Let's hear it from all you retirees

[lakelover]

I'm doing a little informal research on retirement. I've had conflicting reports from relatives and friends:

"You'll love it"

"I'm busier now than I ever was when I was working" (a complaint, some even went back to work)

"You'll never regret it"

"I don't have enough time even now"

"I've never heard anybody say they wished they'd kept working"

"It's boring, I wish I'd kept working"

My theory is that retirement is what you make it. The advantages I see are that you can be more flexible creating your own schedule when you're not committed to 40-50 or more hours a week, and your time is opened up to more choices as to what you are able to do because you have more time. Even if you need to have a part-time job to supplement your income. You can prioritize and choose your activities and schedule to a larger degree, and saying "no" is an option. Other people may think you can do certain things just because you're retired, but you still can say yes or no. You can catch up, maybe gradually, on all the things you've put off saying "I'll do that when I'm retired". It seems that it comes down to just a lot more options.

So how are you retirees finding it, what do you think?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Let's hear it from all you retirees

Lot's of fun.....

You just learn to schedule things very differently

You tend to enjoy your morning coffee more!

 

[Tyme2fish]

Re: Let's hear it from all you retirees

I find that life is a lot less stressful. I've slowed down to smell the roses.

 

[JB]

Re: Let's hear it from all you retirees

There is some risk of losing purpose to your life unless you keep a bucket list and work on it.

I have friends who are simply sitting around waiting for God.

Others are busily doing what they have dreamed of all their lives.

I think it is important to stay useful to your world as well as to yourself.

Do what you can do as long as you can do it. Your mind, experience and wisdom will last long after your body loses its power.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Let's hear it from all you retirees

The thing to do is to stay active as much as you can. Start a project even if you never finish it..Dont start sleeping in late every day. Learn new things and for heavens sake dont rack up hours on the computer every day.

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: Let's hear it from all you retirees

Dont start sleeping in late every day. Learn new things and for heavens sake dont rack up hours on the computer every day.

Guilty on this as of lately ..

 

[SteveRoss]

Re: Let's hear it from all you retirees

Retired about two years ago. Love life now more than ever. Still get up between 4 and 5 just to enjoy the peace and quiet and the Florida sunrise. The wife and 15 puppies get up about 0630 and then my day really begins. I never run out of projects.... some suggested by the wife, others demanded by the boat .... HAHAHA !!!

Regards to all,

Steve

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Let's hear it from all you retirees

I think JB said it best.
Although i am not yet retired i was out of work for over a year.
It was very easy to start feeling useless to me.
I think everyone needs something to do to feel useful or you can just get in a rut and sit around.
My plan is to work until i croak!

 

[lakelover]

Re: Let's hear it from all you retirees

I think the best thing is to keep a purpose, no matter what it is. It just seems that having the ability to give yourself a little more flexibility in your time opens up a lot of doors.

I know I have a to-do list a mile long that has been building up for years. There's alot of stuff I couldn't ever do because my wife worked as a nurse on very odd schedules, so most of the time, I was taking care of the kids once they got in school, either while she was at work or trying to catch up on her sleep.

Then there's the fniancial concern and that all depends on how much planning and preparation you've done, and everybody's situation there is different there.

 

[PW2]

Re: Let's hear it from all you retirees

The most important thing is now I can keep up with what Oprah and Tyra Banks are talking about!

Seriously, I'd rather be working, but when the company I worked for went belly up in the recession, and I couldn't seem to talk new potential employers into hiring an old geezer, I was forced to take "early" retirement.

I've managed to take on some consulting work, and so far doing fine--even able to put money into, as opposed to withdrawing out of, retirement accounts, while I work on an alternate plan to get back to work full time...

All in all, things could certainly be worse, and I seem to keep pretty busy, but if I'd had my druthers, I liked what I did in the real world, and if I had my choice I'd still be doing it.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Let's hear it from all you retirees

I had some retirement 'practice' when I was laid off for nearly all of 2008. Luckily, I had a generous severance package and after 40+ years of continuous work of some sort, I just decided to take some time off and not worry about it for awhile. The fact that I had a heart attack 6 weeks after I was let go, might've had just a little bit to do with that decision

Anyway, it was the best year of my life (so far). I made a really quick recovery and was back to doing any activity I wanted, within a few weeks. No boredom for me. I was pretty darned busy, but on my own terms. I just loved it- now I can't wait for the real thing. That's still about 5 years away, unfortunately.

 

[FishyFish]

Re: Let's hear it from all you retirees

Retired in 2006, I have really enjoyed the time away from work. I admit, It can sometime be very boring if you're not involved with a project or two.
I was blessed with a New Grand daughter this past Dec. She is now 8 months old, I sacraficed Boating and Fishing to take care of her during the week-days while my kids are working. She has brought so much Joy to my life that nothing else matters. Retirement? Naw, I just got a new purpose, No Pay but alot of Happiness!

Fish