Why quit?

[GTM]

Poll is geared to those who are financially OK, have retired or want to retire young.

What is the motivating reason?

 

[Cut-Throat]

I answered that the job kept me from doing other things.

IOW - Following my own adgenda, instead of Corporate Leaders' Agendas.

 

[wabmester]

Hated the commute, not much more room for growth, and turned 40 -- time to go a little crazy.

 

[REWahoo]

Other = All the above.

 

[Eagle43]

Ditto. Other, All of the above.

 

[Outtahere]

Keeps me from doing what I want, commute is horrible, tired of employee whinning, tired of getting up at 4:30am, dh is 63 and I'd like to spend time with him. I could go on but we all know the reasons we either already have or want to RE.

 

[Spanky]

Still working .. however, one of the main reasons would be sick and tired of politics.

 

[snowbird]

Other - Still working

Main reason is family longevity & company elimination of health benefits starting 1/1/07. Had planned to retire on 1/27/06 but I'm working a dealwith the company to work out of my vacation home in Florida 7 months next year.

Pete

 

[Dawg52]

Other = All the above.

Same here.

 

[Spanky]

Another reason is an unsupportive boss. My wife recently receives her performance review in which her boss makes the comment that she need to develop plans and schedules in a more realistic manner. She is very unhappy about that statement (or criticism) since she has been consistently ahead of schedule on every tasks and one of them was "too" early. That "way-too" early completion was the basis for the criticism. The customer was not ready or prepared to take delivery since they (the customer) had anticipated a later completion date and voiced their dissatification. At the time of the completion, her boss was very pleased at first but turned sour after the customer's complaint.

 

[acg]

Today is my last day of work. I decided the time is right to ER at 48. I've worked smart for 34 years. Often worked long and hard Made good money and some bad. Everything has a price. Even security. How much is enough? Is enough, really enough? I decided I have enuf...

Money is an excellent servant but a terrible master.

The work environment has changed dramatically. Working for someone else, you are just as good as the numbers you produce, in fact, you yourself are just a number. And whatever you do, it isn't good enough (Time to raise the bar!) Perhaps it has always been that way. There is no more loyalty and the corporate greed thing (and American consumerism vis a vis today's geo-politics) can make one ill. Time to get off the treadmill.

No better than working for yourself, yeah, it is The American Dream and does give one a sense of independence and being your own boss...all with a price. Been there, done that too.

Now, seeing the state of world affairs and what is going down with the little guy (Northwest, Delphi, just the beginning)...it seems useless to continue to be a wage slave and pay taxes to a system that is broken in this New World Order. Where will it end? People are already making decisions to buy medication or buy food, to buy gas or stay warm...they will be loosing their homes and everything they have worked for. Sounds pretty depressing.

Yeah, we are transitioning into a global economy...pushing democracy into places where it isn't wanted.

Geez, what to do now? I think I'll go to Thailand and become a monk!

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/india2/briefing.html



"If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. No use being a fool about it."

 

[SteveR]

ACG, Congratulations on your LAST DAY of bondage!

The working environment in MegaCorp has indeed changed over the past 20-30 years. I have been in some level of management for over 30 years and I agree with you 100% that the bar gets raised every year and that many managers set arbitrary expectations on the job and frequently suprise you with them at merit increase (performance appraisal) time. The system has been contaminated by politics, HR dim-wittedness, individual ignorance, mis-guided leadership and down right nastiness by some managers.

Enjoy your last day of this crap knowing that it will end today. You will be free and you can detox from the caustic environment with which you have had to endure for these many years.

Welcome to ER and FI. You are starting on the next great adventure in your life.

 

[template]

The work environment has changed dramatically. .. And whatever you do, it isn't good enough (Time to raise the bar!)

When my former company's execs said they were "raising the bar," I felt like smacking them with it!

Congrats on your early retirement.

 

[SteveR]

When my former company's execs said they were "raising the bar," I felt like smacking them with it! 

