<p>I have read most information that involve financial concerns, but if that is already covered, how did you know when to do it?</p>
<p>I worked in education. I loved working with the students, parents, and other teachers. I rolled with the punches well on the many changes over my 37 year teaching career.</p>
<p>But I did get to a point where I felt that my meetings and paperwork were more important than my actual work with the students. And I wanted to retire while I was a respected member of the staff, not a complainer. So when I reached the tipping point of too many meetings, and too much paperwork. (Which I mostly did at home), I decided to retire.</p>
<p>I will say…I’m seeing younger teachers who are leaving the profession after five years or so…for the same reasons. But that is a whole other thread.</p>
<p>I think it depends on what you are retiring from. I am self employed. It would probably be more work to shut the business down. It is also something I spent my life building. (Kind of like my kids). I think it is when you find yourself waking up on a Saturday morning and think “I could do this every day for the next 20 or 30 years.” You joke about retirement tongue in cheek. It is something else to do it.</p>
<p>Like this question, rkymtnhigh and will follow it at our house. Thanks to people who are chiming in with their experiences. </p>
<p>There hasn’t been one day since I retired that I woke up and said “gee, I wish I could go to work.”
And it’s been three years!</p>
<p>I still work part time but made the decision to cut back and stop doing what was a big part of my work. It was the perfect storm of things that happened and I realized it just wasnt worth the hassle. I do not regret the decision one iota.</p>
<p>I didn’t retire so much as quit when my job of 20 years just got to be too awful. It was the culmination of a lot of little things that just pushed me over the edge and I gave my notice. After I quit I realized that I was in a financial position to retire so I called myself retired. That lasted about two months when I was offered a part time job in a business I love so I took it. So now I’m retired in the morning and work in the afternoon.</p>
<p>I decided to retire when my personal interests and hobbies became too important to me and I was thinking about them too much. As a professional, I always want to do a professional job. When I needed to kick myself to focus enough to do a professional job, I knew it was time. So Jan 1st is the date. I still have to figure out when and how to break it to my boss though!</p>
<p>I want to retire so I can have time read the newspaper leisurely. I miss that part with this job. My brain regresses otherwise. I hope I can reverse the decline when I retire. That and get more exercise time in my routine.</p>
<p>For me, there will be no other consideration other than financial. I like my work, but there are other things I’d rather be doing. I just can’t afford to not work.</p>
<p>I’m retired psychological speaking but not physically for another 1.5 years.</p>
<p>DocT, you sound like my DH, except he’s got another 3 years.</p>
<p>I love my job and would not mind working for a very long time. The issue I have is because I am lucky to have a pension there is a point where my net retirement income is greater than my net working income. I am not sure it makes sense to continue working in my current job at that point. I might retire and try to find something else to do that I think I would also enjoy. </p>
<p>I think I’m retired, but I’m not sure. I left a horrible, horrible job with an abusive boss and tons of dysfunction in February 2012 and have had no desire to work full-time again. After I quit, we sold the old house, moved, did a renovation, and settled in. Right now I have a part-time job that I love – I do work that I love, from home, don’t have to deal with office politics at all, and can go to the gym, walk the dogs, or go grocery shopping in the middle of the day – but I do need something more financially for the next four years if we don’t want to dip into savings. DH and I are trying to figure it out.</p>
<p>ETA: I’ve either worked or gone to school full-time for the last 44 years. I’m really sick of it.</p>
<p>Both of my parents were forced into it due to health reasons. I really hope I get to retire before that happens to me, but I suspect my health will be the deciding factor. </p>
<p>VeryHappy, Oh my, I added up school or work full time and I came up with 55 years!. I never really looked at it that way.</p>
<p>I tried to look at my life in 3’s. First 30 years college/training and growth intellectually. Second 30 years work and raise kids with growth for the good of others. Third 30 years work on my health, philosophy, interests before it is too late to blossom and growth intellectually, altruistically, artistically.</p>
<p>I also realized I had not had a break since I was in HS. Worked every summer since HS graduation, went right for college to grad school ( after the summer job) and was in grad school/ working without a break for 6 yrs. Then immediately to work after graduation. It’s time for a break. Past time. </p>
<p>I like your last sentence Wellspring. I retired in my mind when my wife’s doctor told us she had Stage 4 breast cancer. One month later I gave my notice and my co-workers surprised me with a nice send off. Because it wasn’t planned I still need to find one more part-time job to help pay the bills now. I want to do more writing and more work around the house and some traveling.</p>
<p>Retirement is like that special summer you had when you were a kid. You traveled, had a lot of fun with your friends, relaxed when you wanted to, read a good book or watched a good concert, ate great food, and spent time with your family and enjoyed their company. </p>
<p>Me too. I started work at age 22…so when I retired, I had done 37 years of full time work and one year of grad school. I was totally done at age 60. I’ve done some intermittent work since and that really is my cup of tea! </p>
<p>Tangential to the OP’s question, but I keep thinking about two big reasons folks “retire”: illness/disability (self or family member) or layoffs/firings. I hope to be the one to determine when I retire. Still have a long way to go. </p>