All good things come to an end. Your time in this field will end at some point; what’s your plan for after? Right now, you’re probably dealing with daily living, bills, rising expenses, and a budget that isn’t what you want it to be. Retirement is somewhere down the road, while right now you are thinking, “Retirement? I hope to get through today’s shift and retire to my bed for sleep.”
There are several things I wish someone would have told me when I started or throughout my career. I’m going to try and impart some hard-earned wisdom to you regarding your “for after” plan.
- Paid leave. Every center’s leave accrual and usage policy are different. Check into what happens to your leave if you resign or retire (“I’m Outta Here!”). Some agencies pay money for leave accrued. Some agencies apply your sick leave toward your retirement and count that as time worked, just by saving it and not using it.
- If your agency pays out, save it up. Don’t jeopardize your health to do so; just think about how it could benefit you in the long run.
- Sick leave—save, save, save. You have no idea what’s going to happen to you or your family members in the future. You don’t want to be unable to take paid time off (or time off in general) because you burned through your sick leave.
- Saving for retirement. When you’re brand new, you don’t even consider you’ll be there for however long it takes to retire at your agency. You’ve got bills. Immediate needs. You want to live life while you’re young enough to enjoy it. If you keep putting off saving—even if it’s a small amount like $10 per biweekly paycheck in the beginning—you’re putting your future self in a financial jam.
- Let’s do the math. $10 per paycheck x 26 paychecks a year = $260. Then $260x 30 years (!) = $7,800 saved for retirement. We spend more than ten bucks on food a day. Your future self has a small cushion.
- No matter how far you are in your career, it’s not too late. Look at your retirement options so you’re not flat broke when you run out fast on your last day.
- Is it worth it? Ask yourself when you get fired up over something whether it’s worth your health. Will what you are upset about now matter in a month, year, decade from now? If you don’t think it will matter against all those time yardsticks, ask if your health is worth remaining fired up.
- I’m not saying don’t fight for what you believe in; just make sure the fight is worth it. The wall paint color you hate shouldn’t give you high blood pressure every time you see it. Someone calling out sick should not cause your stomach to churn.
- Me time. One of the most overlooked and unscheduled things that will benefit you greatly is “me time.” This is where you have more than fifteen minutes to yourself, longer if possible, without anyone asking you for anything where you can just be you. Is this watching your favorite show, sports, or streaming something? Often, I hear work is the escape from the home or there’s no chance of “me time” happening. Find it. Sometimes you need a breath without expectations on you, even if it means spending a few extra minutes with the bathroom door shut.
- Go radical. Spend those fifteen minutes without your phone or personal electronic device. Disconnect.
- Wanna get crazy? Don’t check your work e-mail when you’re off duty. Free yourself because work stress will seep in; it’s sneaky that way.
That’s a few of the things I wish I knew. Hope they help you!
