Is anyone else here not retired yet?

KathyB1968

KathyB1968

New Member
Location
Washington DC area
I have less than three years until retirement. I probably think about it more than I should.

I still try to do my best at work. Every year we are asked what our career goals are. My goal is to get through the next few years without messing up enough to get fired. I can't tell my boss that though.

There are all these meetings and emails where they talk about "career growth opportunities." It is basically taking extra training and doing more work so you can be more qualified if promotion opportunities come up.

I try to keep silent or find a polite way to say no.

I have been focusing more of my mental energy on my crafts and hobbies and less on work. Or trying to anyway. I have some craft goals for the next couple years instead of work goals.
 

Hi @KathyB1968, fellow Kathy, also born in 1968, here. I'm not retired yet, either. I actually probably will never be able to retire because I gave up my in-house publishing career to follow my ex around the country as he rose the ladder at his government agency. Then he walked out on me and our three kids. Thank goodness I'd kept doing freelance work all those years.

I'm still freelancing, although full time now. I do hope at some point to get a good laptop and travel while I work, sort of a 50–50 combo. I can pretty much work anywhere as long as I have a computer and a reliable Internet connection.

I would have the same reaction as you to in-house questions about career growth opportunities and such. And I, too, would be switching my focus to hobbies. What sorts of hobbies do you enjoy?
 
In the 12 years since retiring I have worked part time for all but 3 of them. For the first 7 years I taught at a university hence my username and now I consult part time in my previous field. It’s fun to work a little when I want to. I was glad not to work full time though.
 

I work part time. Probably messed up going part time a over 5 years ago. I'm 64 now. I didn't count on the fires, raising prices around here. Inflation. My income hasn't gone up because I have had to turn down raises because I have Covered California. I cannot physically or mentally work full time anymore at my job.

The work environment causes me huge stress. I'm on my feet all day. I don't know when it will end. If ever.
 
KSav said:
Hi @KathyB1968, fellow Kathy, also born in 1968, here. I'm not retired yet, either. I actually probably will never be able to retire because I gave up my in-house publishing career to follow my ex around the country as he rose the ladder at his government agency. Then he walked out on me and our three kids. Thank goodness I'd kept doing freelance work all those years.

I'm still freelancing, although full time now. I do hope at some point to get a good laptop and travel while I work, sort of a 50–50 combo. I can pretty much work anywhere as long as I have a computer and a reliable Internet connection.

I would have the same reaction as you to in-house questions about career growth opportunities and such. And I, too, would be switching my focus to hobbies. What sorts of hobbies do you enjoy?
Click to expand...
I like reading quite a bit.

I also like a variety of crafts - crochet, hand sewing, machine sewing, embroidery. I also do coloring books for adults and reverse coloring books. I will make a post about reverse coloring in the future. It is easier to understand with pictures, but it is basically splotches of color you draw around. Some splotches are flower shaped, but some are more abstract.

I felt like I was in danger of spending too much of the next three years waiting for the time to be over so I could be retired. I am trying to combat that with some hobby goals.
One of my goals is that year three (now till I reach the two years left mark) will be to make one small stuffed doll a month. Tentatively year two will be stuffed ponies/unicorns. I have decided on an animal for my last year before retirement.

I have other hobby goals that may or may not be too ambitious. There are days I have very little energy.

I may write more about them in the craft section later.
 
KathyB1968 said:
I have less than three years until retirement. I probably think about it more than I should.

I still try to do my best at work. Every year we are asked what our career goals are. My goal is to get through the next few years without messing up enough to get fired. I can't tell my boss that though.

There are all these meetings and emails where they talk about "career growth opportunities." It is basically taking extra training and doing more work so you can be more qualified if promotion opportunities come up.

I try to keep silent or find a polite way to say no.

I have been focusing more of my mental energy on my crafts and hobbies and less on work. Or trying to anyway. I have some craft goals for the next couple years instead of work goals.
Click to expand...
Oh God, I was 59 and where I was working, myself and this other lady (61) were working the front desk and they brought this new boss in (actually escorted out our old boss out so he did not take any files with him). And this bitch (new boss) was asking us (even though she knew she was getting rid of us) what are our goals and told us that there were going to be big changes coming.

Yup, well my colleague at 61 decided to retire as she could afford to do so. Well, about a month later, they laid me off and brought in this tough chick in her thirties to take over from me. So I ended up temping for corporate companies (not fun) for a few years and then a local college hired me as temp and ended up keeping me as a temp in one specific office for 3 years and then finally once that 3 year term was up, I retired at 67. Happiest day of my life!!
 
KathyB1968 said:
I have less than three years until retirement. I probably think about it more than I should.

I still try to do my best at work. Every year we are asked what our career goals are. My goal is to get through the next few years without messing up enough to get fired. I can't tell my boss that though.

There are all these meetings and emails where they talk about "career growth opportunities." It is basically taking extra training and doing more work so you can be more qualified if promotion opportunities come up.

I try to keep silent or find a polite way to say no.

I have been focusing more of my mental energy on my crafts and hobbies and less on work. Or trying to anyway. I have some craft goals for the next couple years instead of work goals.
Click to expand...
You mean your company is asking you to tell them your future regarding your career? That's highly inappropriate. Just asking goals for the company long term is inappropriate, they pay you bi-weekly, that's as far ahead as you can plan. I'd probably respond with something like that.
 
I do one 48 hr shift per week at $25 per hr. Good pay but fantasize about quitting. She has Lewy body dementia and is a raging bi-polar alcoholic.At 10pm, I hide the phone and let her try to dial the remote control while she's drunk. Let her pound on my door threatening to hurt herself. Oh well, it's so old. She belongs in a home and has been thru 8 Caregivers. It is what it is. But I need 10 hrs off, she's much worse. Usually get about 10.5 hrs off without her. She's pretty darn healthy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top