Yet another article about how awful retirement is

[Rianne]

"Retire" is misleading. "withdraw to or from a particular place." The definition of work is simply "activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result."

I guess I could consider planning a European vacation as working. Or volunteering at what I love to do, kind of like work. Or getting dressed in hiking clothes and taking a long hike on the trails. It takes energy, thought, planning etc. I work to organize fun activities for DH and me. I work to find restaurants and work to plan a budget. In these cases, it's the work I love.
I retire everyday to leave an activity to go relax.

Our money is working for us. It's providing an effort to achieve a purpose to keep us comfortable in our later years. The conundrum is solved.

 

[Clone]

Perhaps a review of Clone's 'Quadrants of Work-life' is in order?

Folks that are in position 1 or 2 are frequently discussed. Why do they stick around? I think most of us understand why 1 remains, but perhaps folks that are in position 2 are motivated by making other people unhappy?

Folks that are in 3 or 4 are in many ways trapped in the workplace. Those in 3 could be setup for a devastating downsizing / forced retirement.

These are not distinct classifications, each axis is a continuum. We discuss what the scale factor is on the ability to retire axis. We perceive where others are in the grid relative to where we believe we are. The greater the distance, the more difficult it is for us to understand why other's feel the way they do.

The denizens of this board most likely populate the upper region of the grid. We have many folks that loved (or at least enjoyed) their jobs. We also have folks that hated what they did. Sometimes, it is hard to understand each other. For many of us, the satisfaction/accumulation slope took a curve towards position 2, and it was time to retire.

 

[calmloki]

Turning 70 this year and have downsized to 37 rental units. We have a very comfortable NW and sufficiency for our lives up till 100 or so, using pessimistic numbers.There is a commercial agent trying to get us to sell to an investor who is looking to 1031 into properties that are about our place's value. Right now prices are high and Oregon is getting more and more tenant friendly. Seems like a perfect time to cash out and celebrate, right?

Problem is the gal is a worker - she had real problems downsizing out of her service manager/warranty submission job at a car dealership to take up care for her Mom - in fact she was doing the job for several years for health insurance and a couple hundred dollars/month while flying back and forth to California every month to be onsite with her Mom for several weeks. When she finally quit the dealership replaced her with a new service department head, another service manager, a second service advisor, a warranty clerk - and posted lower dollar amounts of service business, substantially lower customer satisfaction numbers, and higher warranty claim rejections. She likes to work and she is good at what she puts her mind to.

While she was doing that I was noodling about keeping the rentals going, tenants happy, and maintenance up. Time passed and the rental income far exceeded her job income. The flying back and forth for her Mom while juggling work for diddly dollars was silly; I argued for her to quit and she was worn down enough that she finally did so - but had problems with her identity.

So now we may be able to sell the rentals and no longer deal with them. She has a real problem with the idea. With justification she notes that we make way more with the rentals than investing in CDs. We probably make a greater percentage lending to flippers, but there are different less controllable risks; ditto the stock market. Heirs could inherit at a stepped up basis vs paying a major chunk to the tax man when selling almost fully depreciated property. A probable heir gets a large chunk of his annual income taking care of the places while we are down south and he does well - but there is a difference in the way an owner cares for a place and I don't want to micro-manage. Nor would I feel good chopping his income by a third. Do I like saying we own rentals? Does it make me feel important somehow? Probably. Do I feel trapped by circumstance and not fully retired? Yes

 

[CaptTom]

This quote resonated with me:

On the workplace side, what we can do is help employers connect with employees in ways that do not write them off. Instead, give them some attention. Say: ‘You’ve got all this institutional knowledge, this is what you’re good at and what your interests are. Tell me what you want to do here and then pivot, so you can focus your energies in a different way.

I would have been happy to continue to help my old co-workers and MegaCorp out, even if just an occasional phone call or even stopping by the office from time to time. The way I figured it, I was technically still getting paid by them (my pension.) I had no animosity toward the company, and some loyalty to my former co-w*rkers. But the system is designed to make it a clean break. I think everyone loses that way.

 

[Midpack]

It's easier to continue working than to retire. With the former, your sense of purpose, structure, and money are given to you. With the latter, you're on your own. We are an exceptional group in that most us have found it relatively easy to make that transition. But it's not that easy for most people.


