Author Topic: Holding it togehter?  (Read 7744 times)

Cap_Scarlet

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Holding it togehter?
« on: August 02, 2014, 06:47:53 AM »
So how many of you have been in this position?

We are FI and now just three months away from a two month holiday which hopefully will be the beginning of our Early Retirement.
The holiday broadly coincides (within one week) of my 50th birthday which is important as it means that my pension rights (payable at 62) will be fully vested.  The difference between partially and fully vested is around double i.e. I could retire today but would then sacrifice around $25,000 per annum which seems like a waste.  After our holiday I intend to quit.
We have our retirement home and yesterday were there for a short visit (its aound 400 millies away) but we now just want to be there and away from where we are now.

It doesn't sound like a long time to go but I am finding it increasingly difficult to be (and appear to be) motivated at work.

What tips / recommendations do you have?

surfhb

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Re: Holding it togehter?
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2014, 11:19:13 AM »
I don't understand.   You're weeks away from an additional $25k a year and you're asking us what you should do?  Lol

Rural

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Re: Holding it togehter?
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2014, 12:14:32 PM »
You don't have to be fully present and engaged, doing your very best work. For the next three months, you just have to avoid being summarily fired. Give yourself permission to do less than your best.

Frankies Girl

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Re: Holding it togehter?
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2014, 04:09:43 PM »
I am around a year (or just under) from retiring early. At first, it was REALLY difficult, but I've done two adjustments:

1. I take pride in my work. I won't do a shoddy job on projects assigned to me. I'm not going to go above or beyond unless I really want to, but the work I do will be competent, complete and up to my usual standards - because I personally care about doing a good job (so it's not for them, it's for me).

2. That being said, I also no longer feel compelled to work my ass off to meet unrealistic deadlines or go out of my way to impress or garner praise or attention, or go above or beyond the job assignment parameters. If I can't meet a deadline with minimal overtime, then I'll tell them that the deadline needs to shift, or the project parameters need adjusting. Simple as that.

I don't care about raises or performance reviews or any of that crap, so as long as I'm doing the best job I'm capable of doing within my own personal boundaries, I don't really care about the rest of it.


Thegoblinchief

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Re: Holding it togehter?
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2014, 06:00:32 PM »
I'll +1 Frankie's Girl and Rural.

I worked very hard at my current job for 8 years for little advancement in pay. I realize there's basically shit for rewarding PT workers, and I'm grateful for what is rather high compensation all things considered.

Just recently our Mustachianism advanced to the point that my income 100% goes to ER. The work suddenly becoming optional allows me to coast a bit. Like Frankie's Girl, I'm too self-motivated to not do good work, but I'm not going above and beyond either.

Cap_Scarlet

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Re: Holding it togehter?
« Reply #5 on: August 03, 2014, 02:51:17 AM »
I'll +1 Frankie's Girl and Rural.

I worked very hard at my current job for 8 years for little advancement in pay. I realize there's basically shit for rewarding PT workers, and I'm grateful for what is rather high compensation all things considered.

Just recently our Mustachianism advanced to the point that my income 100% goes to ER. The work suddenly becoming optional allows me to coast a bit. Like Frankie's Girl, I'm too self-motivated to not do good work, but I'm not going above and beyond either.

I think that's the key - at the moment I am coasting a little bit (and using a few excuses about lack of resources as to why I am backing off).  I find that I am spending increasing amounts of time thinking and planning about no longer being here (I have been listening/reading to a lot of podcasts and blogs about alternative sources of income and travel) so in my mind I am already part way through the transition.

I hate the fact that I am at least a little bit counting down the days which feels a little bit like wishing my life away. 

former player

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Re: Holding it togehter?
« Reply #6 on: August 03, 2014, 04:22:16 AM »
Here's a sad bit of truth for those of us who have tended to put more into our jobs than is strictly necessary: 99% of the time the bosses either won't have noticed or will have taken it for granted.  Which means that if you only start putting in what is necessary, they probably won't notice that either.

For anyone feeling demob happy and less than motivated, my advice is -

1.  Show up on time and leave on time.
2.  Spend some of your working hours reading your employment contract and HR manual, so that you know what not to do (i.e. anything which would allow them to summarily dismiss you before you are ready to go).
3.  Let anyone who needs to know, as far in advance as possible, if you are not going to be able to meet a deadline which has been imposed on you and which is due before you will leave.  (Deadlines due after the date you want to leave are irrelevant.)

Exflyboy

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Re: Holding it togehter?
« Reply #7 on: August 03, 2014, 06:31:34 AM »
You just gotta buckle down and do it..

I know its hard.. damned hard!.. but you just got to keep plodding.

10 years from now this time will be irrelevant, but the extra $25k will still be very relevant indeed!

Frank

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Re: Holding it togehter?
« Reply #8 on: August 04, 2014, 02:03:31 PM »
I feel your pain.  After getting my plan together, I'm trying to pretend like I am going to have to work forever and my ER date is just another day.  Can't say I am 100% successful, but it does seem to help take the edge off...

