DutchGirl's journal

Where are you and where are you going?
Quadalupe
Posts: 268
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 4:56 am
Location: the Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by Quadalupe »

Nice DutchGirl, congratulations! Are you already thinking about what you will do when you have (a lot) more free time?

Married2aSwabian
Posts: 265
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2021 7:45 pm

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by Married2aSwabian »

Congrats, DutchGirl! Way to go!

Funny, my company is also announcing a “major reorganization” that my boss is telling me is just a minor reshuffling of the deck.

I’m sort of looking at it from a detached, out of body perspective … go ahead, rearrange those deck chairs!! :lol:

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

Thanks for all the congratulations; they make me smile :-)

I am a person who is happy with little pleasures. When I started working one day less per week, our workplace's planner (who of course had to know this) asked me what I was going to do with that day? What hobbies, interests or passions would I pursue? I was a bit embarrassed to admit that I didn't really know and was just happy to look forward to less time working.

It's been a few years since then, and I'm no longer as embarrassed to admit that I don't plan to do anything particularly useful with my extra time.

But to be honest, I am probably not exactly just going to sit still and do nothing. See my experiment with the sabbatical or my recent lamentation that I was bored and antsy when I had a weekend of three or four days. So I'm sure something will come of this extra time off. But for now I'm just planning to not-work and see where life takes me.

Some of the extra time may be useful to invest in eating better and in exercising more. I've already put some of my current extra time to use for this, but find that currently too many days I'm still grabbing whatever food option can be prepared in my 30 minute work break from the supermarket shelves, and those quick-meal items aren't the best when it comes to health. If I have more free time between two workdays, then I have more time to prepare better for the next workday and its dietary challenges.

So one more month to go, with in the middle of it even a week of holiday, and then I'll have more free time than what I currently know what to do with. It's going to be amazing!

My previous password at work was created from a sentence like "The sabbatical was fun" - meaning a few times per day I would fondly remember the sabbatical. My new password is partly based on "The future awaits!" - so now every couple of hours I think about the near future and look forward to it.

shaz
Posts: 420
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2021 7:05 pm
Location: Colorado, US

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by shaz »

Good idea about the passwords. I'm going to change mine to more positive messages. I never thought about what negative ones might do to my outlook.

I can't wait to read about what you do with the increased free time.

disk_poet
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2020 3:33 am

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by disk_poet »

I love that password life hack. Such a good idea (if done securely ;)).

Also congratulations on reaching your goal. It's really impressive that you stuck to it for a decade and made this much progress. I think that shows a lot of character and inner strength and I'd be pretty proud of myself if I did that. I hope you are too. I am just starting on my ERE journey (in comparison) and it's really cool to see how you just pushed forward. It helps me prepare for the long haul myself. Did you take some time to do a little reflection on the time between then and now? Any learning you want to take away for the next goal/decade?

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

At my workplace, there is a temporary manager who has to reorganize our department. I don't know him personally, as he is like four levels up and generally working from an office 50 miles from where I live. But he has now presented his plan, title "Transition of Department X", subtitle "A step forwards, into the light".

Dude, a bit less pretentious, maybe? :lol:

The plan does or could impact me. The role I currently fulfil will be morphed into a different one which I could choose to take on (I have the qualifications), but then I would have to work at least 24 hours per week (I just stepped down to 16 hours/week). The role would contain more elements of leadership, but also more elements of bullshit. Still, it is tempting for me, but that is because the role would be having a leadership role within your local team, and I think I could do this reasonably well and thus spare my local team perhaps a less capable leader. My local team are good people who deserve a nice workplace. However, it would mean wading through more bullshit myself while I don't really have to - because instead I could also take a slight step down in responsibilities, keep my current salary, and just do the work that I find inherently useful. I'd have someone else as a leader above me, but there's nothing new to that. As an in-between option I could accept the new leadership role and slightly higher salary, do the things of it that seem useful to me and do the rest halfheartedly. I have not done such a thing before, so that would be a first - it would be fun to see whether I can pull that off.

...or maybe, reading the plan yet again... I'm not the person to pull such a thing off. In general I have found that I can work really well and with a lot of fun if I find my work meaningful. If I can't find meaning in my work, work sucks and as a result life sucks. So maybe I should just take the step down and enjoy my work (for just a few more years) while letting most of the bullshit fly around me without it hitting me.

Otherwise life has been a lot of fun this last month. Money increased, family members are happy and healthy, (relatively safe) fun was had at the holidays and so it's onwards into the new year.

