How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

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fsrph
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How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by fsrph »

Assume you have enough money to retire with a very conservative asset allocation. Is it normal to have conflicting thoughts? Second guessing yourself. Maybe about how much money you are leaving on the table. Feelings of separation and loss. Can anyone relate to this?

Francis
"Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get." | Dale Carnegie
Mitchell777
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by Mitchell777 »

I did not fret about the money but I did feel separation and loss. I really liked the job, had more authority than in prior jobs, liked the people, could work from home when I wanted but I had an ill parent and I was worn down. Turned out my parent passed after I announced I was leaving. I would have stayed until 65 if I had known things would go that way. Honestly, on my last day I walked out the door, got about thirty yards from the door and broke down. I always say that the best way to retire may be to leave a job situation you do not enjoy.
sport
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by sport »

I had planned for months to retire at the end of the year. So, I had already resolved any doubts and was looking forward to retiring. I wanted to be sure to get "vested" in my next year's vacation, so I waited until after the first of the year to give notice. The only thing I remember feeling was elation at the prospect of leaving all the job related stress behind. I gave them a month's notice and trained someone to do my short term tasks. I came back for a short time to help when one of my colleagues went on paternity leave. Other than that, I never looked back.
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amp
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by amp »

I never had any second thoughts or regrets. I gave notice in April 2018, my last day was in July, and in August I moved 2000 miles away to a new home. Sure, I was sad to say goodbye to my friends and colleagues, but I never second guessed my decision. If anything, I felt excited about transitioning to a new life.

But in speaking with other retirees, I think the feelings you describe are quite common. Everyone reacts to change differently, and retiring can be a very traumatic experience for some people, especially if they feel ambivalent about moving to the next stage in their life.
lws
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by lws »

Good :happy
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iceport
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by iceport »

fsrph wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 12:41 pm Is it normal to have conflicting thoughts? Second guessing yourself. Maybe about how much money you are leaving on the table. Feelings of separation and loss. Can anyone relate to this?

Francis
I can relate to those conflicting feelings — except for the second-guessing. I left a whole bunch of compensation on the table, but I knew for sure it was the right decision for me. But giving notice still felt premature, and I actually gave my boss notice before I wanted to. The decision was made, but I didn't want to be sidelined before I left, given some interesting projects on our plate at the time. But when my boss pulled me aside to tell me they were considering shifting my unit under a different manager (my boss and his new manager rarely saw eye to eye), I felt I needed to let him know of my plans, in case it could affect their plans. (It ended up giving them some helpful cover for the move, which they went ahead with.)

It really floored him, because he figured I had at least three more years in me. And it hit me pretty hard, too, to be saying it out loud in a serious setting.

I immediately felt relief, loss, regret, accomplishment, excitement, and apprehension all at once.
"Discipline matters more than allocation.” |—| "In finance, if you’re certain of anything, you’re out of your mind." ─William Bernstein
Conch55
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by Conch55 »

For me it would be based on retirement age. If I was an early retiree I would be fretting about plenty of things. In my case, I was close to 60 when I pulled the plug and dissatisfied with my job. I left the job with the intention of finding another one after taking some time off but that didn't happen. Five years in and now committed to the retiree lifestyle. Not liking my last job made the process much easier.
Swansea
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by Swansea »

No regrets, whatsoever. I had planned well for years. My duties had changed and workload increased as staff was not replace. Also, I had a consulting job waiting with flexible hours, and more time for my volunteer work. That was 15 years ago.
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by Dottie57 »

I was glad to be done with the megacorp and it’s workings. Sad that I was no longer going to see my team mates on a daily basis. Exhausted because I was ill and didn’t know it.

Glad I retired but it has been a really hard transition.

