I took the leap
Well I did it. I’ve been talking about my “upcoming retirement” since I started this blog in October 2015, but always in a whisper…a brief mention here…a vague reference there. But last week I took the leap and announced a retirement date to my boss and to my team.
June 1, 2022. That’s the day I begin the next phase of my life. I’m not sure what that will look like, but I have 90 days to figure it out. Okay, I’m being a little dramatic. I have the rest of my life to invent and reinvent my retirement. I expect the first several months particularly to be a time of experimentation and discovery.
But first a look back
How did I get here…to a point where work and career will not consume a large portion of my daily life? I have worked and/or gone to school since I walked into that kindergarten classroom one month before my fifth birthday.
I started babysitting at 12. I got my first formal part-time job selling sheet music at 15. I was working full-time and going to college by 18, and haven’t stopped since. In addition to my day jobs, I’ve dabbled in a couple of side hustles along the way…freelance writing and editing…modeling…selling Mary Kay…leading WW meetings. I’ve done some volunteer work as a CASA (court appointed special advocate) and as a Girls on the Run running buddy and ambassador.
Oh, and I raised a family…two children from birth and two more through the teenage years when Larry and I blended our families in 1999. I had a hand in raising the grandbabies…the youngest of which is somehow 12. Two have graduated from high school, and three more will join them this year.
And now look at me…60 years old and standing on the threshold of retirement…ready to venture out into the world with limited responsibilities and a multitude of options.
A thank you is in order
I thank those of you who have gone before me…and shared your experiences. Your insight has been invaluable in helping me prepare mentally and practically. I think I’m ready. At least as ready as I’ll ever be.
Let the adventure begin…well, let it begin in 90 days. I have a feeling the next three months are going to be a little busy getting everything in order.
Your turn
- If you are still working (for pay, I mean…we’re all working at something), what is your job? How did you get in that field?
- If you are retired, at what age did you retire? Was it joyful or traumatic or something in between?
- Do you have any tips for this final preparation or for the newly retired?
- What else is on your mind? Anything at all…I just love to hear from you.
Oh Christie how exciting! Welcome to the (almost) retired club and you’re going to love it – once you adjust and find your retirement groove. I think you’re really blessed to be able to do it on your own terms and with a 3 month lead-in. As you know, I got tossed in the deep end when my job imploded, and I also needed to recover from the onslaught of all I’d been through before I could start to really accept and enjoy this next phase of life.
What I can say is that I LOVE not being tied to the 9-5 life and to have my days completely in my own hands – it’s different for each of us and really important not to compare your journey to what others are doing. You’ll find the right balance for yourself and you’re going to flourish. Go you!!
Thank you, Leanne. I really am looking forward to the freedom and flexibility of not being tied to a job. I am fortunate to have worked for a great company for nearly 25 years. I have had many wonderful opportunities and some big challenges…also a lot of stress. Now I’m ready for the next phase of life, one that I hope will be about further self-discovery, time with loved ones, and cultivating joy.
It is a big step and can be quite a challenge. I retired at 65 (our retirement age is 66/67 now). I was a nurse and could not physically do the job any more. I have never regretted it, but do miss some of the people. I felt quite guilty when some of my former colleagues were on the covid front line and I was home watching netflix. I started volunteering in a local charity shop before I retired so I still had some routine in my life.
You will find you don’t feel much different at 60 but you might become more invisible.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Anne, and for your years of work as a nurse. I have a sister and a daughter that are both nurses. Such an important job.
I am fortunate to have the ability to start collecting my pension at age 60 with the years of service that I have. There is a penalty for early retirement, but of course, I had to weigh that against five extra years of collecting on the front-end. And, more importantly, five extra years to enjoy the freedom while I am still young(ish) and healthy. I will miss some of the people for sure, and actually have some guilt about leaving them behind to handle the work. Of course, they will be fine without me. As I told my boss, it feels like we are breaking up after more than 20 years together!
Congrats my dear! You always “underplay “ your role and how well respected you are when it comes to your work, worth ethics, and all around contributions to the company!
It is now time to enjoy our Southern Utah home, and travel where we please, GREAT JOB!! ❌⭕️❌⭕️
Thank you, Larry. I am really looking forward to our adventures together! XOXO
Christie, congratulations! I love the message from your husband (I presume) from which it is clear that you have truly earned this time. Enjoy it, and enjoy the opportunities and choices you have ahead of you.
I’m 64 and still working. My state retirement age moved to 67 some years ago, but I also trained late in life as a Life Coach, which I find rewarding. A bad relationship ending some years back left me financially insecure, meaning I have to continue working – so it’s just as well I love what I do and would happily work beyond retirement age anyway 🙂
Yes, Debs, Larry is my husband. I couldn’t ask for a better teammate or cheerleader. (Can someone be both? I think so…maybe not in sports, but definitely in life.)