Married2aSwabian
Posts: 265
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2021 7:45 pm

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by Married2aSwabian »

DutchGirl wrote:
Thu Jan 06, 2022 4:53 am
and so it's onwards into the new year.
Ahem, that’s onwards INTO THE LIGHT, DG! Please, try to stay focused on the new mission statement. :)

Yes, that sounds like an all new level of BS in the presentation. Did he also talk a lot about synergy and going forward? That meeting could have been an excellent opportunity to play bullshit bingo with your colleagues!

Since you’re so well established at your work and seem to mostly like it, I’m sure you’ll come to the best decision.

We had the same thing (reorg) at my job last month, but it was expected for a couple of months. We had 5 business units (2 of which were generating little to no revenue) and those were consolidated into 2: the high-flying, high-tech, state of the art machine group …. And the one I’m in. The management has repeatedly stated that, “the ‘other’ BU is NOT just an appendage”, which of course makes us all feel like we are in fact “an appendage”. ;)

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

Married2aSwabian wrote:
Thu Jan 06, 2022 8:34 am
Ahem, that’s onwards INTO THE LIGHT, DG! Please, try to stay focused on the new mission statement. :)
Oh how silly of me to forget that! :lol:

Decision: I'm not going to take on this new role, because it doesn't fit who I am and it will make me too miserable.

Life's busy for now. I'm working six out of seven days this week, but so far so good and I'm looking forward to tomorrow because I'll just be working for half a day, and I'll have the day off on Sunday. I decided beforehand that I'd work most days in January. I'll be down to working 3 to 4 days per week in February, so that should be much better. Just a few more weeks to go.

I had a savings rate of 39% in 2021, which is nice. This coming year I'll (probably) work less hours and make a lower income, so I'm expecting the savings rate to be lower. Maybe I'll even save around 0% and just support my lifestyle with my income, and let my investments grow? We'll see how it goes.

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

So since yesterday life has stopped being busy. Time for some rest and recuperation. I'll work just three full days next week, one half day, and I'l have three days fully off. What to do with all this time? I already reorganised my kitchen drawers today...

I find it really weird to earn an income that is just more or less equal to my expenses. Rationally I know I'll be fine for lots of reasons, but my emotions are still lagging behind. I've made tons of calculations (I'll be fine), I've put it in my diary (conclusion: I'll be fine), I'm putting it here now (I'll be fine, right, guys?). I guess 2022 will be the year when I'll get used to earning just about enough to live on while I let my portfolio grow some more (markets willing).

Right now it's evening here and I'm just lounging on the couch. I've walked my 10k steps today, I bought groceries and cooked, I reorganised the kitchen drawers. Tomorrow the plumber is coming for a leaking radiator, and I can perhaps clean up the front garden, too.

I still need to create a couple of goals for 2022 for my workplace. HR wants it. I have no idea what goals to write down. "Continue being awesome"? Or I guess ... "Into the light!".

rube
Posts: 883
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:54 pm
Location: Europe (NL)

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by rube »

Hi DG, take some time to adjust.
Don't worry, you'll be fine. Really.
And if you're bored, just write here.

MBBboy
Posts: 212
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2022 12:11 pm

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by MBBboy »

You'll definitely be fine. Let yourself float for a bit and see where your instincts take you in regards to filling your time. Then identify those things, reflect on them, and decide whether to continue that path or course correct.

If I were in your shoes, I'd be tempted to fill the time with negative habits. I know this about myself, and so I have a "boredom list" of stuff I can just pick up whenever I find myself with an empty weekday afternoon because I got all of my work done.

I try to limit computer time (because it's too easy to turn into an hour of meme scrolling), and I try NOT to put "tasks" on that list (because then I don't build toward anything AND don't feel relaxed because I just found more work to do).

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

Due to the COVID19 surge in the Netherlands (luckily for most of us with the milder Omikron variant) I've taken over many shifts from colleagues who were ill. So I haven't been too bored just yet. And maybe one day my day will come too where someone will have to fill in for me, but so far so good...

It sucks a bit that I can't add more money to my investments because my income is needed to cover my expenses; and also to see my shares lose a bit of value. But at some point the stock market will recover.

I have actually created goals for the workplace that suit me. One is "try to be late less often" - because actually it's not really nice if you're late and other colleagues have to work harder because you haven't arrived yet. Yesterday another colleague was also struggling to create goals, so I'm not the only one.

At home I've caught up on some of the non-urgent things that I let sit for a while when I was busy. That feels really nice. The plumber fixed the leaky radiator, too. And my ten year old niece came to visit us for two days to help her mother, my sister, get some much needed rest. I was glad that I could do this for them and I had a lot of fun with my niece.