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FrugalInvestor
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by FrugalInvestor »

I'm sure it's normal for some to have conflicting thoughts. I think it comes down to the individual and their feelings about themselves and their work. I've known people who've retired and have been very bored. Most ended up going back to work relatively quickly. Personally I always worked with retirement in mind and when that time came, which was early for me, I was elated to spend my time doing all the things I didn't have time for when I worked. Retirement was an achievement for me, it's what I worked for all of my life. My identity was not wrapped around my work. I don't believe that is the case for everyone.
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Watty
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by Watty »

fsrph wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 12:41 pm Maybe about how much money you are leaving on the table.
I am pretty middle class compared to many of the posters here but I have enough money to do pretty much anything I really want to do so having more money would not change my life very much. If you gave me an extra $10K it would take me a while to figure out what to spend it on and I would probably just save most of it.

Leaving the company provided health insurance is about the only thing that has given me second thoughts since each year it is uncertain just what my ACA healthcare policy will be like the next year. I will get on Medicare next year so that is less of a concern now.
How did you feel after giving notice to retire?
For a few years after I retired I would have lunch with some people that I used to work with every six months or so. Every time I did that I was so glad that I was not having to deal with the office BS any more. The lunches petered out after a while since I got tired of listening to them complain for an hour.

I still email them to keep in touch and they are going through working remotely and wondering if there will be big layoffs so it would not be a fun time to still be working there.

I retired about five years ago and we took about one international trip a year and one or two domestic trips. I am very glad that we did then when did since it will be a long time before we can take more trips like that again.
J295
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by J295 »

Always planned to exit before typical retirement age, and In fact transitioned from full-time at age 53. Did have a few different emotions (mostly a bit of uncertainty, even though I knew it was right for me/us) in the five years planning before then. I asked an early retiree about this uncertainty one time, and she told me there’s a word for that… “Normal.”. 😃

FWIW .... We love this stage of our journey and have no regrets whatsoever about the retirement/transition (60 years old now).
iamblessed
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by iamblessed »

fsrph wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 12:41 pm Assume you have enough money to retire with a very conservative asset allocation. Is it normal to have conflicting thoughts? Second guessing yourself. Maybe about how much money you are leaving on the table. Feelings of separation and loss. Can anyone relate to this?

Francis
There is always money on the table but you only have so much time.
PhoebeCoco
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by PhoebeCoco »

My manager asked for volunteers to retire. If no one retired, we would have layoffs.

I took this as a sign that I should retire. Financially, I could have retired anywhere from 1-3 years earlier.

2 of us retired in my unit. When I gave notice, my manager said, "I didn't mean YOU".

I told him I would stay if they gave me a raise. Kept waiting.

Raise never came.

I said goodbye.

Woke up THRILLED on day 1 one of retirement. Never looked back.
BeeNMB
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by BeeNMB »

Was self employed, owned my own small business for 40 years. Never took a true day off in 14,000 days. One day my accountant said or gave me notice "its time to sell the business and real estate, its not really making money anymore and lets reduce your personal overhead" Did it. Sold everything. Took two years. The process and the two years seemed like living in the twilight zone. Am a natural worrier so its been difficult. Age 67 now. Starting to relax a little. Listening to the Eckhart Tolle Oprah Podcasts a lot about being in the present. Awesome stuff. That helps. Having Vanguard manage my accounts helps. Walking 5 miles a day on the beach helps. Take care everyone. I wish you all the best!
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WoodSpinner
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by WoodSpinner »

fsrph wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 12:41 pm Assume you have enough money to retire with a very conservative asset allocation. Is it normal to have conflicting thoughts? Second guessing yourself. Maybe about how much money you are leaving on the table. Feelings of separation and loss. Can anyone relate to this?

Francis
OMG, totally normal! :shock:

It took me a week to even broach the subject with my wife who was very supportive. I remember feeling terrified when I gave my boss a heads up that this was going to be my last year. It took me almost 6 months if detailed planning to be sure I was really ready and we wouldn’t end up homeless eating from dumpsters in our old-age (still an occasional worry, :oops: , despite all of the planing modeling and discussions).

I had been on auto-pilot saving and enjoying life for years and hadn’t really done any detail planning—was totally shocked that I had more than enough when we started digging into the plans.

