Did you have a ''defining moment'' where you just knew you were done? (retired, years)
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My problem was, if you're a teacher or professor (as I was), you can't just have your "defining moment" and then give two weeks notice and be out of there.
If you're unfortunate enough to have your "defining moment" early in the academic year, you still have to complete the academic year according to your contract. You still have to be a professional, and show up, and do your job, for nine more months until you can retire.
I'll second that! I planned for my retirement since my early 30's. On my 59th birthday, I marched down to the Principal and handed in my letter that I would be retiring June 30th. Tears were running down my cheeks but I knew it was part of my plan.
LOL definitely yes, I had thought to retire this April when I was working at a job that gave me little satisfaction, had multiple duties piled upon duties and getting complaints from the supervisor that I wasn't doing enough. I had set my date 2 years ago for this coming April when I would have 30 years with my company.
However, I was fortunate enough that I was able to switch positions within the same company, with the same pay, reduced work load, with a wonderful supervisor. At that point, given these ideal circumstances, I planned to stay until age 65, at least.
Fast forward to this December, my DH and I experienced an exacerbation of various mild physical issues, I had a long break in December and realized that, no matter how much I was enjoying my new job, nothing beat being at home with DH, setting my own schedule, and basically doing what I pleased, when I pleased. That and the minor health issues convinced me that I WAS indeed going to trade in money for more time. In January I gave my notice that I would be retiring in April of this year and since I made the decision, I feel a weight of my shoulders. I have really enjoyed, for the most part, the 30 years that I have spent with my company but again, a sense of having my own time, no more waking up at 5 am and battling 2 hours of rush hour traffic make me feel my decision was correct. I will let you know more once I actually retire, just 22 more work days to go!
LOL definitely yes, I had thought to retire this April when I was working at a job that gave me little satisfaction, had multiple duties piled upon duties and getting complaints from the supervisor that I wasn't doing enough. I had set my date 2 years ago for this coming April when I would have 30 years with my company.
However, I was fortunate enough that I was able to switch positions within the same company, with the same pay, reduced work load, with a wonderful supervisor. At that point, given these ideal circumstances, I planned to stay until age 65, at least.
Fast forward to this December, my DH and I experienced an exacerbation of various mild physical issues, I had a long break in December and realized that, no matter how much I was enjoying my new job, nothing beat being at home with DH, setting my own schedule, and basically doing what I pleased, when I pleased. That and the minor health issues convinced me that I WAS indeed going to trade in money for more time. In January I gave my notice that I would be retiring in April of this year and since I made the decision, I feel a weight of my shoulders. I have really enjoyed, for the most part, the 30 years that I have spent with my company but again, a sense of having my own time, no more waking up at 5 am and battling 2 hours of rush hour traffic make me feel my decision was correct. I will let you know more once I actually retire, just 22 more work days to go!
Decision was made for me today by a reduction in force. Thankfully, I'm just 6 months from SS FRA and severance and unemployment will ride me through until then. Between SS, pension and TIRAs we have secured retirement lasting through age 100 (provided markets don't crash). Will do what we want to do now and not answer to THE MAN, schedule, vacation days, due dates, and alarm clock! It was a good ride but now time to enjoy the fruits and do what wife and I like doing.
Really enjoy this forum and have learned a lot from others sharing. Thanks so much.
Decision was made for me today by a reduction in force. Thankfully, I'm just 6 months from SS FRA and severance and unemployment will ride me through until then. Between SS, pension and TIRAs we have secured retirement lasting through age 100 (provided markets don't crash). Will do what we want to do now and not answer to THE MAN, schedule, vacation days, due dates, and alarm clock! It was a good ride but now time to enjoy the fruits and do what wife and I like doing.
Really enjoy this forum and have learned a lot from others sharing. Thanks so much.
Wow, what timing. I do hope you'll keep posting as you go through the changes from employment to retirement.
I was sitting on a bed in a hotel room in Albany, uncomfortable as hell with my bad back. I was spending my night doing an on-line course that our company required us to complete, only we had to do it in our "off" hours. Our wonderful company that we loved so much had been acquired by a foreign conglomerate about five years before, and it was all downhill from there. All they cared about was billable hours, not the employees or customer satisfaction. Constant re-organizations where we'd get shifted to lower-grade positions. Our company's executives were all pushed out, in favor of the new company's executives who just rotated in and out. I was killing myself with stress, working at nights and weekends, traveling which was tough on me physically, and for what? After 27 years at this place, I left and guess what -- they ended up selling off our division eventually anyway.
My plan was to retire at 65, it happened at 62 & half. Just could not take the abusive nature of a co-worker. There was not a day that he did not apologize to me or to someone else for his behavior or verbal ranting. Finally, we got a new manager, 2 weeks into her new job, he had verbal outburst with her & then began the apologizing. I waited it out another 2 weeks to see if he would get away with it with her, he did. I knew it would never change & couldn't face the idea of another 2 & half years of it. I gave my notice & I was done. NO regrets!
Of course there were small aggravations -- but the straw that broke the camel's back for me was 10 years ago when management installed a new computer program that made our job harder. And even though it really never worked well, they told us to get used to it, because too much money was spent on it, to UNdo it.
That's when I decided if they weren't interested in making my job easier -- and I'm the one who makes and disseminates the product that keeps us all employed, then I wasn't interested to caring about the job.
I didn't leave until two weeks ago (not retired, I took a voluntary RIF). But I stopped wanting to be there and stopped caring about the job -- YEEEARS ago.
I had a "defining moment" all right, but it had nothing to do with my job or retirement plans. About 12 years ago, my mom fell down a flight of stairs. Fortunately, while she was "banged up", she didn't have major injuries. I and two of my 3 sisters went to her city and talked with her, visited her doctor with her, and finally came to the conclusion that if we could persuade her to do so, she should move closer to two of the three of us in the area where I now live. After talking to my mom some more, I found her saying "If you will move, I will move." As it happened, I was just about at the length of service (30 years) that allowed me to take my pension at any age. It took me and my husband (who was already semi-retired) about another 1.5 years to make the move happen.
However, I was only 54 at the time and didn't feel that I should stop working full-time. So before we moved, I already had another full-time gig lined up. Working there turned out to be the biggest mistake I ever made. I quit after almost three years, when my husband started saying how he couldn't stand to see me that miserable. I only regret I stayed that long.
After about 6 weeks I picked up a part-time gig. That lasted about 2 years and was ended when my boss made a false accusation against me. I had learned that it was better to quit than to get miserable fighting it.
There followed 2 years of full retirement. Then someone I volunteered with suggested I apply for my present part-time job. It is just like a miracle! Love the people, love the work (easy!) and I even have summers off! Not sticking it out at the 2 miserable jobs left me open for this to happen.
Who knows what/when my next "defining moment" might be?
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