Woman Quits Finance Job at 54 Due to Burnout, Urges Soon-to-Retirees to Plan Transition

Jeanne Thompson, 56, quit her lucrative finance job due to "burnout" from long hours and commute
She retired at age 54, 6 years earlier than planned, but initially felt "lost" without work's structure
Thompson now travels often, including to Southeast Asia, plans more trips, and wakes at 5am daily
She struggled to adjust the first retirement year before finding hobbies and part-time consulting work
Thompson urges soon-to-be retirees to build structure and a friend network to ease the transition