Bold leap into retirement

QrizB

stuart746 said:

Confirmed that I will be dropping to 0.6 FTE (3 days a week) from next May (age 55), which has all been approved by employer/line manager. 

Congratulations! I did something similar at the start of the year and can't imagine how I ever found time for full-time work.

On the other hand:

QrizB said:

I'm still 2-3 years away from the big R but have taken a small step in the right direction by dropping back to three days a week, effective from this month.

At the time, back in January, I thought I was 2-3 years from retirement.

Right now I feel it's more like 6-9 months

katejo

stuart746 said:

Confirmed that I will be dropping to 0.6 FTE (3 days a week) from next May (age 55), which has all been approved by employer/line manager. We have to make decisions pretty early on as has an impact on the team's workload planning and staffing for the year. Have been thinking and scheming for a while but recent health scare (and ongoing monitoring) has pretty much given me the shove I needed to make life changes. Looking forward to further developing interests/hobbies, cycling trips, and generally keeping fit. We see how things go at 3 days but this will most likely help prolong my career until 60 when I will fully retire.

I am dropping to 3 days in just over 2 weeks from now (1st September) and may finish completely next May at 63.  It was agreed in June and the time has gone quickly since then. Also planning to do some keep fit and a bit of travel. Hope things get better re. the health scare.

stuart746

Smudgeismydog said:

Sometimes it takes a shock like that for us to reassess priorities.

It was my sister in law’s funeral last week. She had cancer of the bile duct and was 44.
I honestly don’t think you’ll ever regret giving yourself and your family more time.

I'm sorry to hear about your sister in law. That is just too young. Time for myself and family is important, but also for me I will be able to give my work the proper attention it deserves without feeling resentful. 

stuart746

QrizB said:

stuart746 said:

Confirmed that I will be dropping to 0.6 FTE (3 days a week) from next May (age 55), which has all been approved by employer/line manager. 

Congratulations! I did something similar at the start of the year and can't imagine how I ever found time for full-time work.

On the other hand:

QrizB said:

I'm still 2-3 years away from the big R but have taken a small step in the right direction by dropping back to three days a week, effective from this month.

At the time, back in January, I thought I was 2-3 years from retirement.

Right now I feel it's more like 6-9 months

Ha! Yes, I can see how that might happen. I'm going to be careful not to take on too much (at home and with my hobbies), which is tempting, so everything feels much more manageable. I'm fortunate in that I have a job that was my vocation - I have loved it and it is inextricably tied up with my identity, but I have also seen the risks of that in terms of health impact so this just gives me a better balance and a longer glide path to full retirement.

stuart746

katejo said:

I am dropping to 3 days in just over 2 weeks from now (1st September) and may finish completely next May at 63.  It was agreed in June and the time has gone quickly since then. Also planning to do some keep fit and a bit of travel. Hope things get better re. the health scare.

Sounds good @katejo
Thank you. I have a condition that will not improve but could be relatively stable for sometime with my medication, shifts to diet, exercise, stress, etc. Took me a while to accept and realise I am not invincible (!), and fortunate for it not to be worse.  

katejo

stuart746 said:

katejo said:

I am dropping to 3 days in just over 2 weeks from now (1st September) and may finish completely next May at 63.  It was agreed in June and the time has gone quickly since then. Also planning to do some keep fit and a bit of travel. Hope things get better re. the health scare.

Sounds good @katejo
Thank you. I have a condition that will not improve but could be relatively stable for sometime with my medication, shifts to diet, exercise, stress, etc. Took me a while to accept and realise I am not invincible (!), and fortunate for it not to be worse.  

