How long was your glide path?

[cranberryjoe]

My glide path was about 4 months. I was quick to train the people taking over my responsibilities, so in the last few months whenever I got something I didn't want to do I legitimately handed it off to the new stuckee. That helped to significantly reduce my stress levels, and made the job almost fun again.

The annoyance level ramped up the final few days when one of the managers insisted I review and approve his team's work before I left. He wanted me to do it because he thought my replacement would be stricter with the approvals (he was correct). But by then I was already packing up the office and saying goodbyes, so I just ignored his request and dumped it on my replacement the morning of my final day. I think that manager got what he deserved.

 

[rodi]

Interesting thread. I'm in the coast for as long as I can. Firecalc says I'm there (with NO padding, so I'm still here at work to build a pad.) But the BS bucket is pretty full.

It's interesting watching coworkers freak out. A friend of mine just gave 2 weeks notice - he's retiring. Management is SHOCKED. (Even though they basically pushed him towards it by upping his BS with the latest reorg.) He's 60... so not super young. He's a role model to me in frugalness. And his wife retired last year.

He gave me credit for pushing him off the fence. About a month ago we were talking. I found out he was the rare bird that qualified for retiree health care from our former megacorp. Our company split 3-4 years ago - and you had to meet the rule of 75 at the time of the split. (I was a few years away from it.). So health care is covered. I found out his mortgage is paid off. I found out his wife, independently, has retiree health care from her former employer, as well as a pension. I asked him point blank what the hell he was doing here!!! I guess that hit home.

He's had SUCH a big grin on his face this week. He's out/gone/buh-bye next week.

I hope to join him soon. My absolute latest date to retire is my 55th birthday. (I'm 52). but hope to go sooner... with a severance package (free money.)

Hitting the 100% success in firecalc does make an attitude change at work. My boss doesn't bug me as much (though he tries), arbitrary deadlines don't stress me as much. So I guess I'm in the glide... I just don't know the final date.

 

[Al in Ohio]

I must say my glide is getting shorter. I just figured a way to rationalize that I need to lop 3.5 months off and retire in early June of 2016 instead of mid Sept. 2016.

 

[Dcharles]

We are now looking at Dec 31st and the landing zone is in sight. No amount of BS at work will take my eye off that landing spot! Throttling things back big time and letting the crap roll off my back like water off a ducks back.

 

[Dcharles]

We are now looking at Dec 31st and the landing zone is in sight. No amount of BS at work will take my eye off that landing spot! Throttling things back big time and letting the crap roll off my back like water off a ducks back.

yesterday was my last day. Yes! It was sort of anti-climatic, and I couldn't get out of there fast enough as some people become clingy and want this and that before you walk out. Time is up........i'm out of there and it feels awesome!

 

[Options]

Interesting. My glide path ends next year and it's like I'm already semi-retired. I could probably retire now but I'm too damned paranoid. Have an appointment Monday with a VG planner so we'll see what further advice I get.

Guess I consider myself semi-retired now because I come in late, miss any meetings I don't want to go to, and some days just call in because "something came up at home". In a way, it's like I have an internal attitude of a temp. Helps that I have every other Friday off and take 1-4 mental health days off a month (much vacation accrued). Also helps that I'm way overqualified for my position so I add a lot of value just by opening my mouth. Meanwhile, the focus is completely on life after ER, not anything to do with my current work. The idiots, boobs, political stuff I not only don't respond to, I don't even acknowledge. No, I'm not unenthused, I'm uninvolved. I'm in the job, just not of it.

Update: Last year, I instinctively knew this year would be the hardest to get through because it's the last. Having realized this, I've planned to use up all the vacation days I've saved up. Works out to having every Monday off this year. Coupled with every other Friday off due to my current flex schedule, it mean every other weekend is either a 3 or 4-day weekend for all of 2014.

Update #2: I also realized that despite my post above, my 3 all-too-often recurring emotions at w*ork are frustration, anger, and resentment, as a result of being affiliated with an institution steeped in incompetence and bureaucracy (unofficial organizational motto: why do things in one step when you can do them in three?). I have vowed that this last year calm will be the only emotion I experience, as all of it is no longer my problem.

 

[Dcharles]

Update: Last year, I instinctively knew this year would be the hardest to get through because it's the last. Having realized this, I've planned to use up all the vacation days I've saved up. Works out to having every Monday off this year. Coupled with every other Friday off due to my current flex schedule, it mean every other weekend is either a 3 or 4-day weekend for all of 2014.



