Anyone else nervous about quitting a perfectly good job (by society's standards)

[rvpopeye]

I know a lot of people that never got even a taste of the freedom this life embodies.
Always preparing to the point of being "safe".
And then passing just before or just after they get to retirement.
So , it's a delicate balancing act picking YOUR "right" time...

I chose to do something (basically my dream job) that allowed me to be out of the rat race and still support myself when I was 27.

Now it is even better without the damn itinerary. (ZZ POPeye)

 

[Queen]

We are at the age now where we see this, up close and personal, constantly.  Coworkers who've stayed way too long to get those extra few bucks each month, only to die within a few months of retiring.  One recently was a close work friend, we had lunch together all the time, she kept saying she was going to stay the extra two years so she could still do a blow out christmas each year for her grandkids, she finally retired last December... and died in March.

 

[rvpopeye]

Exactly !
And sorry to hear that too.....

 

[slynne]

I see it as a balance. There are often good reasons to delay gratification but there is always the risk that something will happen and the delayed gratification was for naught. I am not much of a saver but if I had been, I could retire now comfortably. My failure to delay my gratification is why I have to tighten my belt now to save for this dream. Yet I dont regret anything. I tend to spend my money on experiences. I may have had more money but I have been to 49 states. I have been to Europe four times. I have been to Mexico and I've seen a lot of Canada too. But keeping my job has been good financially even though I am sure the more relaxing pace of the road would suit me better.

 

[carlex.escapade]

I guess all of us are afraid to quit something that we've loved, especially when we are talking about the job. But at the end, we always need to let go to see what will happen next. We need to open a new chapter in our life and explore new things that will shape us to become a better person and create some new memories that will be worth remembering.

 

[Queen]

I've told every kid who ever worked for me to look for balance... every job you ever have will be a dim memory someday, and the job pays for your life, it isn't your life.

 

[Bast]

I think it boils down to How much is enough? What 0ne person considers a meager pension is luxury to another. The same with an IRA.

 

[FreeToBe]

Mayble - Yes, I agree.  I do have to make my own choices and if I decide to go another direction in the future, I'm sure I can find an office cube with my name on it (yuck)   :s

rvpopeye - I think I'm one of those people that have never really had full freedom.  I do have more freedom than many of my friends and acquaintances (mainly because I'm very happily divorced), but I still am always stuck with an itinerary to keep (which usually involves more and more meetings as the years go by).  I believe that part of the reason that I started this thread is my fear of freedom and the unknown.

One of my favorite quotes (that's in one of Bob's blog posts) is:  "Ships are safe in a harbor, but that's not what ships are built for" - John A. Shedd

Queen - I'm seeing a lot of my coworkers and friends either die right after retirement or have serious medical issues that restricts their life.  It's really scary to think that some people work their whole life and store a huge amount of money, only to never be able to enjoy it.  And yes, I agree that balance is extremely important in life.

slynne - Yes, balance is the key.  If we only knew exactly when we were going to die and all the future issues we might have, it would make it so much easier to plan all of this.

carlex.escapade - Good points.  In some ways, I feel that I'm reading the same chapter of the same book over and over again.  One week pretty much feels like the last one.  It's time to move on to another chapter and heck, maybe a whole new book.

Bast - That is the question:  How much is enough?  I have spreadsheets that I've set up and have ran the numbers over and over again.  The numbers say I have enough to live for the rest of my life (if I stick to a very liberal budget and have no major financial hiccups), but for some reason I keep doubting them and think I'm missing something, so I run them again with different scenarios, only to come out with the same results.  To be fair to myself, I have caught a few things that I forgot, but none of it changes the final result.  I think many people stay in their current jobs, not because they really need to financially, but something is holding them there.

 

[rvpopeye]

I'd chuck those spreadsheets.
Exchange what if with why not too.
You're contemplating a whole new lifestyle ,
A whole new way of thinking goes with it.

 

[Queen]

Agree ^^^

I tried spreadsheets, all they told me is no way, you'll be too poor. So chucked em, did some basic math, and put in the retirement papers.

 

[mayble]

if you run out of money, you make more
if you run out of time, you're done

don't waste your time worrying about money

 

[FreeToBe]

rvpopeye - I see your point, but if it wasn't for the spreadsheets, I would not be contemplating retiring.  It was after a retired friend and I were discussing retirement and he said to me (and I paraphrase):  "You know, if you ran the numbers, you would probably be surprised to find that you could retire now if you want, with no real financial issue - plus, for me, retirement has been way cheaper than working".  That got me to taking a close look at my finances and a retirement budget and realizing that it's really doable.  I do agree that the spreadsheets have now served their purpose and it's time to move on to the next phase.  

