If I were single right now, I'd be making plans to cut back to a 60% work assignment, with plans of retiring in three years. I'd work 3 days a week and then have a 4-day weekend, every week, excepting on holidays it would be a 5-day weekend. Have 18 years in with my present employer and need to get to 20 in order to capture some key retirement benefits - like 6-7 years of paid-up health insurance. Working another 3 years at 60% would get me there. And who knows, I might like working 60% and could continue on for around 2-3 years.

Alas, I have a 15 yr old at home and my wife is now going back to college full-time to get a degree - that will take about 3 years. Guess who is feeling a wee bit trapped at this point?

After working full-time for 30 years and putting 4 children through college, I'm feeling the need to rest & recharge. If I could take 3-4 months off, perhaps I'd have a different perspective.