Relaxation is good

i did not know how stressed and tired I have been. Took my first vacation in 20 years. If you have not done, I strong recommend a few days off.

On their deathbed, nobody ever said they wish they had worked more.

20 years is way too long!

Cnorm said:

On their deathbed, nobody ever said they wish they had worked more.

20 years is way too long!

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You are not kidding. I am taking more time off.

I'll probably regret not pushing harder and getting more done with the cars and comics. But that's not exactly the employment type of work.

As my brother would say, you are a long time dead. Make sure you enjoy some of your time on Earth when living. Glad you got a break.

I helped run one of our production facilities as a manager for 4-5 years, then went back to being an individual contributor.

Man, having my nights and weekends back, being able to just leave, having vacations that don't result in 3x work when I get back....

Worth every single cent.

After working 27 years, my wife and I finally took 2 weeks back to back of vacation. It was the best 2 weeks of my life. Being a debt slave has us chasing better cars, clothes, houses, phones, etc. , as we squander our precious time left in our lives. Advertising daily brainwashes us to believe that what we have is not good enough and that we need something nicer, faster, lighter, etc. We convince ourselves that no one else can do what we do, and that the company needs us to be totally committed to their success.
I will live with deep regret for working excessive hours in my youth, in retrospect, missing most of my 2 kids childhood. Our failed educational system needs to teach the youth the important aspects of life that elderly people have learned.

Careful, you may get used to it!

(...not a bad thing, BTW)

My work schedule is due to a military life and upper level command. I am on of the deputy commanders and chief medical officers for one of the large medical centers in the military. I am constantly on the go and I am on call 24/7. I just did not know the toll it was taking on me psychiatrically and physically.

I have already scheduled my next period of leave.

cwbullet said:

My work schedule is due to a military life and upper level command. I am on of the deputy commanders and chief medical officers for one of the large medical centers in the military. I am constantly on the go and I am on call 24/7. I just did not know the toll it was taking on me psychiatrically and physically.

I have already scheduled my next period of leave.

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Good for you!

Steve Shannon said:

Good for you!

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I found that I cannot continue on the pace I was performing. Overworking yourself is bad for you, your family, your cowrokers, and just about anyone you can imagine.

I agree, I think it's break time for me also. But 20 years! I think a hard worker is a understatement for you sir! You deserve a dedicated worker award or something.

I am a workaholic. No questions about it. It has cost me much. Poor health, lost family and relationships.
I have not spoken to any of my first family children in better than 20 years! They all live within 30 minutes of me.
They grew up not even knowing me.
I had a very demanding job at a major corporation. Lay offs were happening and there was no way I could afford that.
I performed the duties of three or more people on a daily basis. One afternoon an incident with a co worker left me highly agitated. That evening at home I could not calm down, nor relax. I spent the night with my heart racing, and in a cold sweat.
The next day I went to see my Doc. She laid it out for me. I was 37 years old and had all the symptoms of a pending heart attack. Not an “if” but “when”. She said if I kept it at the pace I was going it would be within 30 days.
A major wake up call, meds and a talk with a very understanding manager I was able to slow down.
I am still at the same company, now in QA. More demanding, and I still work too much.
Last April I took 35 days and went to Israel to visit SIL and family.
Since I came back I’ve still worked 10 hour days, but cut the weekends back somewhat.
I’ve found I am kinda getting used to Mon/Fri work week.
I know where you stand and coming from a family heavily involved in medicine, I probably understand more than most.
Take care CW. You will be in my thoughts.

CW, I hear you. Taking leave in the military is almost a penalty—have to make up for time and work missed upon return and that is always painful. Sometimes damned if you do or do not...but it still has to be taken. All work and no play makes CW a dull soldier, right?

I am about to start terminal leave in Oct and will take plenty of time between this 28.6 year AF career and the next, 2.0 professional life. Need the reset...

Viperfixr said:

CW, I hear you. Taking leave in the military is almost a penalty—have to make up for time and work missed upon return and that is always painful. Sometimes damned if you do or do not...but it still has to be taken. All work and no play makes CW a dull soldier, right?

I am about to start terminal leave in Oct and will take plenty of time between this 28.6 year AF career and the next, 2.0 professional life. Need the reset...

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You almost have to live to understand it. Leave can really be a punishment when you go back to work with a huge backlog of problems. I go back to work tomorrow and I am sure the shop is a wreck, but I am rested and will put it back together again.

Enjoy your retirement. I am 2 years behind you with about 24 yrs when I finally pull the plug.

I retired 10 years ago at age 52 and have been on vacation ever since. Being a productive member of society is highly overrated.

2 years and two months until 65 and I’m out of here. I too am in primary care medicine and have stopped seeing people in the mornings to catch up on the ludicrous paperwork now generated by computers. Still go to hospital and take call. I cannot burn the candle at both ends anymore especially after being treated for prostate cancer. Staying up all night long sucks. I was lucky in that surgery, radiation and four Lupron shots are doing the job so far. Kurt

Best thing I ever did at work was to tell the boss that I wanted an 80% time schedule after we paid off the mortgage. Fortunately I was indispensable enough that I wasn’t worried about him laying me off. It’s awfully nice when every weekend is a three day weekend.

Nathan said:

I retired 10 years ago at age 52 and have been on vacation ever since. Being a productive member of society is highly overrated.

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That will not be an option for me. If I stayed home, I would drive myself and wife crazy. I need a job to escape and afford my hobbies.

cwbullet said:

That will not be an option for me. If I stayed home, I would drive myself and wife crazy. I need a job to escape and afford my hobbies.

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I bet not. I've lost count of the retirees I know that stay so busy with volunteering and hobbies that they wonder how they ever found time to work. At this point I'm thinking about an early retirement that either moves me to part-time work, or to some kind of career change. But, for me, even that is (hopefully) five years in the future.

Without going into detail, I am wishing now that I had done a much better job balancing work and family. Work is important, it pays the bills, but learn to enjoy life WHILE you are working, there aren't any guarantees that you will be around long after retirement (or even make it TO retirement.)

I have found that work/life balance after my ex left me. I just had my third vacation at NARAM last weekend. The first two were good, but NARAM was the most fun I have had in years, perhaps decades. I've already schedule time off next year for NARAM.

My wife encourages balance. It is me that promotes chaos.

Chuck I’m glad you got to take some well earned leave....

I tried to use my annual leave up every year and for the most part I was successful. Probably one of the reasons I never made O-6. But I wouldn’t trade the memories with the family for the extra rank.

Forward to civilian life. I always thought I “had” to take my laptop and work cell with me to “stay connected”. As an HR office of one, it is tough to disconnect. But I did in July. A week at home without checking the laptop or the phone. The office didn’t go kablooey on me . Plus I got to put a big dent in the oil’ build pile. I am on vaca in FL in November again. No laptop or cell either on that one.

I’m glad you are planning your next one!

Mike