Quitting my job

[Capt. Eric]

I didn't mention it earlier, but my daughter is part of my reason for the timing of my retirement. She had been living close to her alma mater and her lease was up. She graduated last year, but couldn't find full time work in her area of study (Food Science) despite graduating from Cornell with honors.

She's also on the spectrum (socially awkward), so I told her to come home and try searching for work in our area (closer to NYC) and I would help her any way I can.

We've also been having a ton of fun doing father-daughter stuff this week such as: driving lessons, movies, shopping, rifle range (She's a sharpshooter!), helping me with some chores, etc. This is really what enjoying life is to me.

Everyone is a little different, but for me, the list of cons started getting longer, while the list of pros was getting shorter. Then I looked at the finances and figured out that I really didn't need any more. So then it was an easy decision. Retired fairly young, but I've been as busy as I want to be. Work around the house (and sometimes the neighbours' houses), rockets, volunteering with the Red Cross (need the Karma points), and supporting my wife's volunteering at times. It's enough for me. Lucky enough to get out before I was bitter and broken. Very few regrets.

 

[fyrwrxz]

Coyoteman! Welp, here I am. Awake on the weekend with my old body clock schedule. This is really gonna take getting used to. I'm bailing essentially earlier that I planned by about 3 months. Wife is thrilled. Next week I finish the paperwork and never have to look for a job again. Not like I'm gonna lay down and die, but maybe the physical demands will just hurt a bit less now. Plenty of honey-do's and rockets to build. Not rich, but not gonna starve either. I just enjoyed working with younger people and being active. Not gonna rest 'n' rust, build pile is too big and I have too many motors to burn. Thanks for letting me crash your post, buddy! You kinda helped me decide before I got mean and bitter. Hope all is well with you and yours. Peace in your head, heart, and hearth. Straight smoke and good chutes! C ya on the playa!

 

[KenECoyote]

Coyoteman! Welp, here I am. Awake on the weekend with my old body clock schedule. This is really gonna take getting used to. I'm bailing essentially earlier that I planned by about 3 months. Wife is thrilled. Next week I finish the paperwork and never have to look for a job again. Not like I'm gonna lay down and die, but maybe the physical demands will just hurt a bit less now. Plenty of honey-do's and rockets to build. Not rich, but not gonna starve either. I just enjoyed working with younger people and being active. Not gonna rest 'n' rust, build pile is too big and I have too many motors to burn. Thanks for letting me crash your post, buddy! You kinda helped me decide before I got mean and bitter. Hope all is well with you and yours. Peace in your head, heart, and hearth. Straight smoke and good chutes! C ya on the playa!

Hey there! No problemo at alla ND glad to hear that you're able to retire early too! Congrats!

 

[fyrwrxz]

STOP WORKING, life is way too short to work up until the day you die, and the longer you work, it can happen just like that. They will watch you fall flat on the floor and not be able to get back up and then your life will never be the same.

Hobie, just know your advice was taken to heart (maybe the nudge I needed?) even if it was intended for someone else. You know we've bonded over the years and I just want to thank you for that extra little push. Love you like a brother. Peace

 

[Hobie1dog]

Hobie, just know your advice was taken to heart (maybe the nudge I needed?) even if it was intended for someone else. You know we've bonded over the years and I just want to thank you for that extra little push. Love you like a brother. Peace

Great to hear that and you're welcome. I'm counting on dying and entering a New Dimension much rather advanced, free of death, disease, destruction, crime, filth, corruption, slavery, starvation, poverty, and a debt-free, money-free society. This would allow us to meet up without travel, having fun with friends we didn't meet in this life. Much love back to you and we would have fun together if we could meet up.

 

[bjphoenix]

Hobie, just know your advice was taken to heart (maybe the nudge I needed?) even if it was intended for someone else. You know we've bonded over the years and I just want to thank you for that extra little push. Love you like a brother. Peace

I think I logged 16.5 hours this week.

 

[Fishhead]

Reminds me of once reading that Navy Chiefs tended to die within 5 years of retirement. Considering that a number of them retire around the age of 40 it was startling.

The one up the street is in his 80's. He's got cancer and emphysema, but he's never let either stop him. He taught as a substitute at my kid's school fifteen years ago and was a huge hit. He let the kids know right off the back who they were dealing with and what he expected out of them, and they responded positively. He wasn't there to babysit. Good man. It always does my heart good to see him around town.

 

[fyrwrxz]

Coyoteman! How goes it for you? I kinda screwed up because I wanted out so bad and before winter set in. Now I have to navigate the Medicare/insurance crap I should have had another 3-4 months to do. Oh well. This is kinda spooky. Body clock does not have a snooze alarm. Are you having a hard time adjusting? Hope all is well for you. Peace in your head, heart, and hearth.

