CaliforniaMan
Full time employment: Posting here.
Hello All!
Been reading posts here for the past few months and been very impressed with the posting civility and depth of experience and expertise of the members. Decided to join so I could join in the fun, maybe post some questions and learn something new.
I am getting ready to slow down, or switch gears, or something early next year. Do a bit less work, a bit more travel, some writing, some guitar, and maybe do, what do you call it, retire
I am, however, a bit concerned with how I will adapt to the change.
I've been a full time self employed software consultant, embedded systems, for well over 30 years now. Always enjoyed each new project, got to learn new things, work with people much smarter than me, travel to interesting places. I tended to look for the high stress difficult projects, think I really used to get high on the stress. I would get depressed when the stress lowered, and pumped up when someone said "no that can't be done like that".
But now I find that the excitement of doing new projects fading, the need to prove myself gone, tiring of dealing with the marketing, the posturing, the BS, you know all the aggravating things that go along with doing the engineering fun stuff.
Like a most of the people here I have always been pretty frugal, now no debt, mortgaged paid, married, kids grown. Always maxed out my tax advantaged retirement savings. So, lo and behold, now find I can pretty much maintain my current actual spending without working. Therefore, as my current project winds down, I won't be winding up anything new. I guess I will be retired.
Like a lot of the people here, I am an indexer, I never sold any stocks in the last decline, or during any other decline during the past 30+ years. Was 100% stocks most of the time, but as retirement time grew closer started putting new funds into bonds. Which brings me to where I am now, 70% stocks, 30% bonds, where I will probably stay unless bond yields get much better.
But that gets me to the point of my quandary. I have always been driven by deadlines, what I had to do for my clients, or marketing to get new jobs. I wonder now, with these pressures gone, if I will find the same kind of drive and adventure on my own. After I travel, will I tire of it? Will my wife? I could resume playing guitar. I could start some new business, actually thinking about doing some NGO stuff abroad, but will I still have the drive? After such a long time with my work being such a big part of everything, how can I make the transition?
Don't mean to sound like I am complaining, nothing to complain about really.
Just would love to hear some advice from those here who have been in similar situations, how you adjusted or didn't. What you suggest.
Hope to hear from you and thanks for listening,
Best Regards to All
Been reading posts here for the past few months and been very impressed with the posting civility and depth of experience and expertise of the members. Decided to join so I could join in the fun, maybe post some questions and learn something new.
I am getting ready to slow down, or switch gears, or something early next year. Do a bit less work, a bit more travel, some writing, some guitar, and maybe do, what do you call it, retire
I am, however, a bit concerned with how I will adapt to the change.I've been a full time self employed software consultant, embedded systems, for well over 30 years now. Always enjoyed each new project, got to learn new things, work with people much smarter than me, travel to interesting places. I tended to look for the high stress difficult projects, think I really used to get high on the stress. I would get depressed when the stress lowered, and pumped up when someone said "no that can't be done like that".
But now I find that the excitement of doing new projects fading, the need to prove myself gone, tiring of dealing with the marketing, the posturing, the BS, you know all the aggravating things that go along with doing the engineering fun stuff.
Like a most of the people here I have always been pretty frugal, now no debt, mortgaged paid, married, kids grown. Always maxed out my tax advantaged retirement savings. So, lo and behold, now find I can pretty much maintain my current actual spending without working. Therefore, as my current project winds down, I won't be winding up anything new. I guess I will be retired.
Like a lot of the people here, I am an indexer, I never sold any stocks in the last decline, or during any other decline during the past 30+ years. Was 100% stocks most of the time, but as retirement time grew closer started putting new funds into bonds. Which brings me to where I am now, 70% stocks, 30% bonds, where I will probably stay unless bond yields get much better.
But that gets me to the point of my quandary. I have always been driven by deadlines, what I had to do for my clients, or marketing to get new jobs. I wonder now, with these pressures gone, if I will find the same kind of drive and adventure on my own. After I travel, will I tire of it? Will my wife? I could resume playing guitar. I could start some new business, actually thinking about doing some NGO stuff abroad, but will I still have the drive? After such a long time with my work being such a big part of everything, how can I make the transition?
Don't mean to sound like I am complaining, nothing to complain about really.
Just would love to hear some advice from those here who have been in similar situations, how you adjusted or didn't. What you suggest.
Hope to hear from you and thanks for listening,
Best Regards to All
