It's Official: I'm Retiring!

[DaveNV]

Well, it's finally happening: I am officially retiring. Third time's the charm, since I tried to do this last Summer, then again at the end of 2019. In both cases things were delayed. Now the stars have aligned, and I've firmly decided to pull the plug at the end of March. Eek!! It's getting real - exciting and a bit scary, but I think I'm ready this time.

I work in IT at a busy hospital system, where I will mark my 12th anniversary a few days prior to my last workday. In a meeting with my Manager the other day, he asked if I was getting closer to a firm retirement date. We've had the discussion a few times, so he knew it was coming. I said that Yes, I finally had all my retirement papers processed, and I was going to submit my retirement notice at the end of February, for an end of March departure. He said the sooner they know I am definitely leaving, the sooner they can recruit and hire my replacement, since I have a rather specialized position. He also said if they could get my replacement onsite soon enough, I could do a face-to-face turnover. I couldn't disagree with that logic. So after the meeting I went to my desk and sent him my formal, official, "finally, it's time" retirement notice.

Now the countdown really starts - eight weeks from yesterday. It's a bit daunting, I must say. After 48 years of working in IT, on every kind of computer platform and network imaginable, from the smallest handheld to room-sized mainframe systems, in a wide variety of locations, environments, and employers, military and civilian, and in every conceivable kind of position - computer operator, programmer/analyst, repairs, training, database and server administrator, Help Desk, and who knows what all else - it's finally coming to a close. It's been a hell of a ride, and I have enjoyed every bit of it. In all these years, I know I have learned something new about computers every single day. I've had a great time, and I couldn't have chosen a better career for myself.

One advantage delaying retirement till March is giving me: The opportunity to "practice" being financially retired. My retirement income is in place, and arriving on schedule. I'm spending these three months living on only those funds. My paychecks from my employment are going directly to savings, and I'm pretending I don't have that coming in. I'm forcing myself to work only with my retirement income. It's working really well, surprisingly. I think when it all happens for real, I'm going to be fine. I like when a plan comes together.

Retirement is already shaping up to be a busy time for me. My "honeydo" list is a mile long, and seems to be growing by the day. Spouse has to work another few years, so I should be able to get things done around home without a lot of interruptions. We'll see how that goes. And it won't all be about working - I've got a half-dozen short trip getaways planned for us this year, and a three week trip to Hawaii this Summer. I may have to go back to work just to get some rest!

For those of you who have already retired: How long did it take for you to make the transition (or did you?) from getting up early every day to get ready for work? After a lifetime of getting up at the crack of dark to go to work, I'm not sure how it will be not having to answer to the alarm clock.

Dave

 

[Passepartout]

Way to go, Dave. I still get up about the same as I did when working. The difference is I no longer wear a watch - unless traveling. Seems one has to abide with schedules when dealing with travel necessities.

You're REALLY gonna like this!

Jim

 

[Karen G]

Congratulations, Dave! Retirement rocks!

 

[jacknsara]

Aloha Dave and welcome to retirement.
My answer to your transition time question is "instantaneous"
By the time I chose to retire our finances were solid and Sara had already quit working. We didn't socialize outside work with any of my workplace colleagues so I didn't miss them socially. Consequently, retirement was instant liberation. No more alarm clock. I am have sleep issues but I was no longer chronically sleep deprived.
I haven't missed work at all. Five plus years on I barely remember the names of most colleagues.
Jack

 

[Timeshare Von]

Congratulations Dave! I'm very happy for you.

It seems so easy to "just retire" but your post is a reminder that it is far from a simple process.

 

[DrQ]

Congrats! Hope you enjoy your retirement. Maybe a good time to get out of IT.

 

[MULTIZ321]

Conhrdts Dave. You will enjoy this new chdpter j. Your life!
Richard

 

[controller1]

I hope you enjoy retirement as much as I do. It's great having the freedom.

 

[Luanne]

Congratulations Dave!!!!

I've never been an early morning person so it didn't take long for me to get out of the habit of getting up at at the crack of dawn.

 

[bbodb1]

First and most of all, congratulations Dave! I too am looking forward to that day(hopefully soon)..

