The next day...

I had a great thought about my post for today but I've forgotten what it was. So I will continue with my somewhat random thoughts about getting ready to retire. Another major factor to consider in your planning is your mental state. Not whether or not you are insane but as it regards your job. If you have not retired yet then now is the time to consider how you feel about your job and your place in it. (this is what my idea for a post was about!) If you love your job, or identify with your job, or are just mysteriously eaten up with your job, then you need to start preparing your mental state for when you have NO job. Trust me on this. I don't care what you say now (you might be saying "I'm okay with new people doing my old job different" and you might even mean it, but you are just kidding yourself.) When you work somewhere for 20 or 30 years or more, that job is a part of your total make up. It is like deciding after 25 years to quit driving and let one of your kids do it for you! What an adjustment that would be for most all of us. Well retiring is kinda like that. All of a sudden you have 10 or 12 extra hours in your day. Thats hard enough alright. AND someone else is doing what you use to do and they don't need your help. Worse still, they don't even want your help. Here is what I told myself for 10 years before I retired. "Someone else did this job before I came along and someone else will do it after I leave. And like me, they will have their own ideas about how things should be done. It's no blight on my record. Besides, what if I died right now. Someone would jump right in to fill my shoes and I would be forgotten in 6 months tops." This was like a little prayer I used to say. Because let's face it. Everyone likes to think that their job would be lost without them. Nothing could be further from the truth. So start conquering this thought now. It takes time to drill it home. And if you are one of the fortunate few who truly does not care about their job after they leave, then you don't need to be reading this blog either. After I retired, it took me about 6 months to stop wondering about what was happening at work. Now I rarely think about work at all. And when I do, I put it in its place, and go on with my day. So plan to work on your mind and all the irritating little things it will observe. Retirement is the ultimate goal. Otherwise why have a retirement fund? And believe me, I don't care what anybody says, this is REALLY living. Till we meet again...

My first attempt

Well I've been retired now for 8 months and I think I have something to share about my experience. I retired as soon as I was eligible which in my case was age 55. But it was not a spur of the moment decision. If you want to retire early you have to plan for the occasion. I started when I was 45 yrs. old. I knew then I wanted to retire as soon as I was eligible. In order to do that the biggest decision to make of course was how much do I need to live on. After analyzing my situation it was obvious that having my house paid for was the first priority. So I upped my mortgage payment to an amount that would have my house paid off by the time I was 55. I know it's not that simple for everyone, but this blog is about my situation, how I got there, and how much I'm enjoying the results. This is just an example of the planning needed to arrive at the date when you can retire. Everyone's plan will be different. So first, plan! Second, don't listen to anyone but your spouse. Everyone has a different idea about how good or bad retirement life is to them. I had a lot of men tell me that they wish they had never retired. People told me I needed a hobby to retire. I have none. People told me I would be bored and looking for work in 6 months. I have turned down 2 jobs since I retired. But what about listening to your spouse? If you are married this affects you both. If she works she might be envious of your decision to retire if she's not able. She might wonder about health care. She might wonder how much you will have to curtail your lifestyle. She might even worry about you and what you will do with all your free time. These are all valid concerns and you should be ready to answer his or her questions and allay his or her fears or concerns. Planning takes time and THOUGHT. Not just about you but all those who depend on you. You need to be able to answer your spouse's questions not just for them but for yourself! What about health care? What will you do with your time? If he or she still has to work, what benefits can you point out that will make their job easier because you are home all day? Retirement takes a lot of planning and prayerful thought if it is to be successful. Now I know I used the word prayerful and some of you may be seeing red flags go up. Oh No! He's some kind of Christian nut. Well let me tell you right now that is not the case. I am a spiritual person yes, but not a "churchgoer" so to speak. I do believe that positive thoughts (another set of words for prayer or meditation) can create a positive outcome. That's what we all want right? A positive outcome. So positive contemplation will lead you toward that positive outcome. More about my beliefs later. Just don't get turned off by my use of the word prayerful. So anyway, think long and hard about retiring and what it will entail for you and yours. The end result will make it all worthwhile. More about that in my next post. Till then, Happy trails.