Category Archives: retirement

Writing Career Reboot

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Determined to fulfill my dreams of being a published author, I realized I’d have to write full-time. Given my aversion to risk-taking that meant I would have to be financially independent, with a little help from Social Security. Toward that end, I developed a list of must-dos:

  • wait a few years until eligible for Social Security benefits, including Medicare
  • no big purchases I couldn’t justify and pay off quickly
  • pay off car loan early
  • pay off house mortgage early
  • save as much money as possible
  • depart from my job in an orderly fashion by giving plenty of notice, documenting job descriptions and procedures, organizing files and archives, and locating and training my replacement.

There were a few bumps along the way, but by March 2014 everything fell into place. In May, my replacement fortuitously transferred from a sister store and required very little time to train. I stuck around until early July to fill in for an office vacationer and to tie up some loose ends.

Through the end of 2014 my primary goal was to put my house and yard in order—cleaning, culling, organizing, and fixing things that had been ignored for a decade or more.

But I also began the reboot on my writing career. All I had to do was finish the second book (ultimately titled Connections) of my mystery series and maybe polish the first one along the way, then sell them both to a publisher. Piece of cake, right?

The first draft of Connections was completed in September of 2015. It would be another eleven months before reviewing, reworking, and revising were “completed.”

Nevertheless, from October 2015 through March 2016 I submitted numerous queries via email and made many pitches at writers’ conferences for both Mistaken Identity and Connections. Two regional publishers expressed interest and I signed a contract with one of them in April 2016 for the publication of Mistaken Identity. The publisher hoped the book would be in print by October 2017.

My experience working with an editor over the next several months was illuminating and beneficial. My editor’s suggestions gave me a new perspective. It turns out that the best advice writers are given is to engage a professional editor to objectively review your work and make suggestions.

Bad news first: Due to unforeseen circumstances with the publishing company work on Mistaken Identity stopped in January 2017. I did not become aware of the situation until May and did not realize until August that it was unlikely work would resume.

Good news: It’s easier to “re-reboot” one’s career when you’ve done it a few times. And so I have begun anew making pitches and submitting queries. And I am working on the third novel in the series.

There’s always hope!!

Retirement: Things to Consider

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Retirement used to mean an individual stopped working and spent the rest of their days bowling, golfing, traveling, and doing other fun things. Of course, life-spans have increased over the decades. Now a truly retired life-style requires personal financial resources beyond Social Security benefits, such as savings, pensions, investments, or a rich relative.

For a fortunate few traditional retirement is still possible, but most individuals either work for someone else well-into their senior years or choose to switch to a self-employed career. If you do both, you are not retired.

When & Why to Retire

Writing full-time has always been a goal for me. When I was in my early 40s, I decided to make a clean break—quit a well-paying job, sell everything, go on the road, and write the great American novel. I actually deluded myself with this track for a year or two. But survival soon required a steady-paying job. During the next decade or so, I finished a couple novels (unpublished), started another, and dabbled in the art part-time. In other words, I compromised. And then …

I was unexpectedly promoted when my boss left the company. More responsibilities, longer hours, and less energy at the end of the day moved my writing career back to my wish list.

As I neared the Federal Government’s standard for early retirement—62 years young—I began to think seriously about taking the plunge. Although tempting, for various reasons, I decided it would be another premature move for me.

For me to write full-time I needed financial security and I wasn’t there yet. I was committed to my “why” (writing) but wanted to select “when” in a logical fashion, thus, a “to do” list:

  1. Complete estate planning
  2. Develop long-term budget considering options such as down-sizing and relocating
  3. Pay off home mortgage and car loan & don’t incur new debt
  4. Research Medicare/Social Security and determine best time to apply for benefits
  5. Give boss plenty of notice (turned out to be 2-years)
  6. Leave job in positive manner—document job specifics, find and train replacement, and schedule departure at an appropriate time, in particular, not at end-of-year
  7. Say “Good bye”

Settling Into Retirement

My first activities following my departure included doing things I had put off for years:

  1. “Deep cleaning” each room in the house (waiting to do the garage months later)
  2. Completing repair/improvement projects in the house and yard
  3. Resuming old and starting new writing projects

Adjusting to the New Lifestyle

Whether you start a new career or just do fun stuff, there will be a transition period. Here’s a list of suggestions and things to remember:

  1. Complete house and yard chores ANY day of the week, not just Saturday or Sunday.
  2. Don’t try to accomplish major projects, e.g., a vegetable garden, in one session.
  3. Set up a budget based on new “salary.” In particular, avoid knee-jerk purchases. “I want” does not necessarily equal “I can afford” anymore. And, even if you have a nice savings and pension, your funds must be stretched through the rest of your life—hopefully many years.
  4. Go to bed when you want and get up when you awaken naturally. Use alarm clocks sparingly and only if necessary for special event.
  5. Exercise more and eat less and healthier.
  6. Volunteer in your community. A few hours per week can help the organization and be rewarding for you as well.
  7. Join a dance club, book club, bowling league, travel club, or other social group. There are people out there who can’t wait to meet you.