[Trayderjoe]

I was fortunate to be able to retire early on my terms. I am immensely enjoying retirement, actually branching out with my interests. I still do some volunteer work, but find that I do things at my pace which makes it more enjoyable.

I used to work "on the edge of chaos", which was a philosophy of my last employer-the idea being that it would lead one to find better ways to do things (it doesn't). The result was that I was constantly in "fire fighting mode". I don't miss it one bit.

What made my transition easier was picking at least one goal to accomplish on a given day and not forcing a schedule. Things get done, albeit a little slower than in the past, but I also do more "fun" things. I would never go back to the corporate world, and if I ever do go back into the work force, it would only be for something fun.