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

Small update - talked to a nice older colleague of mine today, and she said she doesn't see any one of us willingly taking on this new role that has been designed by Mr InterimManager IntotheLight (see my post of January 6). There's about 20 of us and 5 or so should be willing to take on this role for it to have any chance of being meaningful, but she said she could think of maybe one person willing to do it for the sake of his career (and his growing family). She herself has an opinion similar to mine: she's unwilling to put up with all the extra hassle and bullshit that the new role would bring just for a slightly bigger pay check.

My goodness, I didn't see this turn of events coming, so where's the popcorn?

(PS. I am relieved that I'm not the only one feeling this way about this proposal).

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

I haven't written in while, because with the brutal aggressive and inhuman invasion of Russia into Ukraine, what is there for me to talk or complain about?

We are humans. There are humans, like us, out there, who one day decide to go invade a peaceful neighbouring country. There are humans out there who form a part of an invading army and who then unleash their most hideous dark parts of themselves and torture and rape and kill.

They are humans. Like me.

I try to do good things in life. I try to nurture people, make them grow, heal them. I try to contribute to society. And I know I'm not alone in doing that.

And then some guy decides to invade Ukraine.

Fuck me, and fuck everybody who wants the world to be better. Who wants humanity to be better than it was before.

So there's that. Over these last weeks these feelings have found their place a bit in me. So I'll be writing some more later on about reaching financial independence, and retiring early. But for now: some humans SUCK.


chenda
Posts: 3289
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:17 pm
Location: Nether Wallop

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by chenda »

DutchGirl wrote:
Sat Mar 19, 2022 2:36 pm
There are humans out there who form a part of an invading army and who then unleash their most hideous dark parts of themselves and torture and rape and kill.
I completely agree Dutchgirl. We are witnessing pure evil writ large. I hope you are otherwise OK though.

rube
Posts: 883
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:54 pm
Location: Europe (NL)

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by rube »

DG, I read and opened your last post several times. Unsure what to say, how to respond. It made and still makes me angry and sad as well. And lot of other feelings. Still don't know what to say, so much that it can't be captured in a few sentences.
Despite this all, try to stay sane, safe and sound.

sky
Posts: 1726
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2011 2:20 am

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by sky »

Thank you for what you do to help others. It is people like you that give one hope for humanity.

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

Yeah, otherwise I am okay. And reasonably sane, as always.

We've volunteered to take up a refugee or two in our home (this is supposed to last up to three months), we're in the process of telling the organisation (TakecareBNB) what we can offer, and them vetting us for trustworthiness too. So we don't know yet whether any refugees will actually come and live with us for a while.

The sun is shining, I have a few days off (new schedule for the win), I still need to walk 5k steps today, so I'm off and I'll be listening to some podcasts on my walk.

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

The takecareBNB organisation is swamped in offers and still hasn't contacted us. So no refugees in our house so far. The news talks about temporary (shoddy) structures being put up at the regular refugee locations where they have to live because there are too many of them. I hate the bureaucracy, but also I am not going to drive by such a refugee location and just ask two people to hop in my car. So bureaucracy it still is and hopefully at some point the pressure on the refugee locations goes down.

At the beginning of March I turned down the thermostat lot and we've used a lot less gas that way. I've set the temperature to very low, and every day or two when it becomes too cold for me to function I will let the furnace run for half an hour or so. What really did help was warmer weather in our area for the time of year, plus working outside of the house for a lot of days of the week.

In the last couple of weeks I've been working more hours due to colleagues being out sick. Of course I'll get paid for that (more money onto the heap). The reorganisation at my main workplace will probably continue over at least the next year, making work less fun for now. But hopefully we'll reach a new steady state at some point and hopefully I will still like work then.

My SO has, in my opinion, enough money to be financially independent. He could retire right now. He recently said to me: I think I can and will retire in five years. So while we disagree on the exact amount he would need to be FI, at least he also sees he could retire early. And the funny thing was, my first feeling when he told me about retiring in five years was a bit gloomy: that's it, he will then start the last phase of his life. And thus, by proxy, so will I.
And then I thought: my goodness, what is wrong with me? Why does it feel that way, when I've been striving for early retirement since the first years of my career?

I guess for a little bit it is because having his own company, he had already achieved a lot of freedom and was conquering a bit of the world in his own way in the way he wanted to - or that's how I see it. And yet he still wants to step back from it at some point. That does feel a bit like giving up. And giving up does feel like the first step towards growing old and then dying.
I guess I still have some work to do here to make me feel better about this. I'll be allright. There are worse things in this world than having to deal with slowly growing older. And oh, I plan on talking to him about what he wants to do with his time five years from now. Let's make some new plans...

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