Best of luck!

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midareff
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by midareff »

fsrph wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 12:41 pm Assume you have enough money to retire with a very conservative asset allocation. Is it normal to have conflicting thoughts? Second guessing yourself. Maybe about how much money you are leaving on the table. Feelings of separation and loss. Can anyone relate to this?

Francis
It was much more about how much life I would be leaving on the table if I didn't once I hit the number. I provided a year's general notice and a couple of months to the exact date. It felt great, still does 8 years and 6 weeks later.
MarkBarb
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by MarkBarb »

I didn't have second thoughts, but my circumstances were odd. My company was bought and practically all of my friends and I took voluntary severance packages. So if I had stayed, it would have been like starting over again.

Even with that, there were odd feelings. While it was liberating not to have to go to work, it was sad not to be able to go to work. It felt weird not to have a location outside of the house (my office) that was "mine". I'd had an office and stuff in my office for decades and decades and so the notion that everything I owned was now at home felt odd.

It's only been about 6 months for me so far and it has been an odd six months. Probably the biggest oddity is that, outside of family, people don't need you when you retire. That's good from not having the pressure to produce but it is also sad from not getting the satisfaction that comes with producing. That can be mitigated with volunteer work, but it isn't the same.

All in all, I was much more excited about it than any other emotion.
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dwickenh
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by dwickenh »

I felt relieved!! It was the right time for me to retire.
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pennywise
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by pennywise »

Mitchell777 wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 12:50 pm I always say that the best way to retire may be to leave a job situation you do not enjoy.
I think it is very normal to feel some ambivalence. I worked at the same university for almost 40 years and held the same job the last 25 of those years. For me, a career that had been passionately engaging and deeply rewarding slowly started to feel...stale. Husband and I knew either or both of us could afford to retire any time, then we bought a vacation home and soon realized we wanted to be there all the time not just weekends and holidays. Packing up the car every Sunday afternoon was the worst part of the week, second only to dragging into the same same old every Monday morning.

Then the final push came when I got a new boss and things just didn't work between us. So as in quote above, by the time I formally gave my notice I had gone through a pretty dark couple of years and I definitely did not enjoy my job situation in any way any more.

And yet, the day I wrote my email notice I did sit for quite awhile before I actually hit the send button. I worried a bit that I was leaving what was a secure well paid job a few years before FRA (I was a few months shy of 62 at the time). And I didn't want to look back and feel I'd given up all my social and intellectual capital without knowing if I'd be able to earn any more. So the knowledge that I was lessening my pension, eventual social security etc and leaving a secure (if despised) normal caused a mental twinge.

However it's been almost a year and I can truthfully say it was the best decision I ever made. We moved to our vacation home, I found some great volunteer opportunities and I also came to understand just how incredibly wonderful it is not to be under any kind of external pressure to be somewhere and do something you may not want to do, but have to cuz the boss says so.

I can't believe how relaxing and joyful life is post retirement. And I don't think anyone can actually understand that till you are living in it. Even the old chestnut about 'every day is Saturday' isn't really true, at least for me. It's not that I'm not actively engaged in life as in taking a Saturday off permanently. I'm plenty engaged and busy. But whatever day of the week it may be, it's MY day to choose how to live it.

Oh, and as for the finances, that's all worked out just fine too. My theoretical regret about losing money is still strictly theoretical :wink:
Last edited by pennywise on Sun May 17, 2020 8:01 am, edited 2 times in total.
JBTX
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by JBTX »

I suspect for me it won't be a conventional retirement. DW will likely not retire any time soon. I have no idea how long my current job will last, nor how long I will last in it or how long I'll stay. On balance I like having some work, having the income and benefits, but would rather not have the full time obligations of being a full time employee. My current situation is pretty good as a full time employee and I honestly could not ask for more flexibility than what I have. But with business today things can change quite rapidly.