I can't let this one pass without a comment though:

...My answer to your transition time question is "instantaneous"
By the time I chose to retire our finances were solid and Sara had already quit working. We didn't socialize outside work with any of my workplace colleagues so I didn't miss them socially. Consequently, retirement was instant liberation. No more alarm clock. I am have sleep issues but I was no longer chronically sleep deprived.
I haven't missed work at all. Five plus years on I barely remember the names of most colleagues.
Jack

There is a part of me that thinks substituting 'minutes' for 'years' might be appropriate in my case. But that is not the point I wanted to address here.
I get so tired of a place I am working for trying to label the staff as 'family' and then using that manipulation to further put the screws to the employees.
My relationship with the people I work with is limited to that environment - the workplace.
I purposely avoid people I work with when I am off work as I want and need that space (that separation if you will).
Management wants to create this 'family' bond in the hope that workers will give effort on work outside the workplace because 'we are in this together'.
Horse dung. Management can and will sacrifice family members in a heartbeat if it suits their purpose of the week. And far too many colleagues will be more than happy to watch someone else stand up for what is right only to sink a knife in your back once you are the one standing.
The door will not hit me on the south side when I depart and I will not miss my place of employment at all.

Maybe seconds instead of minutes....

 

[DaveNV]

Congrats! Hope you enjoy your retirement. Maybe a good time to get out of IT.

Get out of IT? I'm not sure how easy that will be - my "geek" runs pretty deep - my family would say "Clear to the bone." LOL! I have a few ideas of smartphone apps I'd like to try and put together. A different slant on things, sure, but I enjoy programming quite a bit, and it might be worth it to build something just for fun. And potential profit.

Dave

 

[DrQ]

Get out of IT? I'm not sure how easy that will be - my "geek" runs pretty deep - my family would say "Clear to the bone." LOL! I have a few ideas of smartphone apps I'd like to try and put together. A different slant on things, sure, but I enjoy programming quite a bit, and it might be worth it to build something just for fun. And potential profit.

Dave

Yeah, your talking to a guy with a 2U dual 8 core processor computer in his sunroom

 

[pittle]

Retirement is awesome!

When I retired, it did not take long to acclimate because like you I had been making plans for a while. I had always hated getting up no later than 6AM, so I made a point to use my weekend and vacation mantra that getting up before 7AM was just unheard of - especially in the winter when it was still dark. In the summer when the sun starts brightening up the bedroom before 6, I do get up before 7. BUT, the best thing is that you can have coffee and peruse the internet and see what has happened on TUG first thing and not have to worry about rushing out the door. It is great to not have to rush through your morning to get out the door and drive in traffic. To be able to go to any store on Tuesday morning when it is slower is really nice.

 

[bluehende]

Congrats

Now follow my philosophy

Every morning I get up with a plan to do nothing.
and every day I get at least half of it done.

 

[VacationForever]

Congratulations, Dave!

For me, at the age of 52, we had an out of the blue offer to buy our business. My husband had wanted to retire for years and he wanted us to consider the offer. On the other hand I had always wanted to work until 62 and felt that we were not financially ready to be retired. We declined that first offer to buy our business but I warmed up to the idea of not working. We approached a M&A broker and he got 2 comparable offers for our business within a month and we were out in 2 months. I said that I would take a year off and reassess as to whether I wanted to go back to work. I got used to not working and decided that retirement agrees with me.

We golf, travel and cook. Life is pretty good in retirement.

 

[Rolltydr]

For those of you who have already retired: How long did it take for you to make the transition (or did you?) from getting up early every day to get ready for work? After a lifetime of getting up at the crack of dark to go to work, I'm not sure how it will be not having to answer to the alarm clock.

Dave

First of all,congratulations! I think you will love retirement and it sounds like you’re already planning some trips so you’re getting a good headstart.

I also had a long career in IT before retiring in 2013. It took me approximately 1 nanosecond to transition. I still remember the pure joy and excitement of walking out the door and across the parking lot to get in my car and leave work for the last time. My wife and I left the next morning and went to the beach for a week. It was pure bliss, the most relaxed I’ve been for that length of time in my entire life.

Now, as far as the waking up early, that hasn’t worked out as I had hoped. After so many years of waking myself up at 5:15 every morning, it’s been extremely difficult to turn off that internal alarm clock. Most days, I wake up about 5:30 or 5:45. On a good morning, I sleep until 6, and on rare occasions, I can make it until 6:30 but that’s about it. But, when I do wake up, my time belongs to me, not someone else. I don’t miss the meetings. I don’t miss the phone calls. I don’t miss the stress. I don’t miss the business or IT lexicon.That former life gave me the opportunity to enjoy the better life I have now.

Good luck and enjoy the end of your work days and the beginning of your retirement!




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[silentg]

Dave; First, congratulation regarding your upcoming retirement. I too had a lengthy IT career. Forty six years altogether with 32 at my last employer. Here is how I transitioned from employment to retirement. I literally went on vacation and never came back. I suggest you and your wife schedule a vacation IMMEDIATELY after your retirement date and just mentally never return to work. ~ silentg’s husband

 

[mjm1]

Congratulations Dave! That’s fantastic. Having more control over your time is a wonderful thing. Enjoy the transition.

Best regards.

