So there I was, submitting my final assignment in my fourth course. Another A! My GPA for grad school is now 3.918. It's not easy but it's much different than earning a bachelor's degree. You're expected to be an expert in your field and getting that mindset as a student is something you really have to learn. I've got 8 courses left out of 12 so that means I'm a third done!
I've laid my plans out before but if you're a new reader, let me recap this real quick. I qualify for a 30 and out pension plan from my union. Meaning I'll have guaranteed income for the rest of my life but there's a catch. I have to take it in 2021 or I have to wait until 2035 when I turn 65 to collect a dime. I'm taking the guaranteed money next year. My main goal is to put myself in the position to have as many options as possible and the most freedom after retirement. I've been working on this since 2015 and if I double up my course load I can finish before 2022 if I wish. If not it'll be spring of 2022 and I'll graduate.
That puts my tentative retirement date at May 26 and if I'm not able to meet my financial goals by then my Plan B date is October 12. I do have an ace to play though which might accelerate my retirement date and that's a marketing plan I've been working on for a couple of months. I've presented it to my boss at my part time job and he loves it and plans on implementing it with me.
It'll be a marketing platform for an industry that is territorial based, meaning it'll be specific to an area instead of promoting businesses that have little or no presence in the sale territory. It'll increase brand equity while giving a level playing field to every business while at the same time being much more affordable than the prevailing marketing platform right now in this industry.
Again this is an option I'm working on because it presents a unique set of challenges and a certain amount of freedom. However I've been researching all options so far and with a graduate degree, I've found a veritable plethora of high paying options! The only catch would be how much free time do I want and balancing that with how much income do I want.
All of that will be something I'll explore at a future date when these events become more of a reality.
I've dealt with some anxiety about leaving the security of a job I've held for nearly 30 years. My coworkers that have become friends over the decades, the steady income, great insurance, large amounts of time off will be gone. The best advice I received about leaving what I know behind was simple and profound. Do I want to give up another 15 years of my life doing something I don't want to do anymore? The answer to that is clear to me, therefore I'm getting out when I can and getting the money and freedom. That's the reason I've spent these past few years in preparation. Coming home after work and doing 2-3 hours of homework each evening and weekends.
That would all be in vain if I didn't leave. If I worked one day past the deadline I could quit for a better job but I'd still have to wait until I turned 65 to collect anything.
So now you know my reasons for doing what I'm doing and how I am planning for the future.