 

[KenECoyote]

Coyoteman! How goes it for you? I kinda screwed up because I wanted out so bad and before winter set in. Now I have to navigate the Medicare/insurance crap I should have had another 3-4 months to do. Oh well. This is kinda spooky. Body clock does not have a snooze alarm. Are you having a hard time adjusting? Hope all is well for you. Peace in your head, heart, and hearth.

It goes well, but yes, you have to navigate and figure out medical!
In my case, my wife continues to work, so I had her cover medical as soon as I had resigned. Still, it was scary since they didn't get back to us for a week or so, but later told us we had been covered starting right after I had resigned.
I'm doing fine, but I've always been an odd sleeper who wakes up around sunrise. I'm actually sleeping better than I've had since I don't know how long. Funny thing is that I'm still trying to do everything, but rarely have time to finish anything lol
I wish you well on your retirement!

 

[Art Upton]

I'm actually sleeping better than I've had since I don't know how long.

Awesome !

Edit: Your no longer solving tomorrow's problems before they happen the night before

 

[fyrwrxz]

Awesome !

Edit: Your no longer solving tomorrow's problems before they happen the night before

Art, I am actually putting that on my corkboard. I realized I put most of my personal motivational items on the board by my desk. So, I am setting up an ersatz office at home. Thanks!

 

[Zman1961]

I love this thread! I retired last December. I asked retired friends how they knew it was time, and they just said "you'll know." When I started to have the thought every Monday that I didn't want to go back, I understood, and I retired with over 35 years in the same place. And that's with having good emploment conditions and nice co-workers. I went back 2 days per week under the condition that I would not do the stuff that caused me to retire in the first place, just the parts I like, and it has been wonderful. I enjoy my 5 day weekends, no peeking at work stuff, etc. I volunteer with Meals on Wheels, Scouts BSA, and other things, have lunch with my brother once per week, am making a nice dent in my build pile, and traveling to see friends and other club launches around the country. I have met many great people. My blood pressure is slowly returning to normal. Ya don't get the time back folks, so take it for yourself while you can.

 

[Tyeeking]

Ya don't get the time back folks, so take it for yourself while you can.

Yep. Time is the one thing that we’re all going to run out of. It’s finite. Don’t squander it.

 

[bjphoenix]

I asked retired friends how they knew it was time, and they just said "you'll know."

I might be in trouble because I've never felt like it was time. I would like more time off to do other things and I only work 15-20 hours a week now. But my company presentation Wednesday was one more step towards being able to step away.

 

[KenECoyote]

I might be in trouble because I've never felt like it was time. I would like more time off to do other things and I only work 15-20 hours a week now. But my company presentation Wednesday was one more step towards being able to step away.

Why would you be in "trouble"?

Truth is that you, yourself decide on what makes you happy and if you're happy at work, just keep going! I've also heard of people who stopped working and felt bored and depressed. I also envy those that are very happy at their jobs (usually recognized and appreciated for it and likely not stressful) and keep on going. I had super stressful jobs and ones that the culture was toxic with a lot of lying and cronyism and I finally got fed up with it. I was lucky enough to have saved a lot from a former job that paid well (the most stressful and toxic one lol).

I finally quit and retired when I saw a huge amount of work coming up and the last time I stayed for it, the manager lied to me to keep me on, so I decided fool me once...

 

[Hobie1dog]

Fight Club quote: We work at jobs we hate, just to buy more sh^t, we don't need"

 

[Peartree]

Fight Club quote: We work at jobs we hate, just to buy more sh^t, we don't need"

The Dave Ramsey version is similar:

"People borrow money they don't have, to buy things they don't need, so they can impress people that they don't like."

 

[KenECoyote]

Fight Club quote: We work at jobs we hate, just to buy more sh^t, we don't need"

Rocket Club quote: We work at jobs just to buy more rockets and motors because we need to!

 

[bschultz32]

For many, many years I went on vacations and about 2/3 of the way through my thoughts began to wander back to thinking about how things were going at work. And what I would face when I get back. Then, about 2017, it happened. I was nearing the end of a 10-day vacation, and I realized with a shock that I just wasn't interested in what was going on back at the office. And I slightly dreaded having to go back on Monday to face the inevitable storm of chaos and confusion I would be responsible for unscrewing. That was my "you'll know" moment. Retired in January 2020, have NEVER regretted it, and I look forward to every day when I wake up without an alarm clock. I HIGHLY recommend retirement!

 

[cwbullet]

Every time I take a day off work, I think about not coming back. For all of us, it will eventually happen one way or another.

 

[NOLA_BAR]

I just recently switched from a small private energy company that was getting out of the business to a government position. I was completely unprepared mentally for how different the work environment would be. Talking with people, it is very similar to big companies.

If I had the financial resources I would retire and be perfectly content with staying home cooking, playing video games with my kid and helping with homework.

I’m sure if I could find something that was more project focused I could jump right back in and enjoy it, but I don’t see that happening soon. On the plus side I have a much easier commute and get to work from home more.

