First Week of Full Retirement

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Ms.K has pulled the plug on the part-time gig and is now, officially retired from compulsory work. If you have followed our previous posts, you may remember that we decided I would resign in 2018 then I was struggling with the decision to leave work (here and here) then finally deciding to leave only to take on a part time work from home arrangement my Managing Director kindly structured out for me.

How Do I Feel?

Pretty awesome! I’m no longer thinking about work in any way, shape or form. I’m not feeling restricted in my daily activities by the need to work. No more mental restrictions on play and cuddle time with the bubba. I do not feel the niggling feeling that the clock is ticking and I have yet to do my daily work.

There’s a small voice at the back of my head feeling a bit unsettled as this is it, I doubt I’ll be getting back into work again after this ‘career break’ in the resume. However, it’s a very small voice that seems to get smaller as the days go. It’s assimilating 😉

I am spending my first week being a complete social butterfly. Going out for lunches with friends primarily. Feels good to catch up with friends and as most of them are still working, reflect on how different our lives are just stemming from the decision to reach FIRE and discover our passions.




 

Why Did I Do It?

This is a big one and a tough one for most. I realised many people have difficulty grasping my decision and sometimes I re-visit my thought process in arriving at this decision. Why would I give up a gig that:

  • Had zero pressure from my colleagues / boss
  • Let me work on my own time
  • Required appx. 2 hours a day, less if things got a lil hairy at home
  • Paid well – let’s just say it would cover our monthly running expenses
  • Had no KPIs

Essentially I was running my own show. I suppose my colleagues know that I am a person with integrity and will be honest in the work that I do and the hours that I clock. On a weekly basis, we do have a meeting to discuss what we have done etc.

Why would I give up such a good deal? In essence, our inching towards a FI state has brought us the ability to make decisions on factors other than just financial.

The role that I was doing was reduced to a scope that made it manageable to work from home. That resulted in the role being less intellectually stimulating and certainly not exciting. I had no desire or passion to do the role whatsoever. To do a role as such on a daily basis whilst taking care of an infant and the household myself was simply consuming me and leaving me unfulfilled.

I had only 2 hours of downtime a day, when the infant sleeps. I wanted to spend that 2 hours creating and nourishing my mind. I wanted to write, I wanted to read, I wanted to create in the kitchen, I wanted to sleep even if I had a rough night (which has been happening for 1.5 months now!). I wanted the option vs. needing to actually do the work that I committed to do even though it gave me no joy.

A lot of people could not understand my decision.

  • Surely you can find 2 hours a day to work?
  • It’s such a good arrangement, why are you giving it up?
  • Are you so rich that you don’t want the money?
  • What are you going to do with all your time?
  • Work keeps you engaged, you should totally still do it.

To all of this, the answer simply is that there is more to life than work and more to life choices than just financially driven ones, especially when you are on the cusp of financial independence. The freedom to choose how to spend your time. Here’s the kicker, I am fully appreciative of the gig that I had. I am in no way oblivious to how wonderful it is and that I was lucky to be able to benefit from it. However I choose not to do it anymore. (Here’s where I lose most people, insert confused face!). I choose to spend my time doing as I see fit.

Can’t I Suck It Up till We FIRE?

That is a question I asked myself and posed to Mr.C as well, playing my own devil’s advocate. This is where perspective adds just the right texture and flavour to the situation.

As our readers know, we are planning our massive semi-retirement trip in May 2019. That is exactly 11 months from now. Let’s assume we are short of $x in May 2019 to be able to make our trip possible, $x being the exact amount I would have earned working 2 hours a day every week up to May 1st, 2019. To earn that sum, Mr.C would have to work an additional 2 months. So that’s 1 year of my life living in a way I don’t want to vs. 2 months of Mr.C’s life working in a role he is relatively happy with. Mr.C’s better-than-will-you-marry-me question was “Will you wait an additional 2 months for me?”

I sometimes want to marry this man all over again 🙂 Romanticism aside, even if Mr.C didn’t have to put in the extra 2 months of work, I have opened myself to contract gigs that are short-term to compartmentalize my life better. If these gigs come by, then 2 weeks of full time work (80 hours) is equal to 40 days of 2-hour work. From now to May 1, 2019 I would have been able to clock about 440 hours (11 months x 4 weeks x 5 days x 2 hours). I need 11 weeks of full time work to make the same amount. Will I get 11 weeks of full time work? Am not sure, but it would be welcome to be status quo again financially but having the upper hand on the non-financial aspects.

So fellow readers, raises your glasses and drink with me for this Kokonut, has checked out of compulsory work 😉

Author: Ms.K

Ms.K is everything that Mr.C is, without the natural interest in investing and company financials! The activity planner for the family, the driver of random ideas and soon to be ‘retiring’ in to full time motherhood – Ms.K has no idea what she’s in for but remains super excited!

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2 Replies to “First Week of Full Retirement”

    1. Thanks Kate. It’s just been a week and I must say, am loving it. AM often awake bursting with ideas of things to do and read and plan! I love it!

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