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Old 06-12-2016, 03:23 PM   #21
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But then the job isn't interfering with life. Balance is great. Just so few people today seem to have it.
Guess the bottom line will always be....the only person that will make it happen other than a rich relative....is YOU.

In the long run it may be more work and less time with the family...but if you are happier, then it doesn't matter at the end of the day.....as everyone wins....until that equation doesn't work anymore....then change again.
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Old 06-12-2016, 03:33 PM   #22
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Interesting perspectives from all.

My professional life has all been in private practice. As such, I have enjoyed complete freedom In making the choices I want. Of course, one of those choices is to go bankrupt at any moment if I take the eye off the ball too long. My presence and work is the only way my business generates income. If I am gone, then no income even thought the overhead continues.

As such, I have compromised. I work long enough and hard enough to get by. This has allowed me to do the things outside of work that are important. I have been very active in a number of organizations over the years that have enriched my life. I have made spending time with my wife and kids a priority.

The flip side is that while I was at every concert, soccer game, or school function my kids may have participated in, we haven't had the money to take very many destination vacations over the years with the family. Camping and sailing were what we could afford, so that is what we did.

This summer I will take two consecutive weeks out of the office. The last time that happened was almost 28 years ago when my daughter was born. Then I needed to do it to rehab the bedroom we were going to use in our old house. Frankly it worries me a bit.

The ironic part of this is that because of my work, planning, and luck, I am finally doing pretty well financially. My wife will be able to retire next year at 58 because of this. Even so, I will have to keep working to make our financial future work out. The only pension I will have is my savings and investments and a big part of that is tied up in my business. So if I make it for another 7-8 years we likely will have more money when we die than when I retire. Financially it is like pushing a car over the crest of a hill. If I quit now I won't make it. OTOH, If I can give the car enough momentum to crest the hill, then it is all downhill from there. So for now, I have to keep pushing.
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Old 06-12-2016, 03:35 PM   #23
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I retired from a career I liked and it took about 6 months to adapt to the new lower paycheque and to stop looking at the want ads. All of my credentials have expired, all the ones I strove for my whole working life and except for bar talk or with friends, my career is a closed book.

It's fantastic! I love it and I'd never go back. I have plenty to do and am never bored, I can consult if I'm in the mood (I told my clients to start calling in September and if none of them do, no worries).

Don't be afraid of retirement. It's just another stage in life and you'll never regret doing it. In fact, look long and hard at your finances and do it sooner!

Nobody has ever been on their deathbed and said "I wish I had done another weekend at work..." Or "I wish I had done more for my company..." You might hear "I wish I had gone back to Desolation Sound again..." or "I wish I'd gone to my grandson's graduation..."
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Old 06-12-2016, 03:52 PM   #24
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Most high tech companies fully expect their work to be your life. And they are quite open about it. There is at least one well-known high tech company here in Seattle that requires employees to install a company "app" on their phone so the company knows where they are.
When I worked for an employer I was never out of reach by phone. However, when I was on vacation, it would have had to be an emergency. If anyone had anything urgent, my secretary would call me. Otherwise she'd explain that I was on vacation. She only called once and it was just to let me know someone in our office was hospitalized.

I can't imagine living in the world you describe and I do know it's real. To me it's a real failure on the part of management that there isn't adequate backup for all positions. I had my future successor working for me. We had a corporate requirement from our parent company that required us to have and document backups for all positions. I could never be proud, regardless of profits, leading a company that expects employees to make their job their life. I know where some get that. As young entrepreneurs, they made it their life. But that's different. It's them building it for themselves. It's crazy that they then expect employees to do the same.
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Old 06-12-2016, 03:56 PM   #25
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Guess the bottom line will always be....the only person that will make it happen other than a rich relative....is YOU.

In the long run it may be more work and less time with the family...but if you are happier, then it doesn't matter at the end of the day.....as everyone wins....until that equation doesn't work anymore....then change again.
In your situation, had I been the employer, I would have asked, "is there anything we can do to make it work for you? Make it rotational? Anything you can think of?" That's a place I think companies should work with their experienced employees, in figuring out solutions together. Our CEO just has to tell us how many weeks she wants to work each year. Eventually it might be 4, but she'll be quite valuable even doing that. Her successor is in place too and picks up where she leaves off.
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Old 06-12-2016, 03:59 PM   #26
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As such, I have compromised. I work long enough and hard enough to get by. This has allowed me to do the things outside of work that are important. I have been very active in a number of organizations over the years that have enriched my life. I have made spending time with my wife and kids a priority.

... I was at every concert, soccer game, or school function my kids may have participated in,.
That says it all.
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Old 06-12-2016, 04:10 PM   #27
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In your situation, had I been the employer, I would have asked, "is there anything we can do to make it work for you? Make it rotational? Anything you can think of?" That's a place I think companies should work with their experienced employees, in figuring out solutions together. Our CEO just has to tell us how many weeks she wants to work each year. Eventually it might be 4, but she'll be quite valuable even doing that. Her successor is in place too and picks up where she leaves off.
I had solutions to the problem...just many of the small business guys I worked for couldn't think outside the box....sooooooo

And in all fairness...some businesses and jobs are destined to be what they are if that's all the owner wants them to be....but they pay a price at the other end.

