Mrs M and I have only just returned from a lovely 4-night break in London, and I have TWO author events to prep for (a lunchtime event tomorrow, and an all-day event on Saturday), but on Thursday 11th June, I'm finally talking to the financial advisor about actual bona fide pension numbers and her 20-year projections.
"Aww, come on FFS, it can't still be taking up that much head space? All we bloody hear from you is how big a decision it is to take! Surely, it's easy," I hear you mumbling, but it still doesn't feel that easy:
* Ask my friend, Sam, who retired and then unretired 6 months later, why was it difficult to stay retired?
* Ask my friend Ahmed, who repeatedly toys with the idea of taking a year out, but then doesn't.
* As mentioned in one of the first blog entries, another friend (who shall remain nameless) was certain that retirement was just another name for sitting in a chair and waiting to die, so they were focused on staying increasingly busy at work.
For all of them, I (rightly or wrongly) assume that money is not what's making it a tough decision, and whilst the next 5 years look financially rosy for me, if I assume I'm lucky enough to live healthily into my 80's, I guess I'm considering the longer term implication of if life can be enjoyable within the confines of my pension, if there's a point in time when there's no longer an opportunity to start earning again.
Don't get me wrong, I currently don't miss full-time work... nah-ah. That was evident last week when someone new at an agency called me to introduce themselves and then asked if I was interested in a 6-month assignment in London. "Could be a lot longer" was the underlying message. It actually turned out to be on the programme I'd recently retired from, but irrespective of that, without hesitation my answer was an immediate no. Nothing against the client - I really enjoyed working in that rather crazy place and might consider doing so again if the right piece of work came along - but I also declined to hear more about another programme possibility elsewhere, and another.
2. Reminders of the impending decision
Keeping my brain focused on something other than next Thursday is also not helped by the deluge of letters and emails this week about 'Time to make your decision', or 'Information enclosed', or 'Important update'. Social media also seemingly knows it's my decision month, given the volume of posts on Instagram about how much people wish they were able to retire. I felt like Vernon Dursley in first Harry Potter movie, when all the owls delivered the invites.
As Corey, the young lady who cuts my hair, magically said a few weeks' ago, "How much do you really want to retire?" A question I can answer from an emotional perspective, without a moments' hesitation.
And June is going to be my busiest month ever of not working, so I need to get through the coming week and then plan July accordingly. I'm already looking forward to the possibility of being a guest on a podcast with Pete (and Chris) about change, checking-in with Amy and Colin (two readers who are taking THE DEBT on holiday with them, to read), providing weekly helping hands for my daughter and the twin boys, hopefully arranging a catch-up with my friend Jon B up in Northumberland, looking forward to a week in Scotland, and especially trying to get back into my May routine of going to the gym twice a week! I might even find some time to do some writing!!
Let's see how next week goes then, shall we? Probably a piece of cake after all that navel gazing.
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