Picture a group of people who are good at math or sports or art or whatnot struggling to understand why it doesn't come so easy for everybody else. Just as these endeavors are a combination of natural talent and hard work, so is making the transition from w*rk to retirement.

Some people here have completely lost sight of the views of anyone but themselves. Anyone who suggests otherwise is obviously wrong or worse. And some are willing to twist any article that suggests retirement isn't for everyone, or at least early retirement.

 

[redduck]

I miss the endless travel, rush hour, alarm clocks, the coat and tie, vendors laughing at all my jokes, time away from the family, report preparation, office politics, and meetings. I think I miss meetings the most!

Not to single anyone out, but maybe a whole lot of people on this board didn't plan out their careers as carefully as they have planned out for retirement.

 

[Nick12]

Some people here have completely lost sight of the views of anyone but themselves. Anyone who suggests otherwise is obviously wrong or worse. And some are willing to twist any article that suggests retirement isn't for everyone, or at least early retirement.

+1

 

[Teacher Terry]

Yes it has been a bad fit for my husband. He got laid off at 52. 7 months after retiring I started consulting and teaching a online college class. I probably work 10 hours a week. The best time of my life was when I was raising kids and going to college. I was super busy and learning was exciting. This is the second best time.

 

[RobbieB]

I found it easier to retire than to continue working. I'm not "some" people and man am I glad!

 

[flintnational]

Not to single anyone out, but maybe a whole lot of people on this board didn't plan out their careers as carefully as they have planned out for retirement.

My post was mostly humor (some snark ). I often advise folks that staying at a career they love is a fine choice. FI simply allows us to do what we want, be it leisure or work.

 

[gwraigty]

My post was mostly humor (some snark ). I often advise folks that staying at a career they love is a fine choice. FI simply allows us to do what we want, be it leisure or work.

This!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Needs to be bolded, italicized, AND sprinkled with glitter, but I don't see that as an option. )

 

[RobbieB]

I planned neither career or retirement, they just sorta happened -

 

[scrabbler1]

Perhaps a review of Clone's 'Quadrants of Work-life' is in order?

Folks that are in position 1 or 2 are frequently discussed. Why do they stick around? I think most of us understand why 1 remains, but perhaps folks that are in position 2 are motivated by making other people unhappy?

Folks that are in 3 or 4 are in many ways trapped in the workplace. Those in 3 could be setup for a devastating downsizing / forced retirement.

These are not distinct classifications, each axis is a continuum. We discuss what the scale factor is on the ability to retire axis. We perceive where others are in the grid relative to where we believe we are. The greater the distance, the more difficult it is for us to understand why other's feel the way they do.

The denizens of this board most likely populate the upper region of the grid. We have many folks that loved (or at least enjoyed) their jobs. We also have folks that hated what they did. Sometimes, it is hard to understand each other. For many of us, the satisfaction/accumulation slope took a curve towards position 2, and it was time to retire.

Was the yellow squiggly line your path over time, charting your work satisfaction with financial ability to retire? Everyone's own squiggly line would be an interesting exercise.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Based on most financial surveys and savings rates, not that many people can afford to retire, at least not retire and keep their same spending habits, so it really is a moot point for many. When some people we meet say right away that "I never want to retire" after finding out we are retired, it usually just comes off like sour grapes.

 

[Clone]

Was the yellow squiggly line your path over time, charting your work satisfaction with financial ability to retire? Everyone's own squiggly line would be an interesting exercise.

It is just a squiggle, but is intended to indicate what a career might look like. For myself, I think that the last few years had a slope of increasing financial readiness, coupled with a decrease in happiness as the BS bucket overflowed. Part of the decrease in happiness was directly correlated to the desire to 'do other things'.

There are many ways to consider the trade-offs that we each face. For me, at this point in time, I am beginning to value the lack of structure more than I value a paycheck. I shifted from a mega-corp career which was very stressful, but very rewarding financially, to a teaching position which has near zero stress, and OK financial reward. I am now to a point where the financial reward does not offset the impact that the teaching schedule places on my ability to do other things.

 

[redduck]

I miss the endless travel, rush hour, alarm clocks, the coat and tie, vendors laughing at all my jokes, time away from the family, report preparation, office politics, and meetings. I think I miss meetings the most!

