Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Besides the freedom retirement provides; for me, I can finally be myself.
By that I mean, in the corporate world I inhabited, they pretty much expected us to act like Stepford Employees. The powers-that-be felt they could dictate how we dressed; how we talked (company-type lingo); how we acted during meetings; how we interacted with others; what we could, and could not have displayed in our cubicles; and even how we 'behaved' when we weren't at work.
I understand the need for company policies, but that place was beyond ridiculous.
Last edited by katie45; 08-08-2012 at 09:05 AM..
Reason: typo
Location: Finally escaped The People's Republic of California
11,314 posts, read 8,655,857 times
Reputation: 6391
Quote:
Originally Posted by Janeace
I could retire in less than a year with a pension and medical insurance. Had a day off from work yesterday and went shopping and did chores. Thought to myself...is this what retirement is like? It might be better to go to work forever. There is structure there, people to talk to, gossip with and laugh with. The people at work say, you are so lucky you can retire. And I wonder how lucky am I really? What am I missing?
Sounds like you were missing work....in a nutshell, your not ready to retire...
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,722 posts, read 58,054,000 times
Reputation: 46185
Quote:
Originally Posted by Caladium
^ My guess is what is missing is your desire to retire. Although it appeals to me, it's not for everyone.
Yep, nothing to worry about... You're not ready yet. Enjoy whatever works for you. Thank goodness we are all different. I really never had time for work, ever since I started 3 jobs at age 15 and had 99 equivalent yrs of FT service when I pulled the plug at age 49.
I don't miss work one minute, tho I had the BEST engaging bunch of coworkers, and do miss them. (not enough to DESIRE / find time for WORK).
Can't say I have ever been bored, and I can CERTAINLY say I haven't even had time to be bored since early retirement.
Things change in life... You'll know when your ready to retire. It can often come at your annual review when you get an irresistible urge to sing the famous Johnny Paycheck song...
Or you may read the book "Dying Broke" That was effective for 2 of my coworkers.
Agree with other posters who say you may not be ready yet. If you still enjoy your work and enjoy GOING to work, then, you aren't ready to retire.
I had the sudden realization a couple days ago that I'm ready to set a date. I looked at my pension plan and I looked at my 401K and I've run a couple of "planner" scenarios. I'm 52 and I intend to go at 55 + 3 months (in about 33 months). I have a specific desire (want to move near my son and his growing family) and be an involved grandparent. I have lots of hobbies and already have a few friends in my son & DIL's community. Hubby isn't ready to retire yet, but we already live in separate communities most of the time due to his job, so he will continue to work until he's ready to pull the plug, and then he can join me. His income during those 2 or 3 extra years will help ease the transition to retirement income, as well as pay medical insurance premiums.
Basically - I think everyone else is right when they say "you will know when its time to retire". Good luck!
If you are happy with your life this way, then you don't need to justify it to anyone and I can see why you would question why retirement is better than working. In the event your post is to solicit advice, however, then I have some: Start preparing now for the day when you will not be working, because it will come. Find hobbies and people who interest you and get involved now. You will then be retiring to something other than a void.
Everyone is different, as I'm sure you know. I greatly enjoyed my job. It took me around the world to tackle challenging projects and I made many friends in the decades I worked there. At the same time, I still "worked to live" as opposed to "lived to work." Outside of work, I enjoyed travel, hobbies, social clubs, volunteering and spending time with friends. During my entire career, I financially prepared for the earliest retirement I could finagle so I could spend more time doing doing the things I enjoy. The positive things I got from my career (intellectual challenge and social connection) are as easy to get "out here" as they are in the workplace. For me they are even better, however, because I do them on my own schedule and I do not have a boss re-orering my priorities.
And I have a final word or two about friends. We moved 1500 miles two days after retirement to a city where we didn't know a soul. We have made new friends. But we have kept the true friendships from our old home alive. We have re-visited them and many have made the visit to stay with us here. Also, I have a work friend who retired about 15 years ago. Prior to our move out of town, during those years, we met very few weeks for lunch. Retirement does not mean the end of friendships. She is planning a trip here, as well.
Best of luck!
Bravo, and nicely written! So many profound points in this post, I don't know how to pick a favorite.
I absolutely agree that if you're happy working, why not continue doing it? I certainly don't want to talk the OP into doing something if the time isn't right for him yet. As another poster pointed out, you'll know when the time is right to retire--until then might as well enjoy your job and making some money.
At the same time I also agree with jm02 that people tend to change their minds about things like this--so a very good plan is to use this time to prepare. Start finding leisure activities you enjoy and making friends outside of work before that day comes.
When my parents both died in the last year, the family did fall apart. They were the glue that held the family together. Without them, there is no family, although I have lots of siblings. I have no children. My husband works. My only interest outside of work is going to exercise classes a couple times a week. Friends are work friends.
