Young dreamer at new personal milestone!

[dessert]

Congratulations!

I especially liked the parts of your post where you are looking at "the last..." of what have always been huge stressors in anyone's career. The whole performance metric culture and internal competition for raises, bonuses, and peer recognition have got to be the WORST factor against and direct cause of what is sadly lacking...good old fashioned teamw*rk.

End of speech...

Just today I finalized my goals for the year and posted them for the last time. I also hit the "complete" button on the last performance appraisal that I had to finish.
I was thinking to myself......that was fun!

 

[Milton]

I must work "one day" into the next year to qualify for 6 weeks of vacation that I can either "take" or "sell back".

Wow, what a sweet deal! Lucky you.

 

[scrabbler1]

I did not select my eventual ER date until 4 months before I left my company. I needed the last piece of my ER puzzle to fall into place before I selected it. That was the value of my company's ESOP hitting a milestone ($300k), the amount I felt I needed to make my financial plan work.

Besides filling out all the paperwork for my resignation, one little thing which made my ER seem more real was not having to respond to the monthly request for planned days off (i.e. my sometimes confusing and variable 2-days-a-week schedule) for November, 2008. I simply responded, "I will be taking EVERY day off in November!" [It was already known by then that I was leaving.] My exit interview was also very cathartic, but not what the HR guy expected from someone who had been there for 23 years.

Turning in my key FOB I used to access some office emails from home was nice. Same for gathering my personal effects and turning in my ID card at the security desk. That last train ride home was tiring, but knowing it would be my last was great.

I do wish I had found this message board before I retired in November, 2008, at age 45. It would have been nice to have a whole bunch of people rooting for me in those months leading up to my eventual ER.

I am very happy for you, Dessert.

 

[dessert]

I did not select my eventual ER date until 4 months before I left my company. I needed the last piece of my ER puzzle to fall into place before I selected it. That was the value of my company's ESOP hitting a milestone ($300k), the amount I felt I needed to make my financial plan work.

Besides filling out all the paperwork for my resignation, one little thing which made my ER seem more real was not having to respond to the monthly request for planned days off (i.e. my sometimes confusing and variable 2-days-a-week schedule) for November, 2008. I simply responded, "I will be taking EVERY day off in November!" [It was already known by then that I was leaving.] My exit interview was also very cathartic, but not what the HR guy expected from someone who had been there for 23 years.

Turning in my key FOB I used to access some office emails from home was nice. Same for gathering my personal effects and turning in my ID card at the security desk. That last train ride home was tiring, but knowing it would be my last was great.

I do wish I had found this message board before I retired in November, 2008, at age 45. It would have been nice to have a whole bunch of people rooting for me in those months leading up to my eventual ER.

I am very happy for you, Dessert.

Hey, thanks. It is nice knowing well in advance.
I'm very impressed with anyone who can RE at the age of 45. That is amazing to me. I could have retired at age 55 but didn't want to because I still felt like w**king and just thought that was too early to hang it up.
When I was 45, retiring was the last thing on my mind.
So at 47 and retired, what is your typical day like if you don't mind me asking?

 

[scrabbler1]

Hey, thanks. It is nice knowing well in advance.
I'm very impressed with anyone who can RE at the age of 45. That is amazing to me. I could have retired at age 55 but didn't want to because I still felt like w**king and just thought that was too early to hang it up.
When I was 45, retiring was the last thing on my mind.
So at 47 and retired, what is your typical day like if you don't mind me asking?

Still two months away from 47......I have my school Scrabble volunteer work some days (see my screen name?), some other volunteer work during the day, dancing at night, my ladyfriend (who works full-time) on other evenings and weekends, another good friend on some evenings, and a good nap every afternoon! Just not going to New Jersey any more is a big plus!

 

[dessert]

Still two months away from 47......I have my school Scrabble volunteer work some days (see my screen name?), some other volunteer work during the day, dancing at night, my ladyfriend (who works full-time) on other evenings and weekends, another good friend on some evenings, and a good nap every afternoon! Just not going to New Jersey any more is a big plus!

Very interesting. I seem to be an anomaly because I am not a disgruntled employee nor do I hate going in every day. I am feeling like I am ready to hang up the spikes though. I don't have the passion for it anymore. This year will be fun because it is my farewell tour, so to speak. By the way I haven't given notice yet and will not until it is time to get my replacement in place and work with him/her for a few months. Sounds like fun to me.

 

[cboenews]

So lucky! I am going to live vicariously through you. I CAN NOT wait until I am in your position!

 

[dessert]

So lucky! I am going to live vicariously through you. I CAN NOT wait until I am in your position!

Hey thanks. All I can say is LBYM, max out your 401k, save even more than that, DCA into them with an appropriate AA, bank all of your future raises, read all of the books that this forum recommends, and have fun along the way. You still have to live and have a good time while doing all that too. Don't deprive yourself.
You'll be there before you know it.

 

[Rambler]

I still have about 1045 days, provided I don't contract the "one more year" disease. But who's counting? ...already beyond my targeted date, but agreed to 4 more years about this time last year. Three more of everything to go...

R

 

[dessert]

I still have about 1045 days, provided I don't contract the "one more year" disease. But who's counting? ...already beyond my targeted date, but agreed to 4 more years about this time last year. Three more of everything to go...

R

I will have to confess Rambler, that I did add 9 months to my original plan because life situation changed slightly but now my date is chiseled in stone. Someone mentioned the other day about me coming back to consult on projects pending but I have no visions of that happening. If I wanted to stay and do that I would just stay employed but I want to move on.
I firmly believe in the bucket theory where you put your finger into the bucket of water and then pull it out. If the hole remains in the water, then you are needed. If not, then you can move on.