It’s crazy how much an occupation structures our lives and defines our self-worth. Of course we need to eat and have nice things!

 

[bschultz32]

They did a formal study about twenty years ago. "They" was a big-league university, MIT I think. The purpose of the study was to determine what the biggest stressors are in modern American life. They expected commuting to be fairly high on the list, but they were stunned when it was clearly the number one source of stress. And it correlated well; those who commuted a short distance had low stress, those who drove 160 minutes round trip in heavy traffic every day had very high resulting life stress. So, NOLA_BAR, the "much easier commute and get to work from home more" gig you have now may be a much sweeter situation than you think! Good luck.

 

[Capt. Eric]

It’s crazy how much an occupation structures our lives and defines our self-worth.

An occupation, especially a demanding or unusual one, can certainly structure one's life. But I tried to never feel like it defined me. As a merchant mariner (Captain for the last 16 years), being away for months at a time definitely affected our life's routine. And while on board, you could certainly feel a bit "inflated" at times, especially as Captain. Some people I worked with became so wrapped up in their career, that it became their identity. Couldn't stand being at home, and wouldn't think of not going back to work. I never felt that way. I was "Captain" only when on the ship. At home I was just husband, neighbor, etc. Plain old me.

We are, hopefully, much more than our occupations. I think because I felt strongly about this (that I was NOT a captain when I was home), the transition to being retired has been easy. If you have a life outside of your job, your identity should not be so wrapped up in that. You need to keep that foremost in your mind, even if you are nowhere near retirement. Then making a big change like retirement, or a career change, should be easier.

 

[Tyeeking]

Work is a trade. Money for time. When we’re young we have lots of time (we’re still immortal ) but little money so it’s an easy trade. As we grow older the math begins to shift. We have money but time becomes a concern (life teaches us that we’re not immortal after all). Eventually the equation is flipped and no amount of money is worth the time that we have remaining. Obviously the quality of the work and the satisfaction we get from our work has a huge bearing on the equation.

 

[cerving]

Life has been SOOO much better since I work at home. Commuting around LA is pretty stressful... you end up taking about two hours a day just to get to work and come home. Now all I have to do is to take my wife to her job... 5 minutes away. And stop at Krispy Kreme on the way home...

 

[WizardOfBoz]

... And stop at Krispy Kreme on the way home...

A health hazard of working from home. There's an orchard near my house and they sell apple cider cinnamon donuts....

I worked in Orange County for several years. My 6 mile commute often took 45 minutes to an hour on the 405 and Newport freeways. Now I live in horse country W of Philly. Sometimes you get stuck behind an Amish buggy or a peloton of bicyclists. A very different experience.

 

[bjphoenix]

They did a formal study about twenty years ago. "They" was a big-league university, MIT I think. The purpose of the study was to determine what the biggest stressors are in modern American life. They expected commuting to be fairly high on the list, but they were stunned when it was clearly the number one source of stress. And it correlated well; those who commuted a short distance had low stress, those who drove 160 minutes round trip in heavy traffic every day had very high resulting life stress. So, NOLA_BAR, the "much easier commute and get to work from home more" gig you have now may be a much sweeter situation than you think! Good luck.

I can't imagine 160 minutes round trip. For most of my working life I had less then 30 minutes each way. 5 years ago I moved a little farther from work and my commute became about 35 minutes each way but I also had to leave by 6:30AM to go to work and leave after 6:00 to go home. There was a time about 15 years ago when my company was failing and I had essentially no income. I couldn't find a way to help the company and I considered trying to get a job that might be a long way off even if I had to stay there 5 days a week and come home on weekends. It didn't come to that, I got a job working with a company owned by an old friend.
My longer commute didn't last all that long because Covid happened. These days I literally work from the same room where I sleep, that's about a 5' commute.

 

[KenECoyote]

For the past ~20 years I mostly worked from home (last job 100%).

Prior to that I had a 2 hour round trip drive, but I enjoyed driving (a 2002 slightly modded WRX certainly helped!).

Before that, for a number of years I would have a bus commute into NYC that was 5 hours round trip. No prize for this biggest loser. However, that was the price for me to have a lake house while working in NYC.

 

[WizardOfBoz]

Again, when I worked in SoCal (Irvine, CA) my company offered "Van Clubs". The company purchased vans and loaned them to people willing to drive. Others would sign up and the van driver would pick them up every day and drive them to work, then return them home. IIRC, we had some people who drove from La Jolla, about 80 miles away. 160 miles day to commute. Of course, for the riders it could be 3 hours of sleep...
The van drivers got personal use of the vans as compensation for driving. So I guess one fewer cars to pay for.

 

[dhurstell]

Life has been SOOO much better since I work at home. Commuting around LA is pretty stressful... you end up taking about two hours a day just to get to work and come home. Now all I have to do is to take my wife to her job... 5 minutes away. And stop at Krispy Kreme on the way home...

Cant wait until my Tesla can do that for me too. Maybe as soon as next year???