What did it feel like to stop working? (pension, weather, moving)

[Ozark Nana]

Just a curious question. I will be "retiring" in March and am terrified at the thought that I won't have "somewhere to go" each morning Monday-Friday! I have worked since I was 13 years old only taking a week or so off when I had my 3 boys. I have no idea what it feels like to STOP working! I have hobbies that I have always wanted to "devote more time to" but how many hours a day can you do those without getting bored!!

Anyone care to share their experiences and what they did?

O.Nana

[NewToCA]

It was a little strange at first, and I had a little difficulty disengaging from my projects. I called in a couple of times and also e-mailed a few ideas for the first few months after retiring, but then I started getting into the new process. Now I think it is great, and enjoy the freedom of not having to go to mind numbing meetings and all of the compromises that go along with being paid.

Use it as an opportunity to find yourself and to actually live your life in today. Do and explore that which may interest you, and disengage if not what you expected. Allow yourself trial and error, and enjoy the discovery process of life.

[annielf]

Sort of retired...long story...

I'm astounded by people who wonder what they'll do with their time when they retire and have no job to go to. My sister is one who is debating whether to retire because she doesn't know what she'd do all day as she has no hobbies.

If you have a good retirement income there's a great big world to visit! There are things I've wanted to learn but never had the time - a language, become a better writer and photographer, so many books to read, hiking, bicycyling, canoeing, blogging, take a course, join a club, find hobbies, volunteer.... learn tai chi, yoga, study a different religion/philosphy....find your creative side....

[brightdoglover]

Can't help you- I can't wait to stop going to a negative toxic environment with all kinds of personal issues flying around.

I do recognize that work is the only place where anyone expects me every day- I live alone and have no family. Otherwise, I don't think having "someplace to go" will be an issue. For starters, I could always finally drag my flubby self to the gym/pool at my convenience!

I think it might help to break down what the concerns are. "A place to go"? "People to see?" "Feedback about my value?" "A place to distract me from other issues?"

For me, besides the paycheck and pension (believe me, if those weren't working, I'd leave smoke...) most jobs are a community of sorts, maybe more than one's physical community. You go there most days. You see some of the same people regularly. You have interactions based on mutual projects or mutual complaints or whatever. If you're lucky, maybe you have a sense of real achievement.
I've already done most of the things one might do if not working *while working*- go back to school (three times), join the Peace Corps, move to three different states, including the daydreams of New Mexico and Maine, play music in a band (badly...) build my dream house, trek in Nepal. I can't think of what I'd want to do except get the increasingly negative aspects my employment off my back. I think I'll shed it like a cheap suit, and then I'll concern myself with structure and so on. (To be fair, I'd like to get a quick credential to teach English as a second langauge, which I've tutored, and work or volunteer in literacy and ESL with refugees and immigrants in the area. I want to figure out a way to spend summers in Colorado and ride horses without moving there full-time.
But first, I want to not-work until I feel like I am self-motivated, and I have no idea how long that will take.

[Mouser]

Each day is A New Adventure

it doesn't get much better then that

[irvm]

Originally Posted by Ozark Nana

Just a curious question. I will be "retiring" in March and am terrified at the thought that I won't have "somewhere to go" each morning Monday-Friday! I have worked since I was 13 years old only taking a week or so off when I had my 3 boys. I have no idea what it feels like to STOP working! I have hobbies that I have always wanted to "devote more time to" but how many hours a day can you do those without getting bored!!

Anyone care to share their experiences and what they did?

You are wise to prepare. It was an almost physical shock to realize that is was OK to just pour another cup of coffee, sit back, read the paper, or do nothing at all.

Bad weather days are the best - you can't help but sit there and grin, cause you don't have to go anywhere.

Just about every town has plenty of openings for volunteer work. Thrift store, food pantry, schools, museums, etc. etc. A few phone calls or a visit to the public library should supply all the contacts you need. (Personal note: thrift stores are good. You're helping people who need help, and you get a chance to buy useful stuff for pennies on the dollar).

[litlux]

I feel sorry for those whose lives are so devoted to work that they worry what they will do when they retire. Nobody ever lay on their deathbed and said "I should have worked harder!"

What's it like to be retired? Well, there is so much going on in my life that I wonder how I ever had time to fit a job in!

