Motivation for early retirement

woolly_wombat

I never intended to retire at 55 but my place of work was rebuilt and the working environment deteriorated significantly.

Also, being constantly watched and monitored got to me. The stress had much more serious effects on the health of others around me (heart attack, suicide) and I eventually twigged that it wasn't worth the toll it was taking on me, much to the relief of my nearest and dearest.

My other half still enjoys his work, although it's high pressure and a lot of travelling. He plans to work another 18 months but has reached the stage where he will just walk away if anything annoys him too much.

k6chris

To the Men from the Mice

Run past me once more (said the mouse on the floor) why you’re having to work to buy stuff?

I don't understand, how this work is a plan, when you already have quite enough!

Take a look out the door, cross the fields to the moor and then tell me you're not quite insane,

because it seems to me, that you just cannot see, what the simple life might help you gain?



Ah yes (said the man) but you're missing the plan, I suppose you are only a mouse

and I'm not being funny but I need lots more money to have fun, a fast car and a house.

One day I'll be rich, then I might choose to ditch, all this working I do (the man said).

Alas (said the mouse, as he hopped out the house) I fear you will simply drop dead.



You have limited hours in the fields and the flowers and the days do not get any longer.

And the last thing you'll grieve, when you breathe your last breathe, is the fact you missed out on some wonga.

Please take my advice (to the men from the mice) that the best thing to do is have fun,

so forget working hard, and stride into the yard and go play with the air and the sun.

TARDIS

So interesting reading about people's journeys here, thank you.
Looks like retirement is what you make it, probably regardless of the initial motivation then.
Loving the poem k6chris!

scaredofdebt

I am about 7 years away from 55, it is touch and go if my work pension will allow me to retire at that age, but fingers crossed it will.

I also have some shares in a mine that will hopefully be profitable by then, they are currently digging it! If they do well I can stop working a year or two sooner.

My job is far from terrible, in fact it was probably what I would have considered my ideal job when I was in my teens, but once you've worked in the corporate landscape that I have for the past 25 years or so you get a bit jaded!

I don't intend retiring as such, I will keep working in some form, my own business (have a few ideas I want to try) or a part-time job/freelancing etc.

Kids will have left home (or at least be less dependant on me) by then and I would like to do some travelling too.

longleggedhair

It difficult isn't it. My job runs on 4 year contracts, my next one being next year. I am now able to finish after many years of saving, but I have spent probably the last year veering from wanting to do four more years to deciding to finish next year, that nagging little voice which says just do four more years "to be on the safe side" the trouble is you could find yourself having the same debate and twenty years have passed.

I "think" I have decided to leave next year, but I haven't let management know my intentions yet. My interest in the job has been getting less and less as the years have passed, and now I feel the that sickness in my stomach just at the thought of going in. Not because of anything particularly bad but when you decide to leave I think you mentally disconnect.

My plan is to resign and leave with immediate effect, as I don't want people making a fuss...plus I don't have any real friend there I will keep intouch with maybe just a couple I will add to the Christmas card list!

Nual

I took voluntary redundancy 18 months ago but was in a right state about loss of status, what to do with myself etc. I applied for a part time job before I finished, but by the time they offered it to me I had found lots of lovely things to do with my time and I turned them down.

I have a decent DB pension so am very fortunate. I was 60 when I finished, with only a term left to pay out for the youngest's accommodation and the odd bail out for the eldest. The job was interesting and stressful, but as others have said, watching the new senior managers trying to implement a new system scrapped 20 years ago, plus all the corporate bs made it very hard to feel any enthusiasm. I just love being retired.

OldMusicGuy

Nual wrote: »

The job was interesting and stressful, but as others have said, watching the new senior managers trying to implement a new system scrapped 20 years ago, plus all the corporate bs made it very hard to feel any enthusiasm. I just love being retired.

That made me smile. I have been where I am too long, because I am the one saying "we did that x years ago and it didn't work, so why will it work now" when we get all the bright new initiatives!