Oh well, I guess I will have to settle for levis and leisurely lunches with my DW. Having free time to pursue my own interests does not compare to the thrill of a corp. meeting. But, hey what are you going to do? Some days, when I really miss work, I set the alarm clock, leave the house around 6:30 AM and just go sit in rush hour traffic! Wow, to be back in the game!

Oh, I got it and enjoyed it (and appreciated it). I should have mentioned that in my post.

However, your first paragraph seemed so vividly real I wanted to use it to ask if finding oneself in the type of work environment you describe was a lack of planning that someone has to live with for 25-35+years.

 

[flintnational]

Oh, I got it and enjoyed it (and appreciated it). I should have mentioned that in my post.

However, your first paragraph seemed so vividly real I wanted to use it to ask if finding oneself in the type of work environment you describe was a lack of planning that someone has to live with for 25-35+years.

Yea, I agree. I actually thoroughly enjoyed my career. I did not FIRE until I had reached several career goals I had set for myself. I also feel sorry for those that did not enjoy/do not enjoy their j*b. I never saw FIRE as an escape. It was a preference at a certain point in my life.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

I didn't have a problem with the article. I can understand that folks which are tied to their work can struggle if they are pulled away from decades of structuring their life around their work (got to practice, got to be on call, got to be ready for this meeting) and have not developed other meaning interests.
In the Amazon book review, it mentions athletes as another profession she included in her research. I totally can see some of them having some struggles trying to move onto the next phase in life after retirement.

However personally, I don't relate to it because other things outside of work drive my motivations and habits. I'm all about planning our next trip. Plus, while I enjoy working with my colleagues at work, I don't really socialize with them outside of work beyond work functions; work doesn't form a significant part of my social network.

 

[mickeyd]

Most folks who post her know that all you simply have to do it invest early and invest often. That, along with low cost index mutual funds (Vanguard etc) and LBYM, will place you in the cat-bird seat when you decide to ER.

 

[Offgrid Organic Farmer]

I find it interesting that people who are not retired are seen as experts on retirement.

 

[brett]

Retirement is awful. We are sore from walking a beach in Thailand today. And I got too much sun on my face. Then we had to walk over to the night market and have a huge plate of scallops on the shell for dinner.

Yes, I would much rather be stuck in my car in traffic on the way to work in zero or sub zero snowy weather. NOT! Don’t miss the meetings, the con calls, quarter ends, year ends, profit before tax, or those business trips. Not one bit. Do not even think about them.

I identified with my job. But I escaped and we have never looked back. Retirement is about how you prepare for it and how one moves forward with it. I certainly am not moping around at home missing my work, the people at work, or my former customers. I suspect that some of these retirement articles are written simply to take up media space and sell a few adverts.

 

[HI Bill]

I suspect that some of these retirement articles are written simply to take up media space and sell a few adverts.

Most of the retirement articles I see today (even on reputable sites) are written by 20-somethings with no economics or finanacial background...they appear to be 'gig writers' selling a quick 'article' with a few minutes research and an hour of writing, usually rehashing something they just read online.

I still check many of them out, just to see if there's anything I 'missed', or can learn from them, but usually, not!

 

[HI Bill]

I find it interesting that people who are not retired are seen as experts on retirement.

Are you talking about folks here, or about the writers of these articles, LOL!

In my case, I'm not retired (FI, not RE), but could be, so I think my OMY status is close enough.

 

[Amethyst]

This could be said about nearly every online article. The opener purports to impart some new bit of knowledge or insight of interest to a segment of the population; the rest is designed to annoy readers into making a comment in the Comments section.

Older readers of both sexes are presumed to be interested in retirement. Thus, phony"articles" about retirement are ginned up to catch their attention, make them click, and get them to contribute their sage opinions in the Comments.

Most of the retirement articles I see today (even on reputable sites) are written by 20-somethings with no economics or finanacial background...they appear to be 'gig writers' selling a quick 'article' with a few minutes research and an hour of writing, usually rehashing something they just read online.

!

 

[Helena]

The article is an interview with Michelle Silver, author of a book called "Retirement and its Discontents," about how unhappy people are when they "lose their identities" by leaving the workplace.

It's a pitiful cog in a wheel whose workplace defines him.

I loved my corporate career... but it never defined who I am. It gave me the means to be who I am.... and the means to retire early [age 55] so I have the freedom to enjoy being who I am.

.