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Old 04-03-2013, 07:33 AM   #21
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I was also a manager before I retired. There are some good ideas above (some of which I used, like the countdown calendar, list of things I would be doing when I retired, etc).

Additionally, I thought in terms of quarters....I had 4 quarters left. Before I knew it, I had 3 quarters.... Don't know if your company works that way or not....but I found when I hit the 1 year mark, we were oftentimes talking about stuff that I wouldn't be around for (ie next year's budget, this new system....). That helped (me) a lot, because at that point I could ignore it or give my honest opinion realizing it didn't really matter if they listened to me or not.

Also, it may feel good to save your vacation time to get paid for it all when you retire, but you will always get paid for it. It just depends on when you want (or need) that "payment". Consider using some of it to go into early retirement mode now. Four day work weeks can be a nice thing.

A friend asked me why I was using so much of my vacation before I retired.

Friend: "Don't you get paid for it?"
My response: "Of course, but I want to get paid for it now......to stay home....now".

The way I looked at it, I was "retired" and making a little extra money by going into work part-time to help out the other days. Improved my outlook considerably.

Disclaimer - I didn't start using my extra vacation time until I was in my last quarter.
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Old 04-03-2013, 07:52 AM   #22
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If you have not come to term with yourself and life in general, dealing with the tedium of everyday living can be just as hard after you stop working. Sometimes work is just a convenient scapegoat for general unhappiness, and the premise that everything will be different and dandy after you stopped working may not be true.
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Old 04-03-2013, 07:53 AM   #23
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Oddly, I'm working just as hard because thats the way I'm built - I can't "coast". I am however finding myself less tolerant and short tempered. I"m trying hard to control that. Otherwise I just count the days.
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Old 04-03-2013, 08:49 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KM View Post
...Consider using some of it [vacation time] to go into early retirement mode now. Four day work weeks can be a nice thing...
I am doing something similar now: I am planning to take one week per month, more or less, not only to make the remaining months bearable to me and give my company a longer transition period.
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Old 04-03-2013, 10:16 AM   #25
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Thanks for all your replies. It's great to know I'm not alone in this feeling! I mostly love the people at work - we've all worked together a long time and we laugh a lot. Unfortunately I also work for the public. Being a public library librarian it comes with the territory. While most folks are nice the tone of more and more people through the years has become downright nasty, and at times, threatening. On that I am completely burned out and as manager I try to limit my desk hours.

I do dwell on the future so all your advice has been well taken. Knowing that I *could* retire at the end of the year makes waiting all that more difficult. Yes, I could retire but I would get my full retirement 6 months later. That does seem crazy but I must be one of those instant gratification folks - which does not bode well! Still, in two months it will be just one year and then soon in the single digits and I think I can handle that! Luckily there is the forum for support.
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Old 04-03-2013, 10:18 AM   #26
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Bondi,

Excellent point and truer than I wish to believe. Thanks
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Old 04-03-2013, 10:21 AM   #27
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Yeah, I do need the cash out for vacation time. Fortunately I'll have 60 hours of admin leave that I will lose if I don't use it so I will definitely use it!
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Old 04-03-2013, 10:23 AM   #28
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Btw, they do know my retirement date. We need to do planning for the future as there will probably be a few more people retiring, including another manager. We are all of a certain age. This is a job and atmosphere we all love so many people have been here between 30 and 40 years. Not a huge turnover
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Old 04-03-2013, 10:50 AM   #29
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I'm in a similar situation. I'm FI, and can pull the plug now, end of the year, or any time after. I'm putting all the salary and bonus money into a cash account; it's my "extra" money for some fun trips or whatever fun activities I can think up - I'm keeping a mental list.

The first two months of this year I was having a terrible time just being at work, and felt depressed all the time because I thought I should be able to walk out the door. I was running numbers all the time, talking to financial planners, watching the portfolio, etc.


At some point, I decided it would be better to try to get into the work the best I could while I'm here instead of thinking about escaping all the time; a work version of "Love the One Your With". I'm finding this is working a lot better for me. Days go by a lot faster, and I sleep better at night.
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Old 04-03-2013, 11:09 AM   #30
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Yeah, the fully jumping back into w*rk certainly makes the day go faster and prevents me from thinking about my retirement date. I'm going to reconfirm my dedication to my position and responsibilities. Thanks!
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Old 04-04-2013, 01:55 PM   #31
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How do you survive the last year before ER?

With great anticipation and a huge smile on your face.
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Old 04-04-2013, 04:17 PM   #32
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Yeah, it does make things easier, knowing that no matter what the hassles, they will all be behind you soon.
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Old 04-04-2013, 07:20 PM   #33
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All the stars aligned as a planetary convergence, 3 months before I ER'D.
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Old 04-05-2013, 03:28 AM   #34
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i kept a countdown of the number of Mondays left. Lots fewer than actual days! Especially since you could skip lots of holiday weeks.
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