He did go on to tell me that the biggest issue he faced in early retirement was "reinventing himself" and feeling like he was still a valuable part of society.

Queen - I'm guessing there's tons of different ways to go about it.  Whatever works.

Mayble - Absolutely.  Hard to make more time when the game's up.

 

[waldenbound]

You know, there really is no job secure enough, relationship secure enough, health plan secure enough, economy secure enough, retirement secure enough. I bet people in September of 1929 thought they were secure. People in early 2008 probably thought they were secure too. One big event, and everything can change. The Buddha taught that everything is impermanent, nothing stays the same, everything will change. To think everything will be secure will just set you up for disappointment.

I am saying this as one who knows I don't have enough for a conventional retirement. No way I can live on Social Security, and my shelf life for a decent job is coming to its expiration date. Meaning, I have to do mobile living, but I don't look it as a hardship. I love the outdoors and I have been learning to live a very simple life.

 

[drysailor]

Take it one step at a time - don't quit now. As your daily driver, get something you can convert for weekends and short trips. Get it converted/made up to your liking, & use it - both as a weekend escape and as a test bed for the future.
Don't underestimate the importance / significance of a good health plan; if you give it up now, you may very well not be able to replace it, just at the time of your life when you are likely to start using it more than ever.

 

[FreeToBe]

Waldenbound - Yes, exactly - security is an illusion;  I keep learning the lesson over and over again (aka divorces, friends that have moved, job changes, etc).  Ask the dozen or so people my company just laid off.  They had been reassured there would be no layoffs and then - BAM - out of the blue, there were layoffs.  As for me, it's only a matter of time until the same thing happens, but I don't know if it's 6 months or 10 years for now.  I have a friend that spent years of his life waiting to be laid off and he finally just quite.  His advice was when you can afford it leave and enjoy the rest of your life.

drysailor - Good advice.  I have been taking things one step at a time, but the leisurely stroll I've been on went to a jog and now a full run as the house has sold quicker than I expected and I have to be out by the end of June.  So, I'll probably get a short term apartment, keep working for awhile, and work on a van or RV at night and on weekends, take short trips to test things out, and prepare for the next phase of my life.  When I'm ready, then I'll go (just don't know if that will be one month or 10 years from now)  Unfortunately, I won't have my garage, workshop, or many of my tools anymore, since they will be gone in the house sale.  But, it's still doable if I set my mind to it and get creative (ie, I may be building my van in the Home Depot parking lot).

 

[SoulRaven]

I was thinking about this in conjunction with the sucky amount of social security that I am going to get. We left good jobs, more than once for the chance to move from one area to the other. We did that for about 30 years. I was thinking, "Boy, had I stayed in federal civil service, think of how much my retirement would be." But then I thought about staying in the city and doing a "Ground Hog's Day" for 30 years and I felt a whole lot better about my situation. Everything in life is a tradeoff.

 

[Queen]

Same here.  Some friends are retiring the same time as us, they will have loads of money, but they're just getting started with all the things they want to see and do, and they have to plan it around doctors appointments for various issues.  We took off a lot when we were younger, traveled, saw new and different stuff, lved in a bunch of new places.  If I had it to do over again, I'd do it the same way.

 

[VanKitten]

I have spent a lot of time around seniors...meaning over 80....
Not one of them regrets what they did....all I hear is "I shoulda, I coulda"

Somewhere around the age of 60 it began to really sink in...there isn't going to be any "do overs" with life. This is it.

I have stayed in one place now for almost a year. The longest stretch since 1998. I do not regret doing this for Mom. I only regret that Mom feels such guilt knowing she is holding me down. I wish I had never told her about my RV dreams.

 

[slynne]

LOL. When I told my Mom of my vanlife dreams, the first thing she said was that I wasn't allowed to sleep in her driveway. Why? Because she is worried that the neighbors will think she wont let me sleep in the house! Thing is though that someday she is going to need care and a daughter living in her driveway might mean the difference between her aging in her own home or aging in a nursing home.

In the meantime, I've gotten one of the neighbors to offer me a space in his driveway. haw!

Luckily I can probably manage all this and keep my job. I hope so at any rate

 

[mco65]

I tell anyone and everyone (who will listen) that i am retiring at 59.5.. once i can start withdrawing my 401k... which also coincides with my kids getting out of school. I have no anxiety about quitting a good job but then again, maybe i am not close enough to that day for it to really sink in.. Once i get within a calendar year, we'll see! For now, i can't wait!