My dad spoke those words to me when he retired 30 years ago, and though he is gone now, he sure enjoyed his life. I am trying to follow his example.

[CosmicWizard]

Although I've still got about 7 working years before retirement, I had 5 months of not working during a big move from the east coast to Colorado. I left my east coast job behind and had no job lined up in Colorado. I loved not having a job! It took 3 or 4 months to wind down and de-stress. I hated going back. First day back on the job, my stress level went right back up...like I never had the 5 month break.

blessings....Franco

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by Ozark Nana

Just a curious question. I will be "retiring" in March and am terrified at the thought that I won't have "somewhere to go" each morning Monday-Friday! I have worked since I was 13 years old only taking a week or so off when I had my 3 boys. I have no idea what it feels like to STOP working! I have hobbies that I have always wanted to "devote more time to" but how many hours a day can you do those without getting bored!!

Anyone care to share their experiences and what they did?

O.Nana

I looked for and found a town of under 30,000 that offers a school/program for retirees that included science and history classes. It's rare that you find a retiree school that offers science classes but I now live in a science kind of town with a 22% retiree population, most of them from science related professions. A bonus was the school also offers a variety of day and overnight trips each semester. I registered for classes before I moved so I could "hit the ground running" within 2 weeks of arriving. I haven't been disappointed yet. The school also offers a variety of guest speakers on an assortment of topics. I just read an article that says the school has 600 people that register for classes and it costs me only $90 a year (not including trip).

I also like to fish and take photos so I moved somewhere where there was a lot of natural beauty (photography) and where I could fish from the shore. And I like to read and discuss and am now in a Nonfiction Book Group which also goes out to lunch after the session. I just subscribed (free) to the community band indoor concert series but we had free concerts out in the park over the summer.

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Evaluate the town you live in. What may be a great town to live in while you are working might not be such a great town in retirement. That's how it was with me. What does the town offer you in the way of things to do during the daytime on weekdays? You probably already know about weekends.

You didn't say what your hobbies are but can you join clubs related to them or take classes related to them during the daytime? For example, if you like to garden maybe you'd be interested in a class about herbs or maybe the state park has some sessions on wildflowers or sponsors wildflower walks. Or maybe the local college has a botany class. Maybe there is a garden club in town.

If you like to read, check the local book stores for book discussion groups.

If you like to do crafts, check out the local craft store for daytime classes or maybe there is an art center in town that offers classes?

Do you play a musical instrument or like to sing? Some towns have a community band, orchestra and/or chorus and you don't have to audition. You just have to love to play or sing.

Do you bowl? Maybe there is a retiree bowling league in town that meets during the week.

I recommend that if you think you might want to volunteer, but you don't know if you will like it, volunteer for a town event/church event rather than doing volunteer work for an organization. The reason? An event has a beginning and an end. When the event is over, so is your commitment. If you are in a town that has a lot of events, this could keep you really busy plus you won't get bored because you'll be doing different things for each event unlike volunteering with an organization where you'd probably do the same thing over and over and it might feel like a job. Plus, trying your hand at different things might lead to the discovery of a hidden talent. Local newspapers usually give a shout out when volunteers are need for some town event.

If you don't have an idea of how you will replace some of a 35 - 40 hour work week with activities, you might want to wait to retire.

[knoxgarden]

Think of it as a time to begin a new life without having to earn a living.
You don't have to quit working. You can start your own business on a small scale or work part-time jobs. I've had a variety of odd jobs that keep life interesting and take me to new places.
Craigs list is a good source, like this one for a Ghost Tour Guide.
GHOST TOUR GUIDE NEEDED (broken link)
I've done mystery shopping at banks, delivered newspapers and conducted surveys.
Go back to school and get a degree. I've been taking some Professional and Personal Development courses at the University of Tennessee here in Knoxville and was looking into auditing some regular college courses and discovered that if you're over 60 or disabled you can audit courses for free and if you're over 65, you can take courses for credit for $7 an hour or $75 for a full course load. Hard to pass up that kind of deal.
Adult Student Services at The University of Tennessee (broken link)
That opens up a whole world of possibilities.
Run for local office. Join the library board. Learn the Banjo.
There are a world of possibilities. It can be a problem deciding and getting stuck in a rut of not doing anything. That's why I like the classes and part time jobs. Those seem to energize me and get me moving down the road.