Update #2: I also realized that despite my post above, my 3 all-too-often recurring emotions at w*ork are frustration, anger, and resentment, as a result of being affiliated with an institution steeped in incompetence and bureaucracy (unofficial organizational motto: why do things in one step when you can do them in three?). I have vowed that this last year calm will be the only emotion I experience, as all of it is no longer my problem.

Good for you........I wish I could have pulled out of the political office BS like you did. My daughter bought me a copy of that old movie called "Office Space" which helped me realize I just needed to suck it up and tolerate the incompetence and boobs running the office. Retiring feels like prison release after a long sentence that you were not guilty of! ha!

 

[Redbugdave]

I just retired. I would guess my glide path was about 3 years long. I knew when I would retire about 10 years out, though. I set my goal and always worked towards that. And with luck and planning, it worked out.

I never got madder nor mellowed at the jerks as I got shorter. My attitude never changed and neither did they. I had learned to tune them out years ago. Only you control your feelings and emotions. Not anyone else. I keep that in mind when dealing with jerks. I learned that in the school of hard knocks. I do admit my BS bucket got full at times, but I would go home and see it for what it is...and it would be less full the next day. Each day is a new day. That was my way of coping.

 

[Options]

This was my first 4-day weekend of 2014! Felt great! Next week is a 4-day w*rkweek, and week after another 4-day weekend. Figured out every other week through 2014 and retirement at end of this year is a 4-day weekend/3-day w*orkweek! Loving this glide path.

 

[Koolau]

I was FI at 51 (everything vested to one extent or another) but ERd at 58. I stayed because I found myself in a situation I had w*rked "for" and "toward" for my entire c*reer. At that point, the additional money was gravy (or insurance).

I found that the typical BS stuff (sitting through staff meetings, performance planning and appraisals - both giving and receiving, etc.) bothered me much, MUCH less. I often blew off a lot of such things by, for instance, obviously w*rking on other things during staff mtg., while waiting until I heard something I needed to contribute.

What still "bothered" me was making certain I was contributing (and being VIEWED as contributing) to what I thought was my expected (and expectable) role - i.e., earning my salary. A performance appraisal criticizing me for being typically late with reports or other trivia never bothered nor concerned me - even if I thought it might cost in terms of money/promotion, etc. It did bother me if my management did not see eye to eye with me on what my role was - whether that would cost me or not.

I found that I would no longer let certain things go unchallenged - especially when I felt passionately about them. During my "glide path" I was in an interdepartmental meeting in which I was the recognized (as in my management recognized me as the) "expert". A (near) peer from another group criticized me for what he perceived as one of my failures. I wish I had a tape of my response as I surprised myself (and my Manager) as I cooly, calmly, professionally eviscerated the guy right in front of the whole group. My (female) manger was grabbing my thigh, thinking I was going to come across the table at the guy, but instead, in a couple of sentences, I demonstrated (in a clear but kind way) what a complete idiot this guy was. My Manager later apologized and complimented me for what could have gone very differently. At one time, I wouldn't have dared respond for fear of consequences. On the glide path, keeping ones j*b can become a relatively minor concern. At least it did for me.

Even though my glide path was long, I have few, if any regrets. It worked out well in many ways. I always knew I would know when it was time to leave - and I did. Naturally, YMMV.

 

[robnplunder]

Hmmm, I guess I have been gliding but not very much. I have this terrible personality of trying my best in everything I do. Caring less about my job, not doing the best I am capable of give me stress in itself. I guess I am a jumper, not a glider.

 

[CaliforniaMan]

I think it just a little over a year for me, gradually coming to grips with the changes retirement would mean for my psyche. I have saved for retirement since my late 20s but most of that time, mostly enjoying what I did, and really didn't think I would actually retire. Partly I guess because of the retirees that I saw while growing up. They seemed not to retire from work, but retire from life.

This board has helped me a lot. Learning from people who have been there and done it. I will hang it up at the end of the quarter, not because things are so bad, but just that I am looking forward to new things.

Maybe it would be easier if I were working for a bunch of bozos, but honestly, I like all of the people I am working for and with. (Upper management seems to make some very strange decisions, but that is another matter) Although we have had our ups and downs, and plenty of corporate BS, those I directly work with are all competent and good people and I think we all do share a mutual respect.

It wasn't until the last quarter of last year, that I finally realized I actually would do it on the schedule planned. I grabbed a bunch of books on retirement, and joined e-r.org, calculated and recalculated the financial part, and then the first part of the year told everyone about my decision.

So for me, a lifetime of planning, about 1 year of gradually realizing change was coming, and about three months to really make the decision.

Still feel a little strange about it, but looking forward to what the next stage brings.

And again, thanks to all the people here at e-r.org for providing such a great forum and service to us all.