What do I need to do

[AllisonCS1]

So, I don't have any RLE, I understand that I really don't know what I'm talking about... That said, I would very much like to prepare and place myself into a position to where I can start experiencing RLE.

I also understand that everyone's journey is unique and that there is no standard roadmap. There are though(I would think) Some standards to best prepare oneself for RLE. Not medical and not legal, but rather things that should be done to facilitate a smoother start.

I'm a truck driver, just getting up tommarow and deciding that I'm going to be true to myself could be potentaily dangerous, So I set myself the goal of June next year to be full time. So what should I be doing inbetween now and then?

Most of my family knows, those that don't I either don't care about or in two cases are the most difficult to come out to...

I'm still working on facial hair removal, 3 down several to go... I go days without a shower or even hot water to shave, electric razors just don't cut it, so once a month until it's all gone, feb or march..

my time off is 80 percent me(4 days a month) unless the other me is required, which is for most of my dr appointments. Reading that part makes it seem weak but it's slowly changing, It's one of those things that I just didn't think about until recently and aside from transitioning I have other things prevailing on my mind. I also know that my 4 days doesn't cut it, to the point of my job performance has fallen.

But if I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it right, and properly prepare. I research a lot and this post is research I suppose.

I chose to post this hear rather than making a new topic because this is related to RLE, I see a lot of debate on what constitutes the point in which one starts to gain RLE. But I'm not seeing much of a how best to prepare yourself for RLE.

So I can get all my legal ducks in a row, So ID's, bank accounts, ect, those take time and even if I started working on changing them today it would take months, and honestly I'm unsure as to what legal hoops need to be jumped through for that. But I'll most likely know that by the middle of the week since as I stated above I do enjoy doing research.

So aside from legal stuff, what other preparations, mental and physical should I be doing? As far as to place myself into a position where the transition from Non RLE to actual RLE is seemless.

[Nigella]

As you mentioned each journey whilst similar is still unique. We can support, we can offer advice, but when the crunch comes, only you can decide what you need to do to move yourself forward.

We can give you a "shopping" list, but thats all it will be, just a list of what we have done, most of which is available freely throughout this forum

[Kaitlyn Michele]

you are doing it..
fear of the unknown is a big thing.. you will just have to fight that feeling

live day by day... be logical and thoughtful as long as your feelings of gender dysphoria allow it.. have a short term and long term roadmap and get serious about specific things ...hair removal is a huge thing, keep doing it.

do not let your job performance suffer... you will need the $$ and you don't want to give "them" any excuses for letting you go...

you did not mention therapy or other support... this is hugely important in my opinion..

[arbon]

You know despite all the opinions and debate about RLE you really don't need to think of it in those terms. I never did. I wanted to be myself in the end and that is what it was all for.
The only time it RLE may matter is for the surgeon and maybe if you have a stringent therapist.

If you want to be full time working and living as the woman you are in June in should be looking at what you need to do to make it work for you, not for anybody else. Not to meet others expectations of how you should be doing it.

Plan well. That is the best advice. Figure out what you need to be spending on like hair removal and hrt, or surgeries that will help your looks.
Save all the money you can.

When I finally broke that last barrier with my legal name and work it was not to meet someones standard that I was now in RLE or whatever, it was for me to live.

[PretzelGirl]

One thing not to lose sight of in the RLE discussion is that all experience helps you get a little further. So making a progressive plan is a very good thing. Set your pace and be willing to adjust it if needed.

[becky77]

Are you planning on having SRS?
If you're not having surgery then RLE is meaningless, it's just experience.

Don't plan your transition to tick any box's, plan it for a successful life living as a woman.
Work seems your primary concern right now, either look into how you do this while in the same job or if you need to consider a new career?

If you do plan for surgery: When RLE starts is a bit of a hot topic, in my opinion a name change gives you proof, otherwise you only have your word and some might not believe you and seek evidence. Most serious transitioners change their name near to going full-time, if they can.

I went part time initially, my work was an issue so outside of work I lived as a woman.
Social, family everything. That gave me a lot of experience and prepared me well for work.
In that time I changed jobs but stayed in the same company, I did my 6 months proving period then went to HR.

Part time was not fun! So much so I brought my full-time date forward because living as female made the days as male so much worse.

Problem with part time is that you can be tempted to wimp out and do somethings as a guy, I never did.
I made myself do everything as a female because that's what fulltime will be like, as I said it set me up well and I had realistic expectations how things might go at work.
I went on hormones throughout part time also, by the time I went full-time it felt more like relief than fear.

That worked for me.