Raising the Bar means making the worker Bee gather more honey during the workday. If it takes them a few more hours a day then so bee it. (Sorry :).

Being a manager means being mandated to enforce this crap. I now choose to do so in my own way. My boss wants me here more than he wants blind compliance to corp. mandates for useless HR BS. So, until that changes.....I am happy to do the job MY way.

"It's good to be the king.." Mel Brooks....

 

[Mountain_Mike]

F R E E D O M !!!!

 

[Spanky]

Geez, what to do now? I think I'll go to Thailand and become a monk!

Retirement at Thailand, India and possibly Maylasia is not a bad idea since it is affordable and healthcare is improving.

 

[peggy]

I had to choose "Other" because "All of the above" isn't an option.

I get bored easily at work, which leads to my not liking the job.

I have a hobby I'm passionate about and want to spend more time on; the job keeps me from doing that.

I want to relocate, but that's not as important as the other factors.

And, honestly, I'm bloody tired of selling my time to someone else.

 

[Martha]

All true but the boring part. My job is never boring.

 

[sgeeeee]

I chose, "The job keps me from doing other things" which was the primary reason. Travel is one of the main things my job kept me from doing.
I never had a boring job. And I always liked certain aspects of my job while stongly disliking other aspects. Finding a way to get an acceptable balance was sometimes difficult. That's when I would switch jobs.

 

[tryan]

Today is my last day of work. I decided the time is right to ER at 48.

Acg,

Congrats! A rare acheivment!.

Had to say JOB KEEPS ME FROM DOING OTHER THINGS ... could have stayed another couple years (didn't hate it). But it wasn't in the cards.

Haven't missed it. No longer know what day it is ... that's different. Been busy with all the things I never had time for ... that's what it's all about!

 

[MJ]

F R E E D O M !!!!

Be careful MM, that was the cry before he got his head chopped off.

acg, escaping the work asylum is exhilarating and one of life's highs.

Cheers,

MJ

 

[astromeria]

I said Other. I couldn't seem to concentrate on work any more--it was no longer important to me, and I felt that my writers deserved a more engaged editor. Also, the company has been a wild roller coaster ride for years--at first mostly zooming up, but lately taking great leaps downward. I was no longer coping so well with that. On top of that, I've never liked doing anyone else's bidding since childhood, unless it was fun Plus, I have an elderly mother who now lives next door, a daughter's wedding coming up, and a lovely beach to walk on. Not to mention that now that my husband is teaching and gets 4 months of vacation, I want to do stuff with him instead of work over the summer and winter breaks--without asking for permission to take time off. But mainly I like having more time to do my own thing...hang out online, read, see people, do a little volunteer work, and just...muse!

 

[Repairmanjack]

I had a high stress career I loved but the team I was leading was outsourced. I was offered a promotion leading a team where one of the members, a horrible trouble maker, was sleeping with the VP. I looked at my 401k and headed for the door. It took me a week to completely forget what 27 years in a high stress career had once meant to me.

 

[kayelem]

Yesterday was my last day at MegaCorp!

I was with that employer for 18.5 years, I'm 46. Things have changed so much over the last 20 years. My problem is that I was a lazy perfectionist. Meaning that I didn't really like to work, but if I had responsibility it was handled right. Which led me to working 60-80 hour weeks the last 5 years.

Then they changed the rules of the game...no raises, no promotions, downsizing....but guess what? You are still expected to keep up that 60-80 hour/week schedule. What killed me was having to be enthusiastic and "cheerlead" my employees when I was not so excited about the company's prospects.

I have been planning this day for almost a year. Walked away from some serious option money (would have had to stay another 6 months and I have enough). I've got so many things that I want to do, can't wait to get started.

 

[Martha]

Yesterday was my last day at MegaCorp!

Congratulations! You too have now moved to the other side. I am getting envious of all the people who have ERed lately.