If I got canned tomorrow I'd probably take another break and look into some more contract assignments. Beyond that who knows. I have seen several instances where long term employees retire, and end up getting asked back for some contract or project work, and that often works well for both sides.
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by bertilak »

lws wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 1:27 pmGood :happy
Me too, for a couple of reasons...
  • I was getting tired of my job and was at the age where any further advancement was not at all likely, so nothing much to look forward to.
  • There is something very satisfying about having made a decision. You can now move on to other things.
May neither drought nor rain nor blizzard disturb the joy juice in your gizzard. -- Squire Omar Barker (aka S.O.B.), the Cowboy Poet
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by MathIsMyWayr »

Mitchell777 wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 12:50 pm I did not fret about the money but I did feel separation and loss. I really liked the job, had more authority than in prior jobs, liked the people, could work from home when I wanted but I had an ill parent and I was worn down. Turned out my parent passed after I announced I was leaving. I would have stayed until 65 if I had known things would go that way. Honestly, on my last day I walked out the door, got about thirty yards from the door and broke down. I always say that the best way to retire may be to leave a job situation you do not enjoy.
Conch55 wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 1:39 pm For me it would be based on retirement age. If I was an early retiree I would be fretting about plenty of things. In my case, I was close to 60 when I pulled the plug and dissatisfied with my job. I left the job with the intention of finding another one after taking some time off but that didn't happen. Five years in and now committed to the retiree lifestyle. Not liking my last job made the process much easier.
Retirement must be a closure of a large part of your life. I would imagine that the best way to close a chapter is to do it with a satisfaction of a job well done and a smile of gratitude rather than a feeling of a resentment, anguish, and regret.
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by palaheel »

On February 19, 2020 I announced that I would retire in mid May. I'd hit my number. Then February 20, 21, 24... happened. Oh, well. The numbers were conservative, and I'm not reconsidering.

The job was ok, but management is making a lot of decisions that I question severely. I'm happy to be getting out.

My first task will be to decide what I want to do next. I've not had that luxury for 52 years. I look forward to it.
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Mitchell777
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by Mitchell777 »

MathIsMyWayr wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 6:35 pm
Mitchell777 wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 12:50 pm I did not fret about the money but I did feel separation and loss. I really liked the job, had more authority than in prior jobs, liked the people, could work from home when I wanted but I had an ill parent and I was worn down. Turned out my parent passed after I announced I was leaving. I would have stayed until 65 if I had known things would go that way. Honestly, on my last day I walked out the door, got about thirty yards from the door and broke down. I always say that the best way to retire may be to leave a job situation you do not enjoy.
Conch55 wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 1:39 pm For me it would be based on retirement age. If I was an early retiree I would be fretting about plenty of things. In my case, I was close to 60 when I pulled the plug and dissatisfied with my job. I left the job with the intention of finding another one after taking some time off but that didn't happen. Five years in and now committed to the retiree lifestyle. Not liking my last job made the process much easier.
Retirement must be a closure of a large part of your life. I would imagine that the best way to close a chapter is to do it with a satisfaction of a job well done and a smile of gratitude rather than a feeling of a resentment, anguish, and regret.
I was fortunate to be in a job I enjoyed working with people I liked. Not everyone is. Perhaps you have never been in a job you were not satisfied with. My comment you highlighted has little to do with resentment, anguish, or regret. Sometimes people just have a job that is wearing then down or is unpleasant. Job that is well done and a smile of gratitude makes a nice greeting card but tell that to the guy working the kill line at the slaughterhouse.
2pedals
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by 2pedals »

I have been retired for about a year and a half now. The feelings are changing all the time. Approximately more than 80% of the time I am very happy now even during the lock-down. When I was working the last few years, I was happy maybe 25% of the time. It certainly was time for me to leave Mega corp. I have little regrets other than missing some social time with colleagues. I understand the meaning of misery loves company.
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by Mr. Rumples »