I was lucky to have the years of service to retire at age 60 and five years of health insurance coverage, which will take me to Medicare eligibility (unless that changes in the meantime). Our standard retirement age is 65. I toyed with the idea of training to be a life coach for awhile. It seems like a truly rewarding job. I am happy to hear that you enjoy it. It’s so important to love what you do day in and day out. Is that a career that gives you some flexibility in scheduling? That is one of the biggest reasons I am retiring now. I want to be able to travel more and do things in the day when the sun in shining and much of the rest of the world is working. Oh, and to wake up naturally with no alarm clock!
Teammate & cheerleader is the perfect life combination 🙂
Technically there is flexibility in scheduling, but I’ve struggled with the concept before, as my previous niche was working with mental health. Too much guilt there to put myself ahead of clients. But I’m pivoting to a new niche, one where I can easily arrange things more to my convenience without the guilt of not being available for my clients 24/7. I’ll continue to do some work with mental health, but in a more background support role.
It sounds like you are finding a good balance, Debs. Hopefully one that takes care of you as well as your clients. I can see where caring for people’s mental health could make it challenging to take care of your own. I admire you for work in that area. Thank you.
Christie – how exciting! I almost choked when I read the sentence “I have 90 days to figure it out”… but luckily kept reading. You have enough figured out already, and then as you say… invent and reinvent. I need to find my “first 30 days” list and send it to you… has lots of the basics to make sure you deal with. I’m looking forward to seeing how you spread your new (retired) wings!
Thank you, Pat. And yes, I have been working towards retirement for some time now. Financially, I have been preparing since after my divorce several decades ago. Mentally, I have been preparing for the last couple of years. I actually read your book early on and should probably pull that back out. I do appreciate you sending me the list. That was so thoughtful and definitely useful. I’ve skimmed over it already. Now that it’s official, I’m ready to get down to the details.
Congratulations! I retired eight years ago (at age 58) and haven’t regretted it a day, an hour, a minute since. I loved my job but was ready to move on and join my husband in retirementland. There is a ton of info about creating a successful retirement but I think one of the most important elements is to be retiring TO something (travel, hobbies, etc.) rather than retiring FROM something (difficult boss, hateful job, etc.). It sounds like you are retiring TO a new, exciting, satisfying adventure.
That is so good to hear, Janis. I love the idea of retiring TO something. I have worked for a great company for nearly 25 years, and while I admit there is a part of me that is retiring from the stress, the bigger portion is retiring TO time with family, travel, and self-exploration. I am ready!
Congratulations Christie! No doubt you will do just fine. You have interests beyond work and that is one key requirement to a successful retirement. The other is letting go of your ‘work identity’ as soon as possible. Best wishes for a smooth transition.
We sold our business and retired in 2006. I was 50 and Malcolm was 49. Truthfully, we thought we might buy another business within a couple of years, but life was fun, so we settled in and have never looked back.
It is encouraging to hear that you and Malcolm have loved retired life. I appreciate you sharing your story, Suzanne. And I appreciate the advice to let go of my work identity. It has been an important part of who I am for a lot of years. I do have other interests and hope to develop some new ones too. Thank you for the good wishes!
I am so happy for you. Glad you have been entertaining this idea for a while and still have a few months to plan your first days and weeks of retirement. Or maybe the first days don’t need to be planned as I am sure there will be lots of celebrating.
Spring and summer are great seasons to retire, too. You can jump into all the hiking and walking you like to do. And hopefully make some wonderful memories with those sweet grands.
Congratulations!!
Thank you Leslie. It has been good to be able to think this through and act mindfully and with purpose. Of course, pulling the trigger still felt momentous. And, as you pointed out, starting in the early summer allows me to spend that lovely time of year outdoors and with the grands. I am excited!
Congratulations on taking the leap, Christie.
The water is fine on the other side!
I greatly look forward to following your adventures.
Thank you, Donna. It’s all very exciting! I hope to follow your lead and do a lot more hiking. Who knows, maybe I’ll even tackle a Camino!
Well done Christie. I retired at 53 after 25 years as a police officer. It was nice, but none of my friends were retired..it’s amazing how much of your “social life” revolves around work.. at least at that age. After two years, I was offered a part time job as a Locksmith. 29 hours a week, and tons of flexibility. I have been off work again for three months due to a shoulder surgery, and frankly, I can’t wait to get back to work! I was recently offered a full time head of security gig that was easy work, and an attractive salary. I am also 60 now, but I am finding that my time is now worth more than money. Cindy and I don’t “need” to work financially, but it’s nice to have something to get you out of bed in the morning. As long as you have that “something “… retirement will be amazing! Enjoy.
