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I used to watch the clock all day when I was behind a desk. Now the time flies by. I sometimes find myself eating lunch at 2 or 2:30 because I get caught up with my day. Depending on where you live, there's a life out there, long walks, the beach, shopping, friends, family, restaurants, reading, gardening, etc.
I had a girl friend who had a similar worry. What she did was start a blog where she posted a photo of something she saw each day. It opens up your eyes to the world around you, and walking around looking for a new subject gets you out and about, exercising, and busy for several hours. She soon had regular readers, and that helped with making a few new friends, too.
Another person I knew built a complex robot when he first retired. This project took quit a long time and by the time he finished it he was more relaxed with the retirement lifestyle.
And don't forget posting on city-data. He can share his knowledge and opinions (and maybe some photos) and eat up quite a bit of time that way.
Sorry to hear you ended up with a bad one. For me.. his golf is a reprieve. It gets him out of the house for a few hours and I get to do whatever I want. It's win/win for both of us.
My wife says the same thing. I play 2 to 3 times a weeks and she might be happier if I played more......LOL
The older you get the nearer your horizon. I am trying to plan for the day I can no longer drive, if I last that long. As for boring, not really, I have no need to socialize or share, never had. I miss my grandchildren but if I were close I would be fighting with their parents.
Never bored. We keep ourselves very busy doing volunteer work, traveling, gardening, biking, walking, attending musicals, plays, genealogy, visiting grandchildren, hosting our kids and grandchildren on their vacations, having friends over for dinner parties, going out with friends, collecting antiques, etc.
We raised our children in a 1700 sf home but upsized our retirement home to 3200 sf with a much larger yard - we both love to garden and our gardens and lawns are truly gorgeous....keeps us physically busy many hours each week and gives us lots of pleasure (and exercise).
I know that we will not always be so active and involved - that illness/injuries will at some point keep us home-bound more often, but for now boredom is not in our vocabulary.
I've been retired for about 2 years now and rarely get bored. I think the secret is to have many activities that one is interested in. I think it would be very difficult to stay busy and inspired if I only had one or two interests.
My list includes (in no particular order) walking the dog, biking, occasionally baby sitting the grand kids (on our terms), woodworking, exercising, occasional travel, volunteering about 5 hours per week, church activities, fishing, spending time on our boat fishing and boating, lunch with friends, gardening, and spending 4 to 6 weeks each winter snowbirding in Florida. I have also become quite active in the US Power Squadron, which is a national boating safety organization. This is an opportunity for me to give back to a recreation that I have enjoyed all my life. I do vessel safety exams and teach safe boating classes. Very satisfying activity with a great group of people who share a common interest. Since I retired I also have taken many of the classes on boating that the USPS offers.
For many years I planned the financial side of retirement, but about 10 years prior to retirement it suddenly dawned on me that I was missing one very important part of the plan - what would inspire me each day when I woke up. How would I spend my time.
There are definitely people who have a difficult time adjusting to retirement; many who made their work their life. Many feel useless being retired.
I agree with many that suggest volunteering; gives a person the feeling of being useful plus meeting new people.
For me, I don't get bored and yet I'm not a person who has to be 'doing' anything. I'm not a recluse, but I love puttering around my apartment...doesn't really affect me one way or the other if I'm in or out.
We're all unique and have different needs and lead different lifestyles.
Biggest mistake any of us can make is to have the false illusion that we should be living our lives like other people. What's right, is what's right for each of us. And finding the right path for ourselves is the key.
Very seldom do I find myself bored in retirement. My husband does play golf a least twice a week and up until March 23rd, pretty much took care of his mom and dad's affairs as they were in assisted living. His dad passed away on March 23rd and now it is doing all the estate work and looking after his mom. Occassionally (sp), his work will call him in for a day or two for consulting and he loves that. We are pretty compatible, so I can send him out to the barn if he gets in my way. We have a good routine going, so I feel as I have the world by the tail!
P.S. I read, travel, play on the computer, have lunch dates with friends, go to dr's appts and such.
If you find yourself bored, then it might be time to find a new outlet to explore and learn about to keep yourself busy.
Volunteer in the local schools. Could be one day a week or a few hours everyday if you want.
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