I am realizing that a small change, especially symbolic ones, can help with making a decision more real.

When I moved to the current Death Star I bought a moving box of stuff from the old death star plus my office decorations.  They sat in my office for close to a year.  Not through intent but subconsciously, I did not unpack or fix up my office.  Half the stuff was still in the moving boxes and my pictures sat stacked up on the floor.

The longer I didn’t unpack or hang pictures the more it felt silly to decorate for what could just be months.  I had not committed to staying so why bother. It was in some way a protest symbol of not staying.  It was a symbol of my soon to be leaving 

Well I fell off the fence to the one more year side not long ago.  To symbolize my now 12 months of time left over I decided to make a change.  A new symbol of my decision.

 An empty corner office with windows has been open for a few months. I had not moved in it because I thought my move would just be to the trunk of my car one day.    Well I hung my pictures in the new office one day and moved in the next.  Since I am going to be working for the next 11ish months I decided I should take the prime office real estate, as one of the more frequent office dwellers and make it what I want.  Bonus points as its more private    

It strangely felt good.  Like I have settled.  Not in a broad way but more in a stop torturing myself way.  I liked my work office and missed it in a way. For fun I made it even weirder.  Darth Vader door bell check,  Star Trek Next Generation Hallway door cover- check,  Godzilla poster – check.  Beating will continue to morale improves sign  – check.  Snoopy Happy Place Dance sign – check. All for me to enjoy  

I read about other people having their small way to mark the time remaining before they retire.  At the time to me it felt fun but not important.  With my office move I see how small things can become important.  

For me it was closing off one year. It was preparing for the next.  It was looking more forward than I have in a long time in a weird way.   In a way it was me closing the door on the old death star and looking forward to finally joining this one to retire from.  It was a way to move forward.   

It’s fascinating how our physical spaces often reflect our internal state. Refusing to unpack was a subconscious vote of no confidence in sticking around, but hanging those pictures was a definitive line in the sand. I stopped treating my workspace like a transit lounge and started treating it like my space and time. To making a decision. I went from a state of “waffling” to a “lets get it done” type of mood.

When you commit to a countdown, especially one tied to a major life chapter like wrapping up a career, small, deliberate rituals help anchor these feelings into something tangible. They take a massive mental transition and ground it in reality.

I have discussed with Padme the plans for both of us.  Ironically we will both be moving on next year to a new chapter.   She will either take some time off or jump to a new company.  She thinks she still wants to work but she doesn’t know what.  For me I am moving to the RE or retirement state.  I may take a fun job to be more social but it will have nothing to do with money.     There will be nothing before a long period of exploration.

Knowing that we have 1 year left we are accelerating our big projects.  The Death Star kitchen is going to be done.  We both are taking more advantage of our work trips.  I am going to join her on a couple of her trips to enjoy weekends away.  I am booking my FIRE conference trips.    We will do our last year in style.

So we are moving forward.  Both of us.  And it feels right.  

After a week in the new office it has felt good.  It feels more like my space, my time.  

So I am looking for ways to celebrate. Ways to celebrate each week remaining, maybe the last time I do annual things that I will never do again.  Maybe last work trips.  Last budgets. Oh god yes last performance reviews – giving and receiving.

Maybe booking my first retirement things to mark that I have arrived. This way I will enjoy the last year vs debating when. 

Line drawn and not in sand. Fence torn down and burned.    

These small symbolic things can be very important to you.  And no one else.  I sometimes find the small things seem more important than the big ones.  That is why they are important. They are just for you.

When I stopped living out of a cardboard suitcase, the countdown stopped being a limbo state and turned into a victory lap. To enjoy

Anyone have any good ideas on ways to mark a change?  Let me know

Weirdly close to my actual office if you subtract the models and skyline