People often jab at government workers...well as one...I have some stories about business too....
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Old 06-12-2016, 04:16 PM   #28
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I had solutions to the problem...just many of the small business guys I worked for couldn't think outside the box....sooooooo

And in all fairness...some businesses and jobs are destined to be what they are if that's all the owner wants them to be....but they pay a price at the other end.

People often jab at government workers...well as one...I have some stories about business too....
Unfortunately, in business, too often all they see is that they can replace a highly paid older employee who retires with a lowly paid younger employee. They just don't grasp that they're not replacing the employee just by putting another body there. This has long been practiced by the mass merchandisers
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Old 06-12-2016, 05:12 PM   #29
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That says it all.
Not quite all...

One thing that often folks don't factor into their financial planning is the cost of divorce. Simply put, if the money obsessed would pay more attanetion to their marriage than their career, they may do better financially in the long run, and have a more enjoyable life in the process.

Being married for 35 years ismore rewarding, and more challenging than practicing for 33 years.
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Old 06-12-2016, 07:17 PM   #30
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Ok, so I'm here at a bar, few drinks have gone by and I'm thinking. What is it? Are we too afraid of "not" being indispensable? Why can't most of us just turn it off?
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Old 06-12-2016, 07:21 PM   #31
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Not quite all...



One thing that often folks don't factor into their financial planning is the cost of divorce. Simply put, if the money obsessed would pay more attanetion to their marriage than their career, they may do better financially in the long run, and have a more enjoyable life in the process.



Being married for 35 years ismore rewarding, and more challenging than practicing for 33 years.

Hmm.... Sometimes sure, but not always
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Old 06-12-2016, 07:32 PM   #32
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Ok, so I'm here at a bar, few drinks have gone by and I'm thinking. What is it? Are we too afraid of "not" being indispensable? Why can't most of us just turn it off?
Some are scared that if they're out, they'll be fired shortly after returning. Some work those hours out of fear. Some do it because they consider it the requirement and right. Others do because they're obsessed with finishing all their work and due to that they keep getting more and more piled onto them. Obviously they can never get it all done, but they feel they must. Sometimes, being a perfectionist has been drilled into them since as young as they can remember. They were expected, no make that required, to excel in school and everything they did.
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Old 06-12-2016, 07:33 PM   #33
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A Reminder To Do It Now

I have had the impetus to "retire now!" for about 10 years now. As I've explained before I shut down my old business in 2008 and tried to retire, but it didn't stick. It wasn't because of money, it was because we didn't have a good retirement plan. Hell, my wife was still working, kids were still in school, so there really wasn't a way for me to "retire" successfully.

So I went back to work, started another business, made more money, and I'm still looking for a retirement plan that will work for both of us. I thought it was going to revolve around a boat, but that's probably not the case.

So I guess my point is yes, retire ASAP so you can enjoy life, but have a good plan that works for you and your spouse. Pretty obvious advice of course, but I seem to constantly screw it up. 😂

I feel like George Bailey desperate to get out of Bedford Falls, see the world and have big adventures before I get too damn old, but I can't seem to get it done. I'm a very impatient person.
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Old 06-12-2016, 09:36 PM   #34
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For those who feel like George Bailey and can't escape, all I can suggest is find a way to make life where you are, doing what you do, better, more pleasurable and more fun.
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Old 06-12-2016, 09:53 PM   #35
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TOHO

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Old 06-12-2016, 10:03 PM   #36
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Not quite all...

One thing that often folks don't factor into their financial planning is the cost of divorce. Simply put, if the money obsessed would pay more attanetion to their marriage than their career, they may do better financially in the long run, and have a more enjoyable life in the process.

Being married for 35 years ismore rewarding, and more challenging than practicing for 33 years.
Yes, not starting over in your 40's with half your assets makes a HUGE difference.

Also, paying off your (through not refinancing, or trading up) home frees up cash to do other things.
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Old 06-12-2016, 10:15 PM   #37
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I retired ASAP and haven't regretted. The job was stressful even if challenging, and every additional year of work came out to be one-plus year's less retirement.

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Old 06-13-2016, 02:58 PM   #38
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In my first several positions one always groomed your successor so you could move up.

In my last several positions one never told anyone how to do anything you did.

If two people knew how to do something, the expensive one was fired.

That explains the constant off-hour phone calls and vacations spent connected to the server.
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Old 06-13-2016, 03:06 PM   #39
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In my first several positions one always groomed your successor so you could move up.

In my last several positions one never told anyone how to do anything you did.

If two people knew how to do something, the expensive one was fired.

That explains the constant off-hour phone calls and vacations spent connected to the server.
Yes. One thing I observed in major cutbacks was it was somewhat like skipping generations. However, the one in the absolute riskiest position was the number two person in an area. It's simple. The order comes to reduce staff. So, most people are not going to eliminate themselves. They eliminate the person directly under them, protecting their job even more. Now the next person in line is generally save, but not those under person number 3.

Those moving into companies and initiating major cutbacks think of themselves as heroes and often the Board of Directors does too. I find it just a horrible way to start, taking the easy way out, you can point to dollars saved. However, you did nothing to improve the company, change things for the better, generate more income. In fact, you greatly weakened an already struggling company.
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Old 06-13-2016, 04:08 PM   #40
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An interesting question about life balance. My only addition to all the good advice above would be that part of any job interview should be a question about the prospective boss's last vacation. How long and where? I had a short job with a nice company, good people, but I found out the boss hadn't taken a vacation in 10 years. He expected the same from his employees. Sorry, bad fit.
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