Enjoying the last time before retirement
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For a lot of what we’re experiencing now at work, this is the last time.
Like a lot of employees, my husband Alex and I have seasonal cycles with our work. Things like end of financial year requirements, and annual workplace events.
For the most part, we don’t enjoy them. We’re certainly not enthused by them.
But both of us are taking perverse pleasure from having to do many of these things for the last time.
Our bosses don’t know it yet, but we’re retiring at the end of next year. And thanks to the 6-month sabbatical we’re taking in the middle of 2024, we’ve effectively only got about 15 months of work left before we call it quits.
But as we explained in the sabbatical article, we’re also mentally writing off all of next year as well. The first three months and final three months should both fly by. We’ll be buoyed before our sabbatical. And we’ll be flying high for the final three months before early retirement hits as well.
So this feels like the John Farnham “ The Last Time Tour”. However, unlike ‘Whispering Jack’, hopefully this really is the last time, and we don’t come back later looking for more money.
Beginning to experience mental freedom
Thankfully I’ve never been to prison, but I imagine there are a few similarities between it and work.
On a normal day you can’t stray far from the confines of your desk (cell). You check-in to your boss (warden). You do repetitive tasks (and even if your job is creative, you still have to do repetitious reports or duties like invoicing). There’s also a surprising amount of workplace backstabbing as well. (Thankfully it’s more figurative than literal shiving.)
And indeed, most people are workplace lifers. They’re given a life sentence, which ends up with parole after 45 years. Ouch.
While I jest, I really do see parallels. And I think there would be a light at the end of a tunnel after you’re reaching the end of your sentence, and you get the good news that you’ll be…
