Sunday Scaries

     


     It's 10 weeks now until my retirement ( plus two days). There's that inner experience so many people get on Sunday nights, the Sunday Scaries, dreading that they have a whole work week ahead and the weekend is over. I never really experienced this too much, Monday was an opportunity for a  fresh start, so it wasn't Monday I dreaded. However, Tuesdays have always felt like a challenging day. Once Tuesday closed, I felt like the rest of the work week was a breeze, even when it wasn't. 

     This morning though ( or more middle of the night), I woke up with an uneasy, uncomfortable brain worm. Am I making a huge mistake giving up a good job with benefits and living just off retirement savings? At least until December, I'll solely be using my 401K from my current employer, so I can avoid the additional tax penalty of withdrawal before 59 1/2. If you're at least 55 and use accounts from the employer you retire from, the 10% penalty is avoided. I'll not touch my rollover retirement funds for a bit. Good thing as I took a peak and all those supposed gains after the election are long gone, and then some. I keep reminding myself things ebb and flow in the stock and bond markets. There's no reason to panic...except, those heart palpitations ramped up when I saw a $35,000 negative swing in two days. I didn't get any adrenaline boost when the opposite happened, not trusting, and assuming too good to be true. 

     I'm taking this week as vacation, though  on shared email watch for anything urgent. Next week I'll just have New Year's Day off, but it will be a quiet week. Starting January 10th, I'm starting to use down vacation accrual and taking Fridays and Mondays off, unless there's some meeting I need to be at. My replacement starts January 22 and at that time, I'll shift to more a consultant role, letting them take the reins. I think knowing an offer was made and accepted, plus a firm start date, was the ignition to my morning Sunday Scaries. It's real and no turning back now.  

     I know in my heart and head this is the right decision for me. No one has told me they regret retiring from their career, even if they end up back in the work force with a new job of some sort. Worst case scenario, I jump back into the work fray with a new job with benefits, but that's absolutely worst case. I run and rerun possible budget scenarios, figuring out from where living expenses can be covered if I need periodic pauses to let my retirement fund rebound. Even typing this post helps get the heart rate lowered. Sunday Scaries be gone.

     

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 22, 2024 at 9:19 AM

    I've not been in your position, but I can imagine feeling that way once it gets "real". And, hiring your replacement is pretty real. I'm excited for you that you only have 10 weeks left, and some of it on vacation, and many of the weeks with reduced days on. That is fantastic. I agree that, should you want to or need to, you can always go back. (Hawaii Planner)

    ReplyDelete
  2. LoriDecember 22, 2024 at 11:36 AM

    I missed that you were retiring so soon. Congratulations. It's good that you're looking at the worst-case scenario and realizing it isn't that bad. Life is so unpredictable it's best to do what you want and have plan B, C, D, etc. incase things don't go as planned. I hope you have a lovely holiday with your family!!

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