 

[WB52]

Well, two things are for sure:
1. You are more certain than ever that RE is for you. And
2. You continue to honour the "I" in the word Integrity.

Hang in there. Doing good for the benefit of others is never in vein, even if it feels so at the time.

 

[eytonxav]

Piano,

These executive positions are not always a bed of roses that most believe and its never worth an impact on your health. While I wasn't a senior exec, I retired from Director position in an Fortune 10 company some year back as it was literally killing me. Best decision I ever made. Good luck on the 2012 ER.

 

[FreeAtLast]

I got out of IT management almost 15 years ago and became an IT consultant. Now I am just semi retired. I never realized how stressful the job was until I left.

Problems now wait until the next working day. It good to go to work on Monday and not remember or care what you were working on the previous Thursday. (Friday is my day off).

 

[Midpack]

Update on my "retirement job" in senior management:

Tomorrow, I am on a 3 hour bus ride each way, leaving home at 5:15 AM for a 6 hour board meeting, reception to follow, catching a bus home at 8:00PM. Our organization is imploding. I am making 3 presentations, have gained and lost and gained 20 pounds over last three years.

Our ER numbers work, I am only working at this because I committed to good colleagues to see a few projects through to the end of the year...then, adios.

Thank you for listening to my vent! Now, i can go to bed a little less stressed. And, for any of you who may "miss" the management world...don't.

I hear you. On the 18th, I got up at 3:45am to drive 2 hrs to a meeting/presentation with 120 suits, drive back, work for a while and then meetings with my hourly workforce from 6:00 to 8:00pm same day. Management is good days and hellish days like any other job. But I have 19 work days left, so I can bring on a smile any time I want these days. And most of the distasteful stuff I do these days, I say to myself 'this is the last time I have to do this [hehe]...'

 

[kumquat]

Update on my "retirement job" in senior management:

Tomorrow, I am on a 3 hour bus ride each way, leaving home at 5:15 AM for a 6 hour board meeting, reception to follow, catching a bus home at 8:00PM. for any of you who may "miss" the management world...don't.

In my former mega-corp "senior management" could get the company jet. Buses are for "others".

Where did you work, again?

 

[W2R]

In my former mega-corp "senior management" could get the company jet. Buses are for "others".

Where did you work, again?

That may be true in Canada where you live, but that is not true for all U.S. companies. Also working people do not always want to broadcast the name of the company they plan to retire from on a retirement board on the internet a year before they retire.

 

[Walt34]

Tomorrow, I am on a 3 hour bus ride each way, leaving home at 5:15 AM for a 6 hour board meeting, reception to follow, catching a bus home at 8:00PM. Our organization is imploding. I am making 3 presentations, have gained and lost and gained 20 pounds over last three years.

That sort of thing is the reason I turned down what would have been a financially lucrative job in the DC area when I retired. We still look at the DC area TV traffic reports and think "Gawd, how can those people do that every day?"

Where I'm "working" now is so easy, the people are generally laid-back and easygoing (with the few inevitable exceptions) that I find I don't mind it at all. This weekend I'll be "working", but this morning I'm going to check out a few library books and will have them read by Tuesday.

It's not exactly a high-stress environment.

And contrary to popular belief in the DC area West Virginians do have 'lectricity, indoor plumbin' and broadband Internet.

So there are alternatives.

 

[obgyn65]

Welcome to the 2012 class. I intend to retire in July 2012, at age 47.

 

[SteveR]

I understand your pain. I did much the same thing. My ER date was the end of 2007...we planned it and I was about to pull the trigger when my boss took another job and the only other option to replace him on a temporary basis was a jerk that everyone disliked for his gross dishonesty and poor judgement....not something you need in a pharmaceutical Quality Assurance department head. My arm was twisted and I agreed to do the job while they searched for a replacement...I stayed 5 months and they were still no closer to finding anyone so I gave an ultimatum and they still failed to respond so I walked exactly when I said I would and never looked back.

Being charitable is noble as long as you don't get stabbed in the back while you are doing it. After it is all said and done no one will remember you stuck it out for them. But, we all hope that our contributions and sacrifices are at least noted if not rewarded...but alas, that is rarely the case since the only folks to truly come out a head in this situation is upper management because it gives them time to draw their feet which is heaven for them.

Anyway, Welcome to the Class of 2012...sure hope the world does not end and you retired too late. But if it does, at least you won't be at work when it happens.

 

[kumquat]

In my former mega-corp "senior management" could get the company jet. Buses are for "others".

Where did you work, again?

That may be true in Canada where you live, but that is not true for all U.S. companies. Also working people do not always want to broadcast the name of the company they plan to retire from on a retirement board on the internet a year before they retire.

I thought the smiley might signify that the post was, at least partly, in jest.

 

[Moscyn]

End of the year is not far away at all. Just remember all these horrors if you are tempted to defer ER when end of the year comes. In the meantime, stay strong and think of the good days that will come. I ER 9 months ago and the last working year was only bearable because I knew when I was going to ER.

 

[Amethyst]

I agree with all your sentiments, but did I miss out on some kind of insider joke? I don't think my senior managers could draw a stick figure, let alone their feet...and why would they want to? I tried to read it other ways, e.g. "draw their fees" "drag their feet" but it still doesn't make sense

Amethyst

I since the only folks to truly come out a head in this situation is upper management because it gives them time to draw their feet which is heaven for them.

.

 

[REWahoo]

I tried to read it other ways, e.g. "draw their fees" "drag their feet" but it still doesn't make sense.

I read it as "drag" their feet, as in delaying finding a replacement for a departing employee.

 

[Rustward]

I thought the smiley might signify that the post was, at least partly, in jest.

Well, it came across to me as braggadocio.

Is there an emoticon that means "I'm serious"?

 

[Nords]

Is there an emoticon that means "I'm serious"?

Yes.

It uses the letters I, m, s, e, r, i, o, and u, along with some punctuation.

 

[SteveR]

I read it as "drag" their feet, as in delaying finding a replacement for a departing employee.

Drag is correct....I should not try to post so late at night.

 

[piano88]

Why I am retiring in 2012

Thanks for the encouragement. Meetings went well, bus rides too long, but a weekend has passed andhad moments of relaxation and almost thought, hey, maybe I'm making too much of this stress thing, and....but, was back to the management crises yesterday.

Bought book: "Retire happy, wild, and free" on the weekend and am keeping this by my bedside for next 7 months!

Again, thank you!

 

[Tractor guy]

I found the 6 months between making a decision and announcing it some of the most difficult of my career. I had a strong urge to tell people (management and friends at work) about my decision so that they could plan but realized that I really couldn't. A lame duck manager can't make any decisions stick. My upper management would have used their knowledge of my plans to give me a bunch of S***T work I couldn't refuse or otherwise have made my life difficult. My best day was when I was able to tell the VP (my bosses boss) that he better find someone else to put together next year's budget for my department because I wasn't going to do it. This was my 60 day notice of my retirement.

It became much easier once my decision was in the open, my replacement was named, and I could concentrate on handing over the reins.

 

[piano88]

Why I am retiring at start of 2012

Just checking in as I get closer....can almost smell it.