Does anybody else daydream about quitting?

[ugeauxgirl]

I don't have much time left- a year and a half maybe- but when I am having a rotten day, I daydream about the astonished look on my boss's face (I am 44) when I tell him I am retiring. Anybody else do this?

 

[exnavynuke]

My boss is a good friend of mine (knew him for ~10 years before he came to work for my company) and he is already aware of my plans to retire early (though I'm not as close as you). I do, however, sometimes imagine the conversations and looks other people (from my department head to HR) will have when they find out I'm retiring.

Mostly I daydream about not having to set an alarm to wake me up in the morning and not having to drive in rush-hour traffic.

 

[sengsational]

Mostly I daydream about not having to set an alarm to wake me up in the morning and not having to drive in rush-hour traffic.

I did something about both of those before I retired (I told them I was going to work from home and didn't schedule early meetings).

Then I started dreaming about having more than 15 days of annual vacation. When I told them I was going to take more (unpaid) vacation, I reached the limit of my negotiating power and was shown the door.

 

[harley]

I was daydreaming about ER for a decade before I finally got out at age 50. Not about what my boss or cow orkers would think, just about the many things I would do. That's what gave me a lot of the incentive to actually get out. Of course, I've been retired for 10 years, and I'm still daydreaming about a lot of those things.

 

[exnavynuke]

I did something about both of those before I retired (I told them I was going to work from home and didn't schedule early meetings).

Then I started dreaming about having more than 15 days of annual vacation. When I told them I was going to take more (unpaid) vacation, I reached the limit of my negotiating power and was shown the door.

My vacation package is pretty good here (11 paid holidays plus 25 days PTO which goes up to 30 days PTO once I've been here for ten years), but the flipside is plenty of weeks where I'm working 60 hours (sometimes more) per week. Right now I'm taking that OT money and tossing it at my mortgage and investment accounts so that each hour of OT pushes me that much closer to being able to leave the workforce.

 

[Big_Hitter]

I don't have much time left- a year and a half maybe- but when I am having a rotten day, I daydream about the astonished look on my boss's face (I am 44) when I tell him I am retiring. Anybody else do this?

no, cause my boss, my collegues and my clients would be upset

 

[tps7742]

I don't have much time left- a year and a half maybe- but when I am having a rotten day, I daydream about the astonished look on my boss's face (I am 44) when I tell him I am retiring. Anybody else do this?

Congratulations to you on getting out of the real work life early. Don't get depressed if your work colleagues aren't as surprised and do not have that astonished look on their faces as expected. Besides in the big scheme of things it's all about you and your time now!! Have fun!

 

[Revlefty]

Yes.

I day dream a lot when I'm reading this forum! Which is why I'm reading this forum.

 

[mystang52]

Virtually every vacation I was on, when I was a w*rking man. I would think, "Yeah, I could do this the rest of my life." When the reality drew near, some 2 years before my actual ER, I daydreamed about it nearly every day!
The last 6 months was simultaneously the most enjoyable, and the most miserable.

 

[W2R]

Before I retired (7 years ago), I used to dream about retirement a lot.

There was another scientist on the other side of my cubicle wall who also wanted to retire at about the same time, and we muttered about it to each other for years through the cubicle wall.

As in, "#$)(%*&, this edict from management is insane, I want to retire, save me from this BS!" Said very, very quietly, of course.

We also compared our TSP (=401K) growth through the cubicle wall for several years.

 

[scrabbler1]

I don't have much time left- a year and a half maybe- but when I am having a rotten day, I daydream about the astonished look on my boss's face (I am 44) when I tell him I am retiring. Anybody else do this?

Starting in 2001, I worked working part-time for the last 7 years of my career. In 2007 (when I was 44, just like you are now), I reduced my weekly hours worked even further, from 20 to 12. This was in anticipation of retiring by the end of 2008, as I had been ramping up my ER plan. Part of that plan included finding a bond fund I could use to generate the monthly dividend income I would use to pay my expenses. While my company had a "SmartFilter" to block internet access to nonwork-related websites, they didn't block me from accessing those of investment company such as Fidelity. When I had some downtime, I visited those websites and gathered monthly dividend histories from potential bond funds, further whetting my desire to retire.

But while that was going on, I asked myself throughout the few days I worked every week, "Why am I still working here?" That question became louder and more frequent (inside my head, of course) as the rest of my ER plan was taking shape in 2008. When the last piece fell into place during that summer, I could no longer find an answer. So, on September 30th, 2008, I gave my notice to my bosses. They weren't very surprised. One asked me if it were a medical reason. I said no.

That was 8 years ago, and it has been a great 8 years since then (mostly).

 

[Katiek]

I don't daydream about my coworkers' reactions - I doubt they'd care for long and they're mostly very nice and have been supportive and helpful to me. But on days when I'm stressed or don't have time to do all the things I need to do (or at least want to do), I dream of the luxury of free time.

