On the edge ... help!!!

[lewp56]

Quote:

Originally Posted by albireo13 I am 5 working days from retiring. Gave my notice and have a ton on my plate at work to finish but ... Anyway, my wife is very worked up over what I am going to do each day. Will I fritter the day away? Will I do something productive? What about volunteer work? What about doing part time work? What about ... (fill in the blank)?? She is 4 yrs younger and still working. ..... Maybe it will be less stressful to keep on working and not retire?

Read a great book called Refire don't Retire. It hit the nail on the head for me hope it does the same for you. Written by Blanchard from 1 Minute Manager fame.

[Bob_Walter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerides One other thing to keep in mind: Don't ask your wife everyday what you can do to help out more. Just do it. Don't make it her job to assign you tasks. Don't turn her into your boss, just take over all the things - dinner, cleaning (not just tidying up: toilets, showers, vacuuming, laundry - including folding and putting away). Take her car out on sunday nights to fill up the tank for the week. Have her take your car to work once a month and do a deep detailing on hers for her.

These are the things I do everyday for my wife (but she usually will clean things like the shower), I also make her breakfast, lunch and dinner. This morning for example I did the shopping after the gym. If I take a day off of work, I get up with her, make her breakfast, get the car warmed up and ready to go, if the car needs gas, I get it before.

She's always very appreciative of the things I do for her, but I do these things, because she's my wife and wouldn't want her any other way.

[RockLife]

Quote:

Originally Posted by albireo13 I am 5 working days from retiring. Gave my notice and have a ton on my plate at work to finish but ... Anyway, my wife is very worked up over what I am going to do each day. Will I fritter the day away? Will I do something productive? What about volunteer work? What about doing part time work? What about ... (fill in the blank)?? She is 4 yrs younger and still working. ..... Maybe it will be less stressful to keep on working and not retire?

Your new job is to make your wife overjoyed that you have retired and can solve this problem, take care of that, and pretty much make both your lives better.

[Bongleur]

Quote:

Originally Posted by albireo13 have a ton on my plate at work to finish ...

No you don't. They won't add a dime to your pension for finishing that crap. ignore it & enjoy talking to all your friends for the last time.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bongleur No you don't. They won't add a dime to your pension for finishing that crap. ignore it & enjoy talking to all your friends for the last time.

Yup, I got the inglorious task of cleaning out some departed employees offices once they were gone. All their carefully arranged notebooks, folders and follow up plans - right into the rolling dumpster. We kid ourselves.

[timeismine]

Do it!

I just passed my second year anniversary being retired. My stress-muscles were over worked from 60-80 hour weeks before, and all of that is gone. Unbelievable feeling to have a clear , relaxed and calm mind after 40+ years of full time work.

Be prepare for a possible identity crisis. It took me almost two years to chip away at the layers of "worker" identity built up over all those years. Finally down to the core, and it feels great.

As my dad always said after he retired " I dont know how I found time to work" .

Enjoy, letting it unfold as you decompress.

I continue to read up-Recent HBR article on Owning Your Future Self.