I loved my job and having worked with many of the same people for 25 years and in the same building for 25 years, it was comfortable, yet it was time to move on. I was tired and worn out and I did not want to end up like a few people I knew who worked and worked and then dropped dead. I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and calm.
"History is the memory of time, the life of the dead and the happiness of the living." Captain John Smith 1580-1631
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Feelings

Post by Bogle7 »

Felt great.
Hit FI money, then hit FU money.
Fired my largest and longest (80% of income, 20 years) customer on a Sunday at age 70-1/2.
Did not return phone calls nor emails.
Went to México on Tuesday.
I am old so I don’t remember what it was like. The work, not México.
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Chicken lady
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by Chicken lady »

As soon as I realized I was going to hit my net worth target, I submitted my resignation. Had a good job that was stimulating and well compensated but I was ready to move on to pursue other interests.

No regrets, no second thoughts. Just joy :happy

I retired in 2008 with the confidence that investments and general finances were in good condition even though we were in the midst of a national financial melt-down. Having a thrifty lifestyle helped make it all work. No problems or surprises.
Caligal
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by Caligal »

Wow great question timing wise.

DH just gave his notice this week, will be retired in June. My retirement last year came with a whimper, not a bang, as I was a PT contractor in my industry and the better paying contracts petered out as I was not willing to go back to full time.

I'm alternating between mild panic and resignation. Even with careful planning around finances and health insurance, it seems slightly crazy to leave a stable paycheck and benefits behind during a pandemic and a recession/possibly worse. My backup plan (one of several) to get a "fun" job or volunteer work is currently not an option - not worth the exposure to the virus at this stage.

Many of our plans (travel mostly, and attending live lectures/events/classes) will now go on hold due to the current situation but we are formulating new ones. Not sure if there is anything to be learned from this. DH says it is like having a child - there is never a perfect time. Hope he's right.
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by mindboggling »

I retired in two stages. I was a full-time, union-represented staff employee. I was offered a buy-out in 2013 and took it. Three days later I was back as a part-time daily-hire working two 12-hour shifts on the weekends. Did that for three years and then quit for good. No regrets. The company was always anti-union and did everything they could to make life miserable for its union workers. I don't miss them, and I'm sure they feel the same.
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rich126
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by rich126 »

This will depend on the person. Some people’s lives are tied to their job. Some have no social life outside of work. Others enjoy work. And manyother situations.

The only way I would continue is if I could work from home and not full time. Almost as a hourly contractor. For many the commute can be tough although mine is about 30-35 minutes round trip.

I’m sure if you aren’t retiring young many will have mixed feelings and be sentimental since it is closing another chapter of your life and you are getting closer to the end of the book. I knew one guy who literally skipped on his way out because things had gotten so bad.

I’m looking at 2.5 years although next year may be possible since the house willbe paid off. Kind of a good feeling since there is little stress. Biggest concern now is staying healthy.
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by RadAudit »

There was a saying around our company - a minor cog in the wheel of a megacorp - that if you want to know how long you'll be missed around here put your finger in a cup of coffee and see how long the hole will last when you pull your finger out.

Most of the ambivalence you feel about leaving resides within you. If the numbers are are right and the time is right, do what's right for you. Go. Your feelings will change.
FI is the best revenge. LBYM. Invest the rest. Stay the course. Die anyway. - PS: The cavalry isn't coming, kids. You are on your own.
sd323232
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by sd323232 »

fsrph wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 12:41 pm Assume you have enough money to retire with a very conservative asset allocation. Is it normal to have conflicting thoughts? Second guessing yourself. Maybe about how much money you are leaving on the table. Feelings of separation and loss. Can anyone relate to this?

