This might best be posted in the "life after" forum I donno.
Its been over one year since I seriously considered "jumping out of the plane". The downsizing package offered in the fall of 2008 had me creating spreadsheets and thinking hard. When the economy crashed the opportunity I was about to land to do something completely different dried up and I backed off. At the time I was clearly unprepared to fully retire.
Prior to that I was much more concerned with getting caught up in a downsizing than I was thinking about voluntarily retiring.
1.25 years later and another downsizing and (somewhat reduced) package comes along. However, this time I had the benefit of having played with my numbers for a year. Low interest rates increased my retirement lump sum. The economy bottomed out and seemed on a much more stable footing.
The DW and I were processing the scenario at some level for all that time.
Im a numbers guy. I did so many what-ifs it would make a normal person numb. Returns, inflation, how much do we really need etc...
We talked about downsizing our house and budget. We talked about moving and the prospect of stepping outside our comfort zone " for once in our lives".
I grew to consider the change a a "blue ocean" experience, an adventure. I cant quite describe it but it took all this time to really get psychologicaly prepared.
In the past week or so we have clearly transitioned from "ruminating and oscilating" to taking action. We've crossed some sort of threshold. Now the inertia associated with implementing some of these changes (e.g getting the house staged for sale) is building. Our plan is coming alive and the stress associated with the decision is receding.
I could never have come to this in a month or two. Its too big.
Now Im with one foot out of the plane. Turning back seems a very remote possibility. Im coming to peace with the choice... to a point.
I sure do hope the chute opens.
How was the process for you??
Its been over one year since I seriously considered "jumping out of the plane". The downsizing package offered in the fall of 2008 had me creating spreadsheets and thinking hard. When the economy crashed the opportunity I was about to land to do something completely different dried up and I backed off. At the time I was clearly unprepared to fully retire.
Prior to that I was much more concerned with getting caught up in a downsizing than I was thinking about voluntarily retiring.
1.25 years later and another downsizing and (somewhat reduced) package comes along. However, this time I had the benefit of having played with my numbers for a year. Low interest rates increased my retirement lump sum. The economy bottomed out and seemed on a much more stable footing.
The DW and I were processing the scenario at some level for all that time.
Im a numbers guy. I did so many what-ifs it would make a normal person numb. Returns, inflation, how much do we really need etc...
We talked about downsizing our house and budget. We talked about moving and the prospect of stepping outside our comfort zone " for once in our lives".
I grew to consider the change a a "blue ocean" experience, an adventure. I cant quite describe it but it took all this time to really get psychologicaly prepared.
In the past week or so we have clearly transitioned from "ruminating and oscilating" to taking action. We've crossed some sort of threshold. Now the inertia associated with implementing some of these changes (e.g getting the house staged for sale) is building. Our plan is coming alive and the stress associated with the decision is receding.
I could never have come to this in a month or two. Its too big.
Now Im with one foot out of the plane. Turning back seems a very remote possibility. Im coming to peace with the choice... to a point.
I sure do hope the chute opens.
How was the process for you??
