For the last two years, I have been working part-time as a CFO for a venture capital firm. Basically the exact same job I retired from five years ago, only this time, it was on a part-time contract basis. When I retired, I never thought I would go back to working. Never. And especially not in my old field. But I’m so glad I did. It was kind of like a career do-over.
There are a few things in life I wish I could get a chance to do over, my bachelorette party for example. It was a beach get-away with my girlfriends, of whom one was mad at me the whole time, three were not drinking, and two were on a diet. A weekend of restraint was not exactly what I had in mind. Plus it was foggy the whole time, which wasn't really anyone’s fault, but it did certainly reinforce the mood.
If I had a do-over in high school, I’d ask the guy I really wanted to take to the Sadie Hawkins dance rather than the one I knew would say yes. And as I said in my last post, if I had a do-over of college, I’d just go ahead and enjoy it more without agonizing about the grades.
This part-time CFO gig was a great do-over. I got a chance to work in an environment that was a little more suited to my strengths. I got a chance to do things that I never really got to do in my old job. And most importantly, I learned that I was really good at it.
In one month, I’ll be done with my part-time working gig. Now I feel like I’m getting a chance for a retirement do-over. I’ll soon have all that glorious time back, not just the time that was spent working, but the time that was spent not working but still thinking about work. That’s the part I’m really excited about.
I’d like to think that I’ll be blogging more frequently in my retirement do-over, that my yard and house will be in better shape, and that I will be in better shape too. I have a backlog of photo albums I want to put together and of closets I want to organize. But this time around I know that some days you get a lot done and some days you don’t. And that’s the beauty of retirement.
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Will be anxious to have you again focused full time on retirment, Syd. My countdown is now down to 5.5 months from doing the same and am beyond anxious about having some time to think about what I want to think about all day, instead of what I'm paid to think about all day....
And as strange as it sounds, after succumbing to becoming fully "institutionalized" over the last 25 years (job requirement for survival), it's kind of scary....My 18 year old version of myself would be repulsed...Let the detox begin...
Posted by: New at this | July 04, 2012 at 03:44 PM
Syd, no do-overs for me with regard to work. The idea of one more trip on the trains to the office horrifies me (although the LIRR finally put in some "quiet cars" on their trains so I could ride in peace and quiet for a change). I'd sooner work for $6 an hour shelving books at my local library a few block away.
I have a few do-overs I'd like to do in other parts of my life but not with regard with work.
Posted by: deegee | July 04, 2012 at 09:40 PM
@New at this: Home stretch! 5.5 months, you're almost there. Of course it's scary--there's a word for that feeling. It's called normal.
I'm anxious to have me focused on full-time retirement too. See you there!
Posted by: Retired Syd | July 04, 2012 at 09:41 PM
@deegee: I want to know what those are! Do tell.
Posted by: Retired Syd | July 04, 2012 at 10:04 PM
Ohhhhhh Syd. Other than a few women in my life I could have done without ever meeting, the main do-over would have been to live one more year in my crummy rental before buying an apartment. I bought my place in 1989 before interest rates and home values fell, so with one more year in there I would have saved up some more and been able to buy a slightly bigger place for the same cost and gotten a cheaper mortgage with the lower rates.
And similar to women, there are a few mutual funds I could have done without ever getting involved with. I did not lose any money but only broke even while most other funds were making money. I did not have a lot of money in them so they did not derail my early retirement.
Posted by: deegee | July 05, 2012 at 05:40 AM
Welcome back Syd!
At 14 months in (me) and almost 2 months in (hubby) we've already realized the importance of maintaining structure and incorporating goals into our retirement to remain stimulated and keep our lives vibrant. Both are similar to what we did during our working years of course, but the details are now totally different - they're fun!
New on our list is long distance bicycling. We're loving it, and beginning to think beyond local one day racing events to multi day trips.
I envision our retirement as a continuation of this approach - new opportunities around every turn.
Posted by: Tamara | July 05, 2012 at 06:47 AM
@Tamara: You've got a good point. Retirement is a time when you can have continual do-overs.
Posted by: Retired Syd | July 05, 2012 at 06:59 AM
Welcome back Syd. Can't wait to see where this "retirement do-over" takes you. I'll be following along.
Posted by: Suzanne Vosbikian | July 05, 2012 at 12:38 PM
Nice to have a post from you. Take care.
Posted by: Rick | July 05, 2012 at 06:18 PM
Welcome back! As you start your second retirement, I'll be going back to work - very part time and via my computer. Adding to the travel fund!!!
Posted by: Kathy Sterndahl | July 11, 2012 at 07:15 PM
Have fun! Do the things that you've never experience while before you were busy working.
Posted by: Caloundra Bookkeeping | September 26, 2012 at 01:47 AM