How to keep going for the last couple of years

JoeEngland · 8 July 2018 at 12:34PM

We have a plan to early retire in two years. Hopefully soon after that we'll put the house on the market as we need cash from buying a cheaper property, and I'm looking forward to living somewhere more rural.

For a few years I've been finding it difficult to stay motivated at work, but it's getting worse now and even two years more feels like a long time. I'm trying to focus on short-term goals such as holidays and getting various jobs on the house done. What is the experience of others in the last few years leading up to retirement, especially those for whom work is a chore rather than a passion?

AnotherJoe · 8 July 2018 at 12:45PM

IME once you've actually nailed down the date for sure, it becomes much more stress free at work and you also dont have to care about being motivated.

So, I'd start with actually setting a solid date. July 9th 2020 for example. Define what you'll need at that point. Have you done the sums to be sure you can afford it? Do you know how much you are spending per month?

Once thats sure, now you know, put that date in your calendar and put a date in 1? 3? months early to resign at work. No more "One More year" syndrome.

Plan a big holiday (perhaps) a few weeks after you pack it in. As you are doing, get jobs round the house done.

Just do your job 9-5 (or whatever) and dont worry about being motivated, after all i bet 75% of the population arent "motivated" by their jobs either. Why should you be? So dont let it worry you and now you can forget about the job after the day is done.

OldMusicGuy · 8 July 2018 at 12:59PM

I spent two years struggling to retirement, the way I did it was by marking specific milestones. There were various projects and things I had to do that were hard work but I was able to say "well I only have to do that one more time" or "that's the last time I will ever have to do that". I had about five big milestones that I was able to mark down one by one and I found it really helped.

I also started refusing to take on new projects/work in my last year on the basis that there was no point as I would have to hand it over to someone else almost as soon as I had done the work. Thus it would make more sense to give the new work to the person that would have to take it over from me. I offered to assist in these tasks but simply refused to take on new responsibility. But I told my employers that I intended to retire two years before my leaving date and thus I was able to position saying "no" to new work as part of my succession plan....

Sounds like we have a similar plan to you. We are downsizing next year to somewhere more rural.

JoeEngland · 8 July 2018 at 1:46PM

AnotherJoe, I've worked out how much money we'll need, and the wife isn't keen on going to full on retirement at that point so she'll probably try to get a PT job when we move, or possibly carry on FT a bit longer than me and we'll hold off moving for a year then she'll try to get a PT job.

OMG, where are you hoping to move to? I've got some ideas for us, one of which is Anglesey so we're going there for a long weekend this year to have a look around.

JoeEngland · 8 July 2018 at 1:48PM

AnotherJoe wrote: »

IME once you've actually nailed down the date for sure, it becomes much more stress free at work and you also dont have to care about being motivated.

So, I'd start with actually setting a solid date. July 9th 2020 for example. Define what you'll need at that point. Have you done the sums to be sure you can afford it? Do you know how much you are spending per month?

Once thats sure, now you know, put that date in your calendar and put a date in 1? 3? months early to resign at work. No more "One More year" syndrome.

Plan a big holiday (perhaps) a few weeks after you pack it in. As you are doing, get jobs round the house done.

Just do your job 9-5 (or whatever) and dont worry about being motivated, after all i bet 75% of the population arent "motivated" by their jobs either. Why should you be? So dont let it worry you and now you can forget about the job after the day is done.

The plan is to hand my notice in on my 54th birthday in July 2020 !!!128515;

kidmugsy · 8 July 2018 at 1:56PM

AnotherJoe wrote: »

So, I'd start with actually setting a solid date. July 9th 2020 for example.

When will the European football championship final be? Or Wimblebore? Should one plan around the dates of that sort of public event?

kidmugsy · 8 July 2018 at 2:00PM

JoeEngland wrote: »

where are you hoping to move to? I've got some ideas for us, one of which is Anglesey so we're going there for a long weekend this year to have a look around.

Are you used to a west coast climate? More rainfall than the east, relaxing rather than bracing days, gales in winter.

Doglegger · 8 July 2018 at 2:39PM

JoeEngland wrote: »

For a few years I've been finding it difficult to stay motivated at work, but it's getting worse now and even two years more feels like a long time. I'm trying to focus on short-term goals such as holidays and getting various jobs on the house done. What is the experience of others in the last few years leading up to retirement, especially those for whom work is a chore rather than a passion?

I feel your pain. Made the discovery I could go early 2 years ago but still have 5 years before I can. It's a struggle every trip I go away. I can't wish my life away but this period until then really can't come quick enough.
I feel I'm too old for the job I'm doing but they've increased the travelling and time away which I'm finding really difficult. Can't give it up as I need the level of income for the next 4 years to clear the path for retirement and keep up the pension contributions. I can't go back to working in the office for reasons of maintaining some level of sanity.
To be honest, I didn't think like this at all when I thought I would be working to NRD....but that's completely changed since I realised I didn't have to. I wish it was a vocation but it's a means to an end and it can't end quickly enough. Reading on old threads on here it seems a pretty common feeling once you know when you want to go.

JoeEngland · 8 July 2018 at 3:01PM

Doglegger wrote: »

I feel your pain. Made the discovery I could go early 2 years ago but still have 5 years before I can. It's a struggle every trip I go away. I can't wish my life away but this period until then really can't come quick enough.
I feel I'm too old for the job I'm doing but they've increased the travelling and time away which I'm finding really difficult. Can't give it up as I need the level of income for the next 4 years to clear the path for retirement and keep up the pension contributions. I can't go back to working in the office for reasons of maintaining some level of sanity.
To be honest, I didn't think like this at all when I thought I would be working to NRD....but that's completely changed since I realised I didn't have to. I wish it was a vocation but it's a means to an end and it can't end quickly enough. Reading on old threads on here it seems a pretty common feeling once you know when you want to go.

I feel lucky to have a viable plan to go early. Even if I didn't have a health issue which makes working another 10 or more years at a desk a physical impossibility, mentally I would find it difficult to cope with the thought of working that much longer. Even now I find it frustrating not having enough time for things I want to do, and every year at work is a year of sub-optimal life gone forever. Most likely I'm at least two thirds through my lifespan where I'm physically able to enjoy life to a good extent.

JoeEngland · 8 July 2018 at 3:07PM

kidmugsy wrote: »

Are you used to a west coast climate? More rainfall than the east, relaxing rather than bracing days, gales in winter.

Weather is something we'll need to consider in where to move to. TBH the weather is crap most of the time anywhere in the UK, the real summer we're having now is the kind of thing that only happens every 5 or so years. Anglesey appeals to me as it's not densely populated, has some great scenery and the rest of North Wales is close by.

stoozie1 · 8 July 2018 at 3:13PM

Sorry if you already speak it, but if Anglesey is on the cards, you could learn Welsh.

I recommend the duolingo app.

How to keep going for the last couple of years

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free