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.
I can tell stories of pre-retirement stress and maybe your situation will not seem to be so bad. Here is a very abbreviated list.
*A couple of months before listing my house for sale, the neighborhood flooded. The water table was 18" above the floor of my basement and did not subside for 3 months. Every house in the neighborhood had sump pumps emptying into the streets. I had 4 pumps going and still had water seeping into the basement.
*My wife was a packrat and partly due to illness she could not face downsizing and was slow in letting go and preparing to move.
*Work got harder and more stressful. I seemed to be tied down to a commute and workday that typically lasted 12 or more hours.
*We finally got the house on the market and it actually sold within 3 months. Of course, then we had a long 3 months waiting for the buyers to qualify for a loan.
*Probably due to all the stress I developed sinusitis that I could not shake. The medications made me tired and it was harder than ever to function.
*We finally closed on the house and moved into our RV preparing to travel. The first day my wife fell off the steps while moving in and needed physical therapy for several weeks. While waiting for my wife to heal, I suffered a one and only attack of gout. I cannot begin to describe the pain.
It was a great feeling when we finally got on the road and started to visit some of the nation's most scenic areas. My wife and I hardly ever mention the pre-retirement time. It is not something we ever want to remember.
I am 6 months away; well 7 but the last month will be my remaining vacation time.
Things are going well but I find myself very anxious and stressed. Potential reasons:
1. My company just did a huge downsizing. I wasn't affected but I could be. I tell myself "what does it matter, I am so close" but still the work environment is oppressive.
2. Finances are going well - most of my goals met. So that shouldn't be a stressor.
3. Location - Moving to the Philippines with my Filipina wife. I love it there.
4. What to do in retirement - I have plenty of hobbies and passions.
5. Getting rid of the crap - It's continues to fly out of my house, which I plan to list for sale next April-May.
I was anticipating that I would be excited by this phase of life but I find myself stressed and believing that I cannot work another 6 months. Now I am thinking maybe end of year, and yet even 4 months sounds oppressively impossible to complete. I feel like the athlete who cannot make the finish line.
I suspect that the stress is based on the facts that there are still many things to do and decide and that I tend to worry about those things that might go wrong. I even find myself worried that I will have a health problem before I get to the finish line, despite the fact that I am in good health.
I think I need to take a deep breath and have a glass of wine! Thanks for listening!
There is actually a name for it. STE--short term employment. Your heart is no longer with the company. I would say that is better than having a hard time leaving.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,786 posts, read 58,271,470 times
Reputation: 46288
Hang in there 7 more months,
take the money and RUN!
You are fortunate to have the extra time to plan and execute.
4 of us read the book "Dying Broke", basically... You are on the downhill, just come in and work the REQUIRED job, no more work stress.
2 of the 4 of us took it to heart and had a great exit / last few months.
We did more 'personal jobs' and NO MORE dying on the sword for the company. One guy built a very nice motorized telescope stand / Observatory style ! rotating / inclining chair and cameras. (while at work) That was 20 yrs ago and is still being used tonight!
Nose to the grindstone 'work' would have not allowed the 'freedom' that the final few months availed. We even got RAISES because we were no longer causing tension.
It was a great feeling when we finally got on the road and started to visit some of the nation's most scenic areas. My wife and I hardly ever mention the pre-retirement time. It is not something we ever want to remember.
Thanks for remembering it for me. I guess the takeaway is that despite all the rotten things that happened, you made it. So we will I am sure.
... Really nice thread, here ... And helpful! Thanks to everyone for your contributions.
Our "plan" (such as it is) is for me to retire within the next 7-9 months, too. DW has yet to decide on when she will "pull the cord", but her career-situation is deteriorating, and she may do so sooner than she planned.
Thankfully (I guess), my job is a contract situation, where the employer can pull the plug anytime they feel like. That has given me similar feelings to those expressed here, but possibly with a little less stress, since I have no "skin in the game" - I just put in time and do my job; no medical; no pension; no vacation / sick time.
I began the "veiled notice" to co-workers back at around "720-Days" (Calendar days) - Letting them know that Ol' Tom will be leaving in 2017. At that point, I was unsure just-when it would be.
Then, this Summer, I've upgraded the 'count' to "360-Days" - That let the co-workers know that time is marching on. Managers / Directors / VPs may or may not have a clue about it; I don't care.
Now ... Barring any unforeseen issues with my managers needing to actually "manage" me, I can plan a more-specific date; probably some time around the end of May, or into June. Since all I'll be doing is quitting the job, no real advance notice will be required. I'll "do the right thing" and offer two weeks' notice, but when I do, they'll probably walk me out the door that day.
I have yet to actually make "retirement plans" for what I'll do after stopping working, but I don't believe I'll have too much trouble coming-up with stuff to do. I've been a musician since age 8 (63 years!), and may be able to find a small band to play with, or possibly take-up a new instrument.
And then, there's the planning-for-relocation. After reading y'all's impressions, I can most-likely look forward to doing many of the relocation planning things that y'all are going through.
DW's situation is a little worse than mine, since she works for a technically-competent manager who should never have been promoted to manage people. Long-story-short: DW is back working for this manager again, and is now threatening to put in for her retirement as early as next Summer ... And I'm fine with that.
As someone else said: "Retire Early - Retire Often"! ...
My institution let me retire gradually over a 4-year period. I retired at 72. There was never any stress about retirement, before hand. However, even though i was working 1/2-time for the last 1.5 years, the new 0-time life took some adjusting to and there was some stress. I beat it by manual labor in the summer. (I have a small summer cottage). In the winter, I have an exercise schedule.
I hear what your saying about not being able to take it anymore. I'm in that same boat.
I have this little retirement countdown clock that just went under 200 days. Breaking that down, with weekends, holidays, and vacations it's a mere 125 or so work days until my target date of March 31, 2017. That makes it a little better, but truthfully, I am 100% burned out.
The only reason I still drag my sorry self into to work is for the money, which is good. What I'll make between now and the end of March is semi-significant and will make life in retirement a little easier, so I stick around only for that.
In some ways, I think the closer you get to your date, the more difficult it becomes to finally make it across the finish line. At least the end is near and the best thing you can do is think about that and make the best of the working time you have left.
For money purposes just consider what you are guaranteed coming in every month and go from there. Looking at it that way I'm sure many will see they could walk away tomorrow and not have a big financial impact.
Here's something else to consider. One to a casket and a hearse doesn't have a luggage rack. Just get the mindset of when you have more years behind you than in front of you it's time to start living. Go fishing.
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.