Thank you, Mark. I have thought about the social aspect of retiring. Luckily, I do have several good friends who are retired or retiring. And Cindy has summers off! When Larry and I spend time in southern Utah, it sometimes feels like I’m the only one who has to go to work (8-5 anyway), so it will be really nice to free up my schedule. Like you, I’ve reached a point where I value my time in a different way. If these past couple of years have taught me anything, it is that life is short and precious. As time goes on, I imagine I will need some kind of structure. I’m hoping with a little experimentation, I will figure out what that means for me.
I retired at 60 after 38 years with the same company. I’d been preparing for it but life threw a curveball and I got married shortly beforehand. It’s been good to have someone to share my life with. Retirement came easy for me. I was so ready. And I haven’t looked back and regretted anything. You will find your new rhythm and routine and then wonder how you ever had time to work!! Congrats!!
Wow, Linda, that’s pretty impressive…38 years with one company by age 60. I’m glad that you have had someone by your side to help you enjoy retirement. My husband is still working, but he is self-employed and his job can be done from just about anywhere with a laptop, cell phone, and WiFi connection, so that’s nice for traveling and making use of our winter home. It’s encouraging to hear how many others, like you have loved the freedom of retirement and not regretted the decision. I can’t picture myself regretting it either. I do wonder how the transition will be while I am finding that new rhythm.
Congrats Christie! You’ve earned this. As you know I work part time with summers off, so you could say I’m semi-retired. Unless something changes I’ll probably keep workin until I’m 65. I enjoy my job, and won’t get a pension regardless of when I quit. Luckily my paycheck is just a bonus for us.
Thank you Cindy. You do have the most wonderful work hours and, as you say, a “bonus” paycheck. Plus, the satisfaction of knowing you are making a difference in the lives of children. That’s a pretty good gig. I am looking forward to more sister time once I retire.
Oh, Christie!! Congratulations!! What a big step. I’m sure you will enjoy it, but it will be such a big change! It’s crazy how much of our lives are spent working.
Sending you so much love as you start this endeavor.
Oh! And if you find yourself needing some baby time, I know where you can find a couple. ?
Thank you, Liz. It is pretty amazing when you realize how much of your life is wrapped up in work–either being there or thinking about it. I am looking forward to seeing who I am without striving and hustling.
Larry and I have talked about how much we miss having babies around. Don’t be surprised if yours don’t have an extra set of “grandparents.” (I was going to say “favorite auntie,” but Robynn might come after me! ? We can work on the title later.
I’m sure it’ll be a lovely change, albeit different.
And these kiddos would be very lucky to have you and Larry as honorary grandparents. ?
Love you!
Thank you. XOXO
Congratulations Christie. I think you will love retirement. I have enjoyed it more than I ever thought was possible. Every day is a joy. I stay so busy that I am amazed I ever had time to work. Gym time is always a must with me. Staying active is the best advice. I loved my job but I love retirement way more. I think you will find new opportunities every day. I was 67 when I retired. I am thankful that I still have excellent health and can do the things I want to do. I have many retired friends and that makes for a great social life. Good Luck. I know you will love retirement.
Thank you Teri. It is so good to hear from you and to hear that you are loving retirement. I am looking forward to being able to go to the gym during the day and to more hiking and other physical activities. I also have several friends that are retired, and I’m always a little jealous of their flexibility and free time, so I am definitely looking forward to that. Thanks again for checking in and sharing your experience.
How fabulous Christie! So happy for you! I’ve got a while before I’ll be retiring – thankfully, I enjoy what I do and because I’m self-employed, I have control over my schedule, my stress level, etc. That will make the next working years more enjoyable. I wish you well in your transition. And if you’re interested, I just published a book on radical personal exploration. Let me know if you’d like to hear more.
Thank you Janet. You hit on two of my big reasons for retiring: control over my schedule and my stress level. I’d love to hear more about your book on personal exploration. Now is the perfect time for self-exploration.
Christie – thanks for your interest in my book. The book (paperback or kindle) is available here:
https://www.amazon.com/Get-Rooted-Stay-Grounded-THRIVE/dp/1736227513/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WDX6PTEJ194K&keywords=get+rooted+stay+grounded+and+thrive&qid=1648652778&sprefix=get+rooted+stay+grounded+and+thrive%2Caps%2C217&sr=8-1
And the companion journal (paperback only) is available here:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=get+rooted+stay+grounded+and+thrive+companion+journal&crid=31ZOMMYJRC8Y3&sprefix=get+rooted+stay+grounded+and+thrive%2Caps%2C205&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_3_35
Thank you Janet! I’ll check them out.