Mike

 

[DaveNV]

First of all,congratulations! I think you will love retirement and it sounds like you’re already planning some trips so you’re getting a good headstart.

I also had a long career in IT before retiring in 2013. It took me approximately 1 nanosecond to transition. I still remember the pure joy and excitement of walking out the door and across the parking lot to get in my car and leave work for the last time. My wife and I left the next morning and went to the beach for a week. It was pure bliss, the most relaxed I’ve been for that length of time in my entire life.

Now, as far as the waking up early, that hasn’t worked out as I had hoped. After so many years of waking myself up at 5:15 every morning, it’s been extremely difficult to turn off that internal alarm clock. Most days, I wake up about 5:30 or 5:45. On a good morning, I sleep until 6, and on rare occasions, I can make it until 6:30 but that’s about it. But, when I do wake up, my time belongs to me, not someone else. I don’t miss the meetings. I don’t miss the phone calls. I don’t miss the stress. I don’t miss the business or IT lexicon.That former life gave me the opportunity to enjoy the better life I have now.

Good luck and enjoy the end of your work days and the beginning of your retirement!




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks, Harry. I'm right there with you. It's a Saturday morning, and I woke up on schedule this morning at 5:00AM - no alarm required. I forced myself to try and get more sleep, but it didn't happen. I was up and at 'em by 5:30. It's a double-sided thing. I do enjoy getting my rest, but on those days when I'm awake early, I like the peace and quiet of having time to myself before the household wakes up. So maybe after retirement I won't mind if I wake up early, since I know it's another Saturday - seven days a week.

@jackandsara and others:

Leaving coworkers and work friends behind won't be terribly hard, either. I'm Facebook friends with a couple of people at work that I'm friends with away from work, and I expect those friendships will continue. Of my immediate co-working team (seven others), I'm only friends away from work with one, who also happens to be a near neighbor. The other six are fine and dandy at work, but I'm not likely to care a whole lot what they're up to after I retire, and I'm not FB friends with any of them. It sounds a bit cold, but it's really not. We have a great working relationship, but it kind of stops there. My 20-year Navy career taught me that coworkers come and go quickly, some without notice, as they transferred out or were medically removed from the workplace. I made fast friends with many other sailors, but as they left for other locations, it was a wish for "Fair winds and following seas" to them, and a warm greeting and "Getting to know you" to the new person who replaced them. Now, more than 25 years after Navy retirement, I only stay in touch with a handful of people I knew back then - and we went through some heavy stuff together. I expect it'll be the same with my current group of coworkers.

Dave

 

[DaveNV]

Dave; First, congratulation regarding your upcoming retirement. I too had a lengthy IT career. Forty six years altogether with 32 at my last employer. Here is how I transitioned from employment to retirement. I literally went on vacation and never came back. I suggest you and your wife schedule a vacation IMMEDIATELY after your retirement date and just mentally never return to work. ~ silentg’s husband

That actually sounds like a fantastic idea.

Dave

 

[silentg]

Dave we were on a plane at 7 am the first day of retirement. Best thing to do, he has been enjoying retirement very much and we have been traveling a lot since August. I was already retired but having DH retired has felt like real retirement for me.
Silentg

 

[b2bailey]

Retirement is a wonderful life, whatever you choose to make it. The two words mentioned that are key -- freedom and choice. To have both in abundance, that's where my joy is found.

 

[MOXJO7282]

Also from me congratulations DaveNW! Such a long career deserves many years of enjoying the fruits of that labor so cheers to you doing that.

I do often wonder as I think about my retirement that I hope will happen withing 2-3 years and what the transition will be like. For us it will also coincide with our 2 kids leaving the nest, and mostly likely the selling of our home that I've toiled over for 27 years to downsize so there are big changes on the horizon. We all suffer though the challenges of work and kids especially in the mid years when the pressure is on to produce and raise a family or just a good life for yourself and for the future.

I do look forward to the time when that is all behind us and it should be soon where kids are secure in their adult lives and we'll be financially secure to do what ever we want but still do wonder for myself if I'll miss at least some of the chaos that was my work life and family life and the home fix ups when we enter the next phase of our lives. I know one thing it will include a lot of TUG and alot of travel God willing.

 

[geoand]

Congratulations!
I have to admit that I thought you were retiring from your official position here on Tug as Costco Adviser!
As to your questions - Don’t dwell on any of them. You will do just fine. Biggest problem you might have is remembering to schedule your TIME SHARES. I asked DW if we scheduled our October trip to Manhattan club yet. She told me that I did that this past October. DW retired 3 years before me & I retired 9/4/1999 & have not forgotten to schedule but came close once.
YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE RETIREMENT

 

[WinniWoman]

Omg! Congratulations! Very happy for you! Well deserved and exciting! Enjoy every minute!