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I knew a couple or three years before I retired, when I would do so. I didn't think too much about it until that last year. But during the previous couple of years, we took some nice vacations. And I took time off to attend to my mom who was having cognitive troubles. (I was so lucky to be able to sick leave for that!)
During that last year, we took one long vacation early on, and then I just hung in. I began making preparations for leaving, only telling people who had to know at first. I really did count the months down. I was forced to attend a couple of meetings right at the end; I just wanted to be left alone by that time. I had to do some scheduling for my boss, because my replacement was not waiting in the wings. I think what got me through was handling things step by step. We had a bit of a crisis which I ended up managing, and that took a lot of energy and thought. Eventually I was a month away, and my jobs increased right up until the end. But on my next to the last day, I deleted my emails and files from my computer. Saved only the paper files needed for my replacement, gave a couple of things away, and ultimately left at noon on my last day. That last day was very emotional for me. I was quite wound up.
I think planning vacations, and taking things at work step by step helps one get through this. You definitely don't want to leave a mess for the people you leave behind. I was proud of how I left. It was important that I do the process properly--and I did.
I'm curious what Garrison Keillor said. I'm in the situation of still loving the work I do, but absolutely hating the job environment that has evolved. I'm hoping to find inspiration, either to retire or to shift focus.
After his presentation, he entertained questions from the audience. One woman asked how he managed his time as the author of something like 17 books, signing events, talks like we'd just heard from him and a weekly radio show,A Prairie Home Companion for which he hadn't missed a single broadcast in about 35 years.
Garrison held out both his hands and said one day he was thinking about that and in his mind he gathered up all the activities and obligations he no longer enjoyed, and the people as well, and placed them in one hand. In the other her gathered up all those things and people he still valued and wanted to retain. After thinking about it some more he let go of everything in his first hand and which has left him plenty of time for everything and everyone in his second hand, and for himself as well.
After the presentation my wife and I walked home (we lived downtown) and as we did so I thought about what I'd just heard. As soon as we walked through the door of our home I asked my wife if she remembered what Garrison has said about time management. She nodded. I told her I no longer enjoyed my job. She nodded again. Then I told her that the following day, a Thursday in June, I was giving my employer six month's notice and retiring the end of December. She said, "Good!" And I did.
After the presentation my wife and I walked home (we lived downtown) and as we did so I thought about what I'd just heard. As soon as we walked through the door of our home I asked my wife if she remembered what Garrison has said about time management. She nodded. I told her I no longer enjoyed my job. She nodded again. Then I told her that the following day, a Thursday in June, I was giving my employer six month's notice and retiring the end of December. She said, "Good!" And I did.
Isn't that what they call an "Aha! moment"?
Good advice, thanks for sharing.
OP, I know exactly what you're talking about. I'm about a year away from retirement, and I am counting it down. I'm still fully focused on work while I'm there, but I cannot wait until I get out of there. Like you, I don't care about advancement, I don't care about improving, I just want some smooth sailing without a bunch of changes until I can stop. I'm ready to move on to the next phase. So close and yet so far away.
I guess what keeps me going is that I look at it like this: I am putting the finishing touches on my retirement, and every day I go into work I am putting in one more brick, and putting the final dollars in.
Yes!
We are about a year away too and DH likes to quote Hadrian (via Seabiscuit) when a year feels so far away. -Brick by brick, my citizens, brick by brick.
25 to life...ugh! I feel the same way with 3-5 years to go on my sentence...lol
It does seem like that sometimes. We've got about a year left.
DH works for a bunch of DB's and says he feels like Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption lately. The part where he's crawling through the nasty sewer pipe with his bag of belongings tied to his leg.
DH says that he knows there's light at the end of the tunnel and he'll come out golden on the other end, but the last bit is gag producing.
He cracks me up!
Yeah, we can't wait!!
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