Sorry to hear that Stuart. Health problems enough to prevent me travelling is one of my fears. 

nicknameless

Does anybody else who has taken the retirement plunge, like me, not quite believe it is true?  I left work for the last time approx. 7 weeks ago and it is still somewhat surreal.  Is this usual?  Takes a little while to sink in?  54 at the end of the month and no work to do!  Not saying I am missing it in the slightest and wouldn't change a thing right now, but this is very strange indeed

bjorn_toby_wilde

nicknameless said:

Does anybody else who has taken the retirement plunge, like me, not quite believe it is true?  I left work for the last time approx. 7 weeks ago and it is still somewhat surreal.  Is this usual?  Takes a little while to sink in?  54 at the end of the month and no work to do!  Not saying I am missing it in the slightest and wouldn't change a thing right now, but this is very strange indeed

Completely normal. Give it a few weeks/months. It takes time to adjust and feels very odd to start with.

In the context of 30+ years of work, 7 weeks is not a long time to acclimatise to a completely different way of life. I’m 2 1/2 years in and at this point I’m fully acclimatised. I can’t clearly remember what work was like 🤣

My advice would be to fill your days with other things. If you’re used to goals as many of us were in the workplace, set yourself some new ones. Mine are all cycling and walking related but whatever works for you.

I also do some wildlife trust volunteering and that’s very fulfilling.  Get out, meet people and do things that fulfill you. Travel if that’s your thing. You’ll soon get used to it believe me.

cfw1994

nicknameless said:

Does anybody else who has taken the retirement plunge, like me, not quite believe it is true?  I left work for the last time approx. 7 weeks ago and it is still somewhat surreal.  Is this usual?  Takes a little while to sink in?  54 at the end of the month and no work to do!  Not saying I am missing it in the slightest and wouldn't change a thing right now, but this is very strange indeed

Heh heh!
It could take a while, I guess.

In contrast: after a lifetime of work in technology, I was almost ashamed at how rapidly I embraced it 🫣

I did set off on a 19 day LEJoG bike adventure almost as soon as I stopped.  Solo, but with over a dozen pals either joining me for a bit of the ride, or meeting for a meal in the evenings.  Astonishing how fast I forgot about the day to day work life 👀
 
Now over 4 years in, I absolutely love the almost total flexibility to do things.   Sunny tomorrow? Maybe have a bike ride.  Want to lay in until lunchtime?  Sure!   

I do still “worry” about the money side.  Maybe worry is the wrong word: focus on it a bit much 🤷‍♂️  That said, we are in a fortunate position, and besides, I now feed my techie needs by being rather too fastidious with spreadsheets 🤣 Usually wake early, so I get my fix of reading various forums and news whilst lying in bed (hence this post!).


Relax and enjoy: this is your time 😎

nicknameless

bjorn_toby_wilde said:

nicknameless said:

Does anybody else who has taken the retirement plunge, like me, not quite believe it is true?  I left work for the last time approx. 7 weeks ago and it is still somewhat surreal.  Is this usual?  Takes a little while to sink in?  54 at the end of the month and no work to do!  Not saying I am missing it in the slightest and wouldn't change a thing right now, but this is very strange indeed

Completely normal. Give it a few weeks/months. It takes time to adjust and feels very odd to start with.

In the context of 30+ years of work, 7 weeks is not a long time to acclimatise to a completely different way of life. I’m 2 1/2 years in and at this point I’m fully acclimatised. I can’t clearly remember what work was like 🤣

My advice would be to fill your days with other things. If you’re used to goals as many of us were in the workplace, set yourself some new ones. Mine are all cycling and walking related but whatever works for you.

I also do some wildlife trust volunteering and that’s very fulfilling.  Get out, meet people and do things that fulfill you. Travel if that’s your thing. You’ll soon get used to it believe me.

Thankyou.  I am loving the freedom and have told myself the first 6 months I have no plans and then take it from there.  Similar to you most of my interests are fitness based.  Having said I'd relax I've just programmed my fitness schedule for the next 6 months working up to a cycling holiday later in the year and then doing the fan dance next June.  Have a holiday coming up in Sept, Oct, Nov, the last being for cycling / mtb.  Planning trips to Canada and Spain next year.  Been self servicing the cars and joined a new social group locally a while back.  Helping my nephew get a neurodiversity diagnosis and various other family stuff.

In fact when I write it down I start to realise I am filling my time lol!  Just feels bizarre that work / in-box / etc. is not in the forefront, especially on a Sunday as I write this.