Francis
If you working for a good company, you have option to always come back. At a place where i work, i have seen many people retire and then comeback, 6 months later, 2 years later, etc (one guy came back a month later!). Mostly with same reason, they got bored. They come back for full time position, part time position, some work from home, some come to office once a week. I dont see retirement as a set in stone deal, if needed you can always go back to place you worked, or find new job somewhere else, you dont even need to do work in same industry, find some fun job.
GeMoney
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by GeMoney »

Relieved. Because it's a life changing event, it's natural to go through various emotions but I was ready mentally and financially. It's been nearly a year now and I have no regrets. Life's good.
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jimmyq
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by jimmyq »

Well, my experience was a little different as I never got the chance to give them notice. Last year, I had planned on giving my notice in early July, partially due to the fact that I had saved enough to retire, and partially because the work environment was becoming corrosive, with layoffs twice a year. But I never got the chance because they announced another layoff in May and I was on "the list".

My manager was visibly nervous when he gave me the news, but my first question to him was about a separation package. Once I confirmed that there was going to be a halfway decent separation package, I was all smiles. What a nice gift at just the right time, and I felt like I finally won the lottery. I was a little disappointed that I was not able to leave on my own terms, but I got over that when I got my separation check.
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fsrph
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by fsrph »

Thank to all for the wonderful replies sharing your experiences. I can assure you I read every one. A little bit more about me - I'll be 61 years old later this year and worked for the same healthcare company for over three decades. It is a stable job but the last five years have declined into utter chaos and ultra high stress.

As far as financially, I'm fine, I think. Live a modest lifestyle with 80x expenses plus small pension (at 65) and SS near the max. Unfortunately, I still feel a sense of loss of income during pending retirement. The best way I can put it is - it's like I'm playing a pinball machine and seeing the totals go up and up. It's hard for me to walk away from that machine.

I have tried to retire several times already. The employer offered me the opportunity to stay and I stayed. Right now, I again gave notice to retire and did not hear a response from the employer yet. My feelings have wild swings but mostly focus on the decision being so final. Loss of income, loss of helping others, loss of being part of a team, loss of purpose. I'm sure there are positive feeling too, but I'm not seeing many of them yet.

Thanks again for your replies. Bogleheads community is the best.

Francis
"Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get." | Dale Carnegie
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by sport »

fsrph wrote: Sun May 17, 2020 10:55 am I'm sure there are positive feeling too, but I'm not seeing many of them yet.
I found that there are two positive feelings that come out of retirement.
1. The obvious one is freedom to do what you want whenever you wish.
2. Lack of stress. Every job has some stress associated with it. Commuting is stressful. Having to be on time can be stressful. Dealing with disagreeable customers, co-workers and managers is stressful. Being over-worked is stressful. Etc. Etc. Etc. All of those stresses disappear when you retire.
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cashboy
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by cashboy »

fsrph wrote: Sun May 17, 2020 10:55 am
My feelings have wild swings but mostly focus on the decision being so final. Loss of income, loss of helping others, loss of being part of a team, loss of purpose. I'm sure there are positive feeling too, but I'm not seeing many of them yet.
your feelings are quite normal for many. leaving one's career/job, and the work force is a major life change - whether you choose to leave on your own, or your company decides for you (as was my case at megacorp :x ). if you are not completely ready to retire perhaps you might consider working part time in your profession as a 'bridge' to transition from full time work to retirement.

i found that when i changed my 'focus' from backwards (past) to forwards(future) i slowly obtained a sense of peace and contentment that was priceless - I would never go back.

you worked hard; now is the time to enjoy life!

best of luck!, and my very best wishes for a long and healthy life of contentment and joy for you!

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scrabbler1
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by scrabbler1 »

Chicken lady wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 9:56 pm As soon as I realized I was going to hit my net worth target, I submitted my resignation. Had a good job that was stimulating and well compensated but I was ready to move on to pursue other interests.