Cap_Scarlet

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Re: Holding it togehter?
« Reply #9 on: August 04, 2014, 02:56:05 PM »
You just gotta buckle down and do it..

I know its hard.. damned hard!.. but you just got to keep plodding.

10 years from now this time will be irrelevant, but the extra $25k will still be very relevant indeed!

Frank

Frank - you are right.

I had a long train journey today (about three hours) and I sat there looking out of the window thinking "well, that's another day ticked off".

I have been thinking about early retirement since around 2010 and I seem to remember when I started a thread on another site there were around 1,400 days to go to my 50th birthday.  Now there are just 79.  Throw in some weekends and holidays and there are just 53 working days.

I need to throw myself into this and give it my all for the next 53 days.  I will plod through and try and fill my days with enthusiasm.....its gonna be tough!

Cap_Scarlet

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Re: Holding it togehter?
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2014, 03:00:55 PM »
I feel your pain.  After getting my plan together, I'm trying to pretend like I am going to have to work forever and my ER date is just another day.  Can't say I am 100% successful, but it does seem to help take the edge off...

Do you know what made things tough?

Today i had to sit down and discuss my goals for next year with my counsellor - FY15 goals heading into June next year and the whole time we are having the talk I am thinking ....well ...I am gonski!  made it quite hard to keep a straight face!

Gone Fishing

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Re: Holding it togehter?
« Reply #11 on: August 04, 2014, 03:22:03 PM »
I feel your pain.  After getting my plan together, I'm trying to pretend like I am going to have to work forever and my ER date is just another day.  Can't say I am 100% successful, but it does seem to help take the edge off...

Do you know what made things tough?

Today i had to sit down and discuss my goals for next year with my counsellor - FY15 goals heading into June next year and the whole time we are having the talk I am thinking ....well ...I am gonski!  made it quite hard to keep a straight face!

Hardest part is keeping it under your hat!  A big market downturn could still delay my date since I have no pension, and only a little fat in the budget, so I have to keep quiet and keep working like I need my job, because I might actually need it longer than planned.  The boss also tends to slam folks working their notices trying to get everything he can out of them before they leave.  I'm hoping he(64) may retire before I do.  The company requests a 30 notice for folks at my level-I'm thinking I will give them 2 weeks.  My goal is to get paid for the July 4th holiday, then drop the notice.

mozar

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Re: Holding it togehter?
« Reply #12 on: August 04, 2014, 06:31:18 PM »
I am 10 years away... whenever I start thinking about how much I hate working I think about how blessed I am that I will be able to retire early. And it's hard to appreciate things if you haven't earned them, and you really earned it.
Actually I just accepted a new job, but I am waiting to resign until I get my clearance. Hopefully any day now. It is so hard to deal with my crappy co-workers. So I am just quieter than usual. I got to keep it together because I want references.

Cap_Scarlet

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Re: Holding it togehter?
« Reply #13 on: August 05, 2014, 01:11:40 AM »
"The company requests a 30 notice for folks at my level-I'm thinking I will give them 2 weeks"

I have six months notice from the end of the quarter in which I submit my notice - so technically if I hand in my notice on 1 January (my intention) then my actual leaving date would be 30 September.  Most people negotiate something sooner. ;-)

Rural

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Re: Holding it togehter?
« Reply #14 on: August 05, 2014, 07:23:03 PM »
"The company requests a 30 notice for folks at my level-I'm thinking I will give them 2 weeks"

I have six months notice from the end of the quarter in which I submit my notice - so technically if I hand in my notice on 1 January (my intention) then my actual leaving date would be 30 September.  Most people negotiate something sooner. ;-)


What's to negotiate if you're retiring? Unless there's some severance packing for leaving voluntarily, there's nothing they can withhold if you leave, right? And they won't be holding a gun to your head to force you to stay, after all.

Greystache

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Re: Holding it togehter?
« Reply #15 on: August 05, 2014, 10:19:08 PM »
I know exactly how you feel. My magic number is three months away. I plan to hang around through the end of the year to collect my company's generous holiday pay. We get paid time off for the week between Xmas and New years day.  I will come in on Jan 2nd and drop of my badge, get debriefed and turn in my computer and pager. Yes, I carry a pager- I have to work in areas where cell phones are forbidden.  Anyway, it is hard to stay motivated. I am working on several long term projects that I will not be around to see completed. Like Frankies Girl, It is only my pride that keeps me going.  I have all but stopped taking work home with me.  I have decided to give them 40 good hours a week, but that's it.  At least I don't have to hide my intentions.  It is quite common in my department for people to retire early (between 55 and 60) so it is not shocking or unexpected. I gave my boss 6 months notice.  We had a meeting today to discuss how we are going to off-load my tasks and train a replacement.  All very civilized.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!