 

[Walt34]

Mostly I daydream about not having to set an alarm to wake me up in the morning and not having to drive in rush-hour traffic.

Yeah, that part is nice. Today I slept in until 8:30 and haven't driven anywhere. I've only been outside to go for a walk, get the newspaper, mail, and two boxes delivered by UPS.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I most certainly did day dream (before it bacame a reality!) but none of those thoughts involved my co-w*rkers!

 

[Cassius King]

A good combination of daydreaming and reading this forum keeps me motivated to keep going.
Most people I work with, including my manager, still live paycheck to paycheck. They may not be surprised when I tell them, but they'll surely be cynical and jealous.
I have three computer monitors at my desk at work and each of them have quotes from this forum printed out and taped to them. So anybody that visits my desk surely knows what my goals are.
I'm not concerned about what my colleagues or managers would think or say. I'm more focused and interested on my freedom. All these people will be a thing of my past.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

I don't daydream about other coworkers' reactions as others have mentioned.

My vice is that I'll be settling down for the night and update/play with my spreadsheet a bit. I look at the numbers and my forecasts to see how things are progressing; and amazingly, they're on track. I don't dislike work and the routines around it but I look forward to the day when I don't have to rely on its income (and the corresponding pressure) to fund all the things I/we want to do.

 

[ugeauxgirl]

well, its not ALL I dream about- I dream about cooking something because I want to- not because its the only meal I can prepare between work and soccer practice. I dream about using my lunch break to eat lunch- not catch up on laundry and rush through the grocery store- I dream about seeing weeds in my garden and not having to leave them till I get off of work- when I'm generally too tired anyway, and not having to come back from vacation till I'm tired of it. I dream about the dozens of hobbies and interests I don't have time for now-

But, y'all answered my question- I AM the only one who daydreams about turning in my resignation- might have something to do with my work situation.

 

[Rdub]

We just went through our annual reviews. My boss is one of the best I have had. Even though I plan on retiring within the next year, I have kept my head down and worked hard this year. My review and feedback were very good. My boss mentioned something about not being able to retire yet, but he has me and one of my colleagues set to take over for him when he is ready. I just smiled and thanked him. I have talked to him about early retirement, so I don't think he will be that surprised. I just think he might be caught off guard that I will be doing it before him.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

When I was still working I daydreamed about quitting almost everyday. I would take my calculator and work out different scenarios from bond funds to see what was possible. I would check weekly to see what my condo was worth because I was going to sell it. The money from the condo plus my other savings were put in those bond funds to live off of. I still have my 401k from my previous employer and I am still able to save every month. I live pretty cheaply because I am used to it. I am now adding more money in a bond fund that pays 5.5 %. I do this because I want to spread out the risk over time.

 

[Mdlerth]

How often?

Does it make a difference if the daydream occurs once a week vs once an hour? Since i visit this forum multiple times a day, I suppose each visit counts as one retirement daydream.

In my case it's not so much about the "quitting" as the "not having to be there at the sweatshop every day". There are so many things I would enjoy doing but never get around to because the best part of the day is squandered on w*rk tasks from which I derive no satisfaction.

This very morning at the sweatshop I came close to turning in my notice. A sudden slug in the BS bucket nearly put me over the ege. Trouble is, I'm still 1-2 years from hitting 100% in Firecalc, and She Who Must Be Obeyed would have taken vigorous exception to such an impulsive decision. A wise co-w*rker talked me off the ledge, so I'll be going back in again tomorrow, nursing the daydream again.

 

[RobbieB]

When I was 44 I was happily working my last job at the "micro-corp", making good dough, stacking the 401, driving a company car and eating well. Paying off the house, making other investments, setting up my first home theater and having fun.

Nope, no daydreaming re retirement, not even thinking about it. Preparing yes, dreaming no.

 

[Golden sunsets]

I don't have much time left- a year and a half maybe- but when I am having a rotten day, I daydream about the astonished look on my boss's face (I am 44) when I tell him I am retiring. Anybody else do this?

I think the material point is you are getting close to pulling the plug and it is therefore natural to day dream about no longer having to answer to another master. Sometimes day dreaming about reaching a goal is almost as much fun as reaching the goal. Sort of like day dreaming about a trip you are planning before you take the trip.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[foxfirev5]

You need to wake up to the reality that nobody cares. Harsh yes. But realize you are on your own time and make your own path. Freedom is great!

 

[HadEnuff]

Well, I used to but about 6 months ago I came to an epiphany. I no longer daydream about retirement. The way I came to this was, (best Lewis Black voice), I F**KING RETIRED!!!!!!

no more daydreaming.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I'm daydreaming of and mildly dreading the chorus of "but you're too young to retire!" and "what will you do all day?" that I expect to hear. Then again, I don't really care if they just don't get it. Let them keep contributing to the SS trust fund for the rest of us.