No regrets, no second thoughts. Just joy :happy

I retired in 2008 with the confidence that investments and general finances were in good condition even though we were in the midst of a national financial melt-down. Having a thrifty lifestyle helped make it all work. No problems or surprises.
This is a lot like my retirement, also in (late) 2008. I had reduced my weekly hours worked from 37.5 to 20 in 2001, then reduced them to 12 in 2007. I knew I was going to leave some time in 2008. When all the pieces fell into place by mid-2008, I gave my notice (4 weeks) and left at the end of October. No regrets, never looked back.
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Watty
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by Watty »

fsrph wrote: Sun May 17, 2020 10:55 am I have tried to retire several times already. The employer offered me the opportunity to stay and I stayed. Right now, I again gave notice to retire and did not hear a response from the employer yet. My feelings have wild swings but mostly focus on the decision being so final. Loss of income, loss of helping others, loss of being part of a team, loss of purpose. I'm sure there are positive feeling too, but I'm not seeing many of them yet.
If they come back this time too then you could agree work as long as you are mainly doing the stuff you enjoy on the schedule that works for both of you. Working half time with May and September off for travel would be my ideal schedule but yours might be different.

If you can set your own terms then sometimes people work into their 80s just because they enjoy their work.
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by New Providence »

Isn't that the cruelty of life? No situation provides happiness.

30 & 40 yr olds on FIRE desperately wishing to retire, and on the other hand old folks wishing to work for ever....
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by Nicolas »

fsrph wrote: Sun May 17, 2020 10:55 am I'll be 61 years old later this year and worked for the same healthcare company for over three decades. It is a stable job but the last five years have declined into utter chaos and ultra high stress.

As far as financially, I'm fine, I think. Live a modest lifestyle with 80x expenses plus small pension (at 65) and SS near the max.
Why a small pension? I worked for MegaCorp for over three decades and I got a decent pension. In fact we’re living on just that, no need for my savings and SS four years in.
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by pennywise »

sport wrote: Sun May 17, 2020 11:45 am [
I found that there are two positive feelings that come out of retirement.
1. The obvious one is freedom to do what you want whenever you wish.
2. Lack of stress. Every job has some stress associated with it. Commuting is stressful. Having to be on time can be stressful. Dealing with disagreeable customers, co-workers and managers is stressful. Being over-worked is stressful. Etc. Etc. Etc. All of those stresses disappear when you retire.
#2 in particular is beautifully stated, and expresses much better what I was trying to convey in my own response.

Before retirement I don't think it's possible to fully appreciate the peace and joy that comes in living without all the stress.

I feel lighter and happier every single day. Night as well--retirement has been followed by much better sleeping. I still occasionally wake up at night but now there's nothing to start my monkey mind whirling as I cogitate on some work problem or issue or concern. So I go back and sleep some more.

And then there's the ease in never having to get up in the early morning because I gotta get to work. I wake up when I want to, naturally and although I'm an early riser it's only because that's what my body wants, not because the clock says it's time.

Goodbye stress, hello retirement.
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by sport »

pennywise wrote: Sun May 17, 2020 1:56 pm
sport wrote: Sun May 17, 2020 11:45 am [
I found that there are two positive feelings that come out of retirement.
1. The obvious one is freedom to do what you want whenever you wish.
2. Lack of stress. Every job has some stress associated with it. Commuting is stressful. Having to be on time can be stressful. Dealing with disagreeable customers, co-workers and managers is stressful. Being over-worked is stressful. Etc. Etc. Etc. All of those stresses disappear when you retire.
#2 in particular is beautifully stated, and expresses much better what I was trying to convey in my own response.

Before retirement I don't think it's possible to fully appreciate the peace and joy that comes in living without all the stress.

I feel lighter and happier every single day. Night as well--retirement has been followed by much better sleeping. I still occasionally wake up at night but now there's nothing to start my monkey mind whirling as I cogitate on some work problem or issue or concern. So I go back and sleep some more.

And then there's the ease in never having to get up in the early morning because I gotta get to work. I wake up when I want to, naturally and although I'm an early riser it's only because that's what my body wants, not because the clock says it's time.

Goodbye stress, hello retirement.
One stress that really annoyed me was commuting to work in the morning when the weather was clear, while knowing that a blizzard was forecast for the afternoon and I would have to drive in it, just to get back to the place I was just leaving. Now when we get a snowstorm, I can look out the window, smile, and get a hot chocolate.
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by cherijoh »

iamblessed wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 2:35 pm
fsrph wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 12:41 pm Assume you have enough money to retire with a very conservative asset allocation. Is it normal to have conflicting thoughts? Second guessing yourself. Maybe about how much money you are leaving on the table. Feelings of separation and loss. Can anyone relate to this?

