Author Topic: Tips for making it through the day.  (Read 5577 times)

Beebs

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 5
  • Location: Northern California
Tips for making it through the day.
« on: November 04, 2013, 06:12:03 AM »
I am about 5 years from being able to retire from my current government job. If I leave earlier, I lose any bit of pension I have. I don't have enough saved to just leave now.  Some days it is just so fricken hard to get in to work.  Anyone have little tips or motivators that help them through the rough spots? Most days  I am fine, and I know I am lucky to have the job and that a pension will be there. But some days, it just sucks.

footenote

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 801
  • MMMing in MN
Re: Tips for making it through the day.
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2013, 06:21:18 AM »
If I were you, I would make a grid representing all the weeks between the day you starting working and five years from now. You can use graph paper or an online graph paper template.

For example, if you will have worked 30 years total and use one block per week of work, that would be a grid of 1,500 blocks. (I used 50 work weeks per year to make the arithmetic easy.)

Then fill in all each grid boxes representing the weeks you have already worked. 25 years of weeks would equal 1,250 filled in boxes showing weeks you have worked to-date.

Each Monday or Friday (I would choose Monday, but YMMV), black out another grid block and (inwardly) scream "I'm one week closerrrrrr!". Fist pump.

This will reinforce that you have far more work behind you than ahead of you, and that you are making steady progress toward the end.

Also, is there any way to make work more pleasant? Can you volunteer for work that's more stimulating? Can you mentor less experienced co-workers? Look for anything you can change up to get yourself through.

aj_yooper

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1090
  • Age: 12
  • Location: Chicagoland
Re: Tips for making it through the day.
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2013, 06:43:20 AM »
Congratulations on your upcoming retirement!

I gave my notice 4 years before retirement and honestly, the days seemed to fly once I knew I had it in sight!  I started to catalog my job tasks as only 4 more years of these kinds of meetings, these type of tasks; as I got closer to the end, I became nostalgic.  I took on an intern during my last year.  To the extent I could, I tried to re-invent my job.  When there were chances for a conference, I did them.  I worked out every day before work and this seemed to lift my mood and increase my energy levels.  Stay on the positive and find like-minded colleagues to get you through the tough spots.

different but real

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 6
Re: Tips for making it through the day.
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2013, 06:53:04 AM »
I am about 5 years from being able to retire from my current government job. If I leave earlier, I lose any bit of pension I have. I don't have enough saved to just leave now.  Some days it is just so fricken hard to get in to work.  Anyone have little tips or motivators that help them through the rough spots? Most days  I am fine, and I know I am lucky to have the job and that a pension will be there. But some days, it just sucks.

I too live each day looking to the end. Unfortunately my timeline is 7 years... I will be 55 then and have our house paid off. Currently living on 67% of our income and looking at every/any way to reduce that. We plan on attacking the mortgage and hopefully finishing early. I too look forward with coping mechanisms as corporate America keeps giving me reasons not to like them more and more every day. Best of luck!

arebelspy

  • Administrator
  • Senior Mustachian
  • *****
  • Posts: 28444
  • Age: -997
  • Location: Seattle, WA
Re: Tips for making it through the day.
« Reply #4 on: November 04, 2013, 07:23:36 AM »
Five years, seven years... these are LONG periods of life to sit and be unhappy waiting for something.

Don't do it.

Forget FI, set it to the back of your mind (besides how you'll keep plugging away at it via smart money choices) and focus on the positive.  Find what you do enjoy at work, and find ways to improve your job situation.

Enjoy the next 5 years, don't waste them being unhappy.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

lizfish

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 849
  • Location: England
Re: Tips for making it through the day.
« Reply #5 on: November 04, 2013, 07:33:09 AM »
Enjoy the next 5 years, don't waste them being unhappy.

I'm not sure how I'd do it, but sounds like the best advice ever. In fact, for life in general.

Beebs

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 5
  • Location: Northern California
Re: Tips for making it through the day.
« Reply #6 on: November 04, 2013, 07:34:56 AM »
Great tips, everyone!  Thank you. It is really great to know I have you all here, who know at least some of what I am feeling. I will try and focus on the positive things. I am generally an optimist and very positive, but at times when I get too focused on the end result, it seems so far away and that I will never get there.  Thanks again. :)

oldtoyota

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3179
Re: Tips for making it through the day.
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2013, 08:06:46 AM »
One time, tears ago, I was walking in the hall of a large government office building in DC. I said hello to the cleaning lady. She asked how I was. I said that I wished it was the weekend. She said to be careful about wishing my life away. I was stunned. I was also very young, so it was a great lesson to get from a stranger.

That said, find meaning in what you do on the weekends, reinvent the job as someone above suggested, be even more compassionate to your colleagues than before.

This past weekend, I made cards for returning soldiers. I am still feeling the happiness about that, now, on Monday.

Also, do something really nice for yourself every morning. My spouse has been getting up early to work on a personal project. I am going to join him and get up at 6 and work on my idea from 6-7. I am going to see what happens by giving myself this time. You don't have to do the same thing. The idea is to find something that makes you look forward to the day. If the answer is getting up earlier to have some time for yourself before your work day starts, then that might solve your problem.


netskyblue

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 637
  • Location: Midwest USA
Re: Tips for making it through the day.
« Reply #8 on: November 04, 2013, 09:14:15 AM »
Not really to do with retirement, but I recently had a "oh wow" kind of moment.

Mine's semi-religious, but doesn't really have to be. 

1) Each day is a gift.  (I mean, I'm not guaranteed to get it, right?) 

2) What kind of horrible person gets a gift, even if it wasn't what they wanted, and says, "this gift sucks!"  (and how many times have I said "This day sucks!")

3) Therefore, I'm really going to try to accept each day with grace, regardless of whether it's the day I wanted it to be, or not.

oldtoyota

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3179
Re: Tips for making it through the day.
« Reply #9 on: November 04, 2013, 10:46:42 AM »
Not really to do with retirement, but I recently had a "oh wow" kind of moment.

Mine's semi-religious, but doesn't really have to be. 

1) Each day is a gift.  (I mean, I'm not guaranteed to get it, right?) 

2) What kind of horrible person gets a gift, even if it wasn't what they wanted, and says, "this gift sucks!"  (and how many times have I said "This day sucks!")

3) Therefore, I'm really going to try to accept each day with grace, regardless of whether it's the day I wanted it to be, or not.

Nice. I like this a lot.

brewer12345

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1381
Re: Tips for making it through the day.
« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2013, 11:02:56 AM »
I am down to under 60 days and the process of getting here has been "less than pleasant."  What has helped me a lot is simply ceasing to give a flying reproductive act about all the petty bullcrap that goes on in most jobs.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!