If you have a good relationship with your sibs, perhaps you could become the person that holds the family together. You're right, there does seem to always be one person who initiates family gatherings, etc. - why can't that person be you now that your parents are gone.
When you retire, to some degree you have to re-invent yourself. I retired 3 years ago, about 4 months before my DH. We were going to move once he retired, so for the first 4 months I didn't get involved with much, because I knew we were moving. I did enjoy that time as a period of de-stressing, and I'm the type of person who has lots of interests to keep me busy.
Once we moved, I got involved with volunteering, going to classes, etc. It takes awhile to find the things you will enjoy - you try some things and if you don't like them, move on to something else. Absolutely love my life now. But as Curmudgeon said, one day off from work is not the same as being retired - it takes some time to de-stress and find activities and people you enjoy. Perhaps it would be helpful to start thinking now of what you would do when you retire - is there an interest you never had time for when you were working or a class just for fun you would enjoy? There's a whole world out there to explore beyond the work world.
I find the original post to be very sad. The OP is seemingly not ready to retire. However, that's just kicking the proverbial can down the road. At some point retirement will come. Maybe not for many years, but it will be there.
Work friends are different than true friends. If friendship is based only on proximity during the day and spending lunch break with them, then that's not friendship- that's casual acquaintances. Friends are the people that bring dinner over or offer to go food shopping for you when you're sick in bed or to sit with you at night while hubby is in hospital having an operation.
No hobbies, no interests, absolutely nothing in the world that you would like to do, no physical or intellectual pursuits ? No enjoyment in working around the outside of the house. Nothing you ever wanted to do but never had time to do because you were working--Then you're going to have a very miserable retirement.
Parents have passed- condolences . But that's the progression of life. Step up to the plate and call siblings. Have BBQ's or whatever in nice weather. You be the one to have holiday dinner. Invite them over just for the sake of seeing them. Guess what- you and your siblings are the adults now. Let the children have the pleasure of growing close to their cousins. If no one has the will or the ambition, if it's just too much trouble, then yes, the family will fall apart. But that's a choice.
The sense that there is nothing to do if not working has nothing to do with retirement- that has to do with you. You don't seem to have ever developed a life. You're skimming the surface- --- go to work, come home, take care of the house, sleep, repeat.
Enjoying life and having a life other than work has to come from within. But your day off forewarned you - what you do about from now until retirement it is up to you.
I could retire in less than a year with a pension and medical insurance. Had a day off from work yesterday and went shopping and did chores. Thought to myself...is this what retirement is like? It might be better to go to work forever. There is structure there, people to talk to, gossip with and laugh with. The people at work say, you are so lucky you can retire. And I wonder how lucky am I really? What am I missing?
What you're missing is the fact that when you actually retire, it takes a period of time (months for me) to transition to your non-working attitude & disposition. You can't just take a day off and wonder if that is what retirement is like. After the transition from the "working & career" mindset to the "retired" mindset, you may see things differently (or you may not). The key is that a single day of not working is not really a clue to what retirement is really like. Some people are defined by their work and are unwilling to let go of that perception. They will generally work themselves to death or have health issues when something changes in their employment picture and causes severe stress which happens all too often these days.
I figured it out for myself the hard way after an industry downturn, two layoffs, and two heart attacks. Now I'm "me" again and not what my "career" dictated as it did for 37 years. It's good to be back!
You seem to enjoy working, stay there.
enjoy what you enjoy
BUT you have the option to retire (in time)
You have a pension/insurance coming
I assume you can retire nicely.
So if work gets to point, different boss, work friends leave, company gets bought, closes
that you do not enjoy anymore
Retire, and start the next phase of your life
Hopefully you will enjoy that to, no work, yes work
You have choices, right now, choose to work
later you may choose to retire or go half way
So many people MUST work at a hated job because they cannot retire for whatever reason
Or others are forced to retire, medical or job related.
So I say enjoy what you are doing, get paid for it.
Sounds like a excellent pre-retirement to me
If things get bad at work, retire then
Just because you can afford to retire, doesn't mean you should. If you're one of the lucky minority who enjoy the work they do, you should count your blessings, I'd keep doing it as long as it brings you satisfaction.
Some people retire and fill their time meaningfully with ease, others are completely lost by the lack of structure and the loss off social interaction that work can provide. Most people fall somewhere in between.
I retired a year ago and have no regrets about leaving that career/job. But I find there are advantages and disadvantages to work and retirement. I have not ruled out going back to work at an encore career, but it's nice to have options (don't have to work any more).
People have been known to retire just because they thought they were supposed to at some age, portfolio $, or other - only to become bored or even depressed. No matter who you are, you owe it to yourself to think about 'what will I do all day' before you retire. If reading would help, I'd recommend How to Retire Happy, Wild & Free by Zelinski or Work Less, Live More by Clyatt.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
