@Bruce wonderful thoughts, the ones I liked best 'is doing work you believe has enduring value, and of the need for down time to keep work from being the force driving you.' In the corporate world you have to do what they think is the best for their business and reputation Weekends from two to five days !!! The biggest challenge will be the spouse seeing me around all day ?
Thanks for the words of wisdom ! It surely helps On Tue, Sep 23, 2014 at 11:10 AM, Bruce A. Metcalf <bruce.metc...@figzu.com> wrote: > Sandhya aka Sandy wrote: > > At the brink of yet another huge restructure in my company, I'm beginning >> to tire of it. Just a wee bit. Quite a lot, actually. While I no longer >> look for logic in the actions of a big company, these restructures and >> their ensuing impact are really getting old. And perhaps, so am I. :) >> >> So I had a long hard look at my financials and by overhauling my world, >> retiring from corporate life is in the realm of possibility. Not retiring >> from productive life - there are a million, zillion things I'd like to do >> and I can probably consult as well. >> >> What do you think? Those who've been there, done that. Those who're >> considering it and haven't yet taken the plunge. Those with feet planted >> firmly on the ground. And any others in between. Thoughts, advice, >> comments? >> > > It is interesting timing -- I am reading this less than three hours after > the end of last shift -- I retired today after fifteen years with the same > company, the longest I have lasted anywhere by a factor of two. > > Money hasn't been an issue for me. I retired in 1998 with a modest income > and almost no debt. Today, improvements in my investments leave me very > comfortable indeed. But financial considerations were not a part of my > decision to retire, just as they had not been reasons to keep working. > > When I first retired, I wasn't ready for the additional time, nor were my > spouse and I ready to spend quite so much time in close proximity to one > another. I held out for ten months, then took a part-time job at Walt > Disney World operating their steam trains. After a time I moved to a hotel > where I've spent the last decade, two days per week. > > During this time, which I now see as a transition period, I've come up > with a lot more to do with my time. I'm now the head of a non-profit > historical society, am launching a supper club, and I still have the dreams > I retired with (if only I can get rid of enough Stuff to make room for it). > > Fifteen more years has also given me some perspective on the importance of > doing work you believe has enduring value, and of the need for down time to > keep work from being the force driving you. I'm not sure how reasonable it > is to claim I have matured somewhat between 45 and 60, but I find that my > priorities are markedly different today. > > It takes great courage to leap into the unknown without a fat bankroll, > and this is perhaps a choice best left to those entrepreneurs who need that > adrenaline kick of having to perform or starve. I ain't one of them. > > My "part-time era" turns out to have been a good way for me to transition > to retirement, as I have expanded my "weekends" from two to five days, I > have found ways to structure them to my taste (including just a bit of > chaos). That done, converting those last two days should be easy. I don't > know if this is a path you would find attractive, but it's not too > difficult to give it a try; perhaps even without leaving your current > employer. > > I think a key point is to consider retirement in place at first, as > opposed to retirement to some sangria-la or worse, an old-folks home. Build > a post-employment life first, because until you know what shape and size > that life will take, you won't be able to choose the right size or location > for a different abode. > > Remember that it's not a one-way lane, and particularly in the early > years, you should be alert to signs you've chosen sub-optimally, and make > adjustments. > > You have my best wishes for finding a choice that works for you. I sure > hope I have. > > Regards, > Bruce > > -- Cheers ! *** Valsa
