If you can afford to do it and you’re not enjoying work, it’s a no brainier. None of us are here long enough to be doing stuff we don’t want to be doing, if you have a choice. As long as you have something to keep your head going and drives a passion, I’d say go for it.
I’m a bit older than you and I’m dropping off The BS clients like they are going out of fashion and just keeping the ones I like working for. Mostly books.
My wife is ten years older than me (but looks ten years younger than me) so her pensions have kicked in. We are both looking at giving ourselves more free time from next year. I want to spend more time designing and developing some fonts I’ve been working on for years and I have another type design related project I want to get off the ground.
I’ll always design. I love doing non-fiction trade books and anything type related, but I want do do more see-initiated passion projects. Happy to make less money and trade it for more time.
So, in short, if you can afford to do it at 44, go for it. Not many people can.
As Sprout said, if you have the means and want to retire, do it. But you’ll need to find something to take up your time that gives you a reason to get up in the morning and feel as though you’re accomplishing something.
I’m older than both of you and have been putting off retirement, even though I’m financially able to do so. Too much of my self-identity is wrapped up in being a designer to simply quit cold turkey.
After my last full-time job, I decided to try more freelance work to ease into retirement. After building up a decent clientele, I started letting them go last year.
I dropped my least favorite first and whittled them down until last week when I let my last and best client go. They went into a bit of a panic, but hey, it sure felt good. I also recently turned down a longer-term contract position and told another company I wasn’t interested in designing their website. I might take on a job here and there, but it’ll be for something I want to do — money won’t be the deciding factor.
Instead of working, I’ve spent the week riding my bike, trimming trees, drawing a cowboy, and working on a type design. These things don’t pay nearly as well, but they’re far more emotionally rewarding.
If you hate working and you’re in a position to do it, why not ?
I’m a couple of years younger than you (not many), but the realization I had over the past two years was what I really needed was a better work/life balance.
After a few weeks I’d be board to death if I wasn’t working. And while not everyday is great at work, overcoming the difficult days and dealing with the challenges are opportunities to grow and become a more well rounded and resiliant person.
Smurf2 it sounds like you are changing roles rather than retiring. That’s ok - I hope it gives you more free time and less responsibility.
I’ll never retire (65 soon) but I have benefitted going on to shorter hours. The money isn’t as good but that’s ok - I can pay the bills and have the occasional treat. I don’t need more money, I need more time. Time to do what interests me, time to learn something new, time to develop new skills, time to just do nothing and enjoy it. I divide my time between building synthesisers, online gaming and the noble art of doing naff all. I am learning a bit of musical theory, taking piano lessons, and creating resources for the online gaming community. I take more naps. I take more walks. Life is good.
As everyone has said … if you can do it and are not happy working, go for it! Let’s face it - working for anyone sucks. But, it’s the nature of the beast. The only advice I will give you is find something else to give you purpose. You are still very young. If you don’t find something to maintain some sort of routine in your life you will start to forget what day it is as they all begin to blend together. And try to keep the same sort of sleep schedule. Otherwise you will end up wrecking your well established sleep pattern. Ask me how I know. LOL
Thanks for all the thoughtful replies. I go through spats or general dissatisfaction, and they get longer and more frequent. Maybe I’m just fed up and want to do more meaningful things.
Moving on is a difficult choice. Guess I have to be careful how I proceed.
If you can walk away from it at 44, by all means do it!
I’m 62 and only wish I could have retired at 44.
Go out there and travel, have fun.
No one is guaranteed a tomorrow.
I’m going to be repetitive here just to say, yes. If you can, and will live a comfortable life, I have no doubt that my answer would be yes in this situation. I’m much younger than everyone I’ve seen here, obviously I’m not even close to retiring, but I certainly won’t hesitate when I have the opportunity.
My motto is: I work to live, I don’t live to work.
Take advantage that this opportunity came while you’re young, do everything you stopped yourself from doing because you had to work, find 20 different hobbies, get tired of them and find others. Just don’t stop stimulating your mind, otherwise everything will get boring very quickly.
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LOL 