Francis
There is always money on the table but you only have so much time.
My father passed away at 68, so early retirement was always something I wanted to do. But I had a good work situation - I liked the work, could work from home most of the time, etc. So I waffled about retiring now vs. a little later....

A new manager (that came through a re-org) changed my perspective - I stuck it out for over a year under him, but things were not getting better. I didn't feel like my work was valued - the manager would "dumb down" a presentation of an analysis I had worked hard on and send it out to the audience before the meeting without consulting me about his changes - some of which were material. After this happened several times, I lost any motivation to do my best work. So I decided that was my sign to retire.

I waited until after I received my variable compensation for the previous year and had mostly tied up a big project that could be finished up quickly. I think it came as a shock to my manager (and his manager) when I announced that I was leaving since I hadn't given any early warning (and I wasn't a career employee there with lots of years of service). I ended up working about a month after I gave my notice and left mid April 2018.

I had some fleeting mixed feelings on my last day - they organized a very nice retirement party with a cake and decorated the conference room which I hadn't expected. But overall the feeling I had following my retirement was relief.
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by fsrph »

Nicolas wrote: Sun May 17, 2020 1:51 pm
fsrph wrote: Sun May 17, 2020 10:55 am I'll be 61 years old later this year and worked for the same healthcare company for over three decades. It is a stable job but the last five years have declined into utter chaos and ultra high stress.

As far as financially, I'm fine, I think. Live a modest lifestyle with 80x expenses plus small pension (at 65) and SS near the max.
Why a small pension? I worked for MegaCorp for over three decades and I got a decent pension. In fact we’re living on just that, no need for my savings and SS four years in.
The healthcare system I work for has been merged and bought several times over the years. The last company that bought it, in 2009, froze the pension. Small pension size is relative. When I'm 65 I'll receive almost 32k/yr. I consider that a decent amount but to others with public service pensions it is small.

Francis
"Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get." | Dale Carnegie
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by sport »

cherijoh wrote: Sun May 17, 2020 2:32 pm I had some fleeting mixed feelings on my last day - they organized a very nice retirement party with a cake and decorated the conference room which I hadn't expected. But overall the feeling I had following my retirement was relief.
My company was worse. There were two of us retiring at the same time. They had a retirement party with a cake decorated with both of our names. The other retiree had his family there. They never even told me there would be a party, so my family had no opportunity to participate.
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by cherijoh »

sport wrote: Sun May 17, 2020 2:45 pm
cherijoh wrote: Sun May 17, 2020 2:32 pm I had some fleeting mixed feelings on my last day - they organized a very nice retirement party with a cake and decorated the conference room which I hadn't expected. But overall the feeling I had following my retirement was relief.
My company was worse. There were two of us retiring at the same time. They had a retirement party with a cake decorated with both of our names. The other retiree had his family there. They never even told me there would be a party, so my family had no opportunity to participate.
Since I worked mostly for home, I knew there was a "reception" since they needed to verify I would be coming into the office. :wink: But I hadn't expected anyone to go too much trouble. But my manager enlisted our department's admin who outdid herself.
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Re: How did you feel after giving notice to retire?

Post by fsrph »

Mr. Rumples wrote: Sat May 16, 2020 7:18 pm I loved my job and having worked with many of the same people for 25 years and in the same building for 25 years, it was comfortable, yet it was time to move on. I was tired and worn out and I did not want to end up like a few people I knew who worked and worked and then dropped dead. I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and calm.
We had two workers that died suddenly in the past few years. Both were in great condition and ran in local events. One was in his early 60's and had a heart attack after yard work. The other was gone two months after retirement. You never know the time remaining.

Francis
"Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get." | Dale Carnegie
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