5 Non Financial Signs you are ready to Retire

I have retired twice now living a “retire early and often” lifestyle. So I know a thing or two about reaching the point where I am ready to move on. I have 5 Non Financial Signs you are ready to Retire or at the very least make an employment change. For me it always starts the same way. Inside my head I start to hear that little voice saying “there is more to life than this” and “I don’t want to be here anymore”. I can internalize and not outwardly project it. But at some point things will start to leak out into the open which I can recognize the signs. The signs that it is time to move on and get back to pursuing my passion-driven lifestyle.

If you have read this far into the article you can see that this post isn’t covering the financial signs you are ready to retire which is obviously super important. What I am writing about here is when the finances are covered or near covered and we just haven’t made the decision to leave yet for whatever reason. If you are seeing the following signs then you better start considering it.

It Starts with the little voice and then turns into a lot of daydreaming about what it is I would rather be doing. Mixed with a few fantasies in there to pass the time.

At some point there may come the inadvertent and subconscious actions that start up. They become a new not-so-attractive employee habit. They sneak up on you slowly, here and there, little by little, until you are full-blown in it.

Here are the 5 Non Financial 5 Non Financial Signs you are ready to Retire (or at the very least make an employment change)

Doing the minimum.

You only do just enough to keep your head above water and nothing more. Willing to only do the very least to do your job. You won’t volunteer for more work or do anything that is over expectations. If you don’t think anyone notices then you are kidding yourself. Once you hit a point where you just going through the motions it is a super big sign something needs to change.

Purposely letting things slip.

You say what others on the team want to hear because you just don’t want to deal with it. Even agreeing to do something or give the impression you will do something when you have no intentions of getting behind it. You then just conveniently forget about it. Sure there are excuses. It was a low priority, I was busy doing XYZ, etc. But you will know deep down what your true feelings are. Need to make a move.

Watching the clock and not giving a minute more.

You show up right on time to punch-in at 9 and leave right at 5. You give 8 hours and are no longer willing to give another minute. Even if it’s paid overtime. You are so tired of it you are trying to limit time there. When stuff hits the fan, you hit the street. You look for ways to not have to stay and help. Now this isn’t because you have family obligations. This is because you are no longer interested in staying there for anything or any reason. Wow, it’s time to make some changes.

Silent as the dead.

You start to sit through meetings without saying a word or adding any value to the team’s discussion. You have reached the point of apathy where you could care less what is decided, and want to just get on with it. Sitting silent is better than openly falling asleep during the meeting. But it will still be noticed. It’s only a matter of time now that a move will be required.

Complain about job or work problems but have no solutions.

This sign means you are now engaging with others to express your dissatisfaction about being there. You really need to plan your exit strategy very soon. If I ever got to where I am openly complaining then it’s time to make a move.

I am sure I could come up with several more signs but I think I have captured the meat of the issue. Once you are no longer passionate about or interested in doing your job any more you won’t do as good of a job. On the same token you not only feel like you are wasting your time but you actually are. Why spend time doing something you are beginning to hate and resent if you don’t have to? Why waste any more time of your life in that kind of mindset?

Conclusion

Now I am not saying that I have gone to the point where all of these signs are staring me right in the face. I have had a couple of these and have seen some of them in many coworkers. If you can’t retire or change jobs then you better get right with your feelings about your job. Because these signs won’t go unnoticed for very long. They may result in you losing your job before you are ready to leave.

Do whatever you can to stop these bad signs. Try to improve your situation so you will re-engage. The idea here is if you see any of these 5 Non Financial Signs, then you are ready to retire in your current life. You need to make some changes and make them quickly. Either retire, find a new and exciting opportunity that you can be passionate about doing, or doing everything possible to improve the situation where you are at.

Have you felt any of these 5 signs come into your work life?

Do have a sure sign it’s time to make a move?

4 thoughts on “5 Non Financial Signs you are ready to Retire

  1. I experienced all 5 of those things before I quit my job to become self-employed. I think I was just over it. Now that I work on my own, I’m A LOT more motivated. I’m also a lot closer to financial independence.

    1. Thanks for the comment. Even after we reach FI this can creep up. I am on an extension of my early retirement side hustle. The original gig was awesome and the best I have ever had but the extended portion has started to feel a lot like what I retired from last year and that was not what I agreed to do so I am at the early stages where I hear that little voice saying, there is more to life than this. I see a change coming.
      Tommy

  2. I can see myself in all 5 of these signs. Some more than others. I wish it wasn’t true because I am not ready to retire yet and I don’t want to look for a new job. I will have to think about how I might be acting and try harder until I can retire. I think most people who have been on a job a long time start feeling some of these.

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