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So I retired at 62 and wondered if I would miss being part of the new exciting discoveries at my old research job. Two years later I can honestly say that I have never missed it even for a minute. Is this experience typical? Or are there some who retire by their own free will who wish they were back at the old job. What was your experience?
I retired at 60,if i knew then what i know now i think i would have stayed on another 10 years as maybe for some retirement is a reel hoot i find it kinda boring,after 5 years into it i miss the social interactions of working with 350 co-workers, i miss the structure it gave to my days,i miss the weekly paycheck,i miss being relevant at something,i miss a lot of things about work, And all those friends you now have at work? they are only situational friendships that dont transition into the retirement..
Retirement maybe the best thing since sliced bread for some,it wasnt for me.
Sure i do a lot of stuff but its no more than what i used to do on evenings, weekends, days off and vacation time when i was working.
I've found all the things i thought would fill my time when i retired only take up about 10% of that time so i just end up sleeping a whole lot more than i used to,10-12 hours a day.
I am trying to get another job but with about 40 applications out there i havent heard a peep from any one, tried volunteering at a few places one of which i quit because it was too much like working for free the other i developed a vision problem and had to quit.
For those contemplating retirement i can advise being really aware of what you are going to do and how much time and money its going to take to do it.
And one other item if you have any bad habits you will all of a sudden have a whole lot more time to indulge in those bad habits.
In my case? retirement sucks...
Jambo does bring up some valid points, however. I have heard that many retirees later wish they had worked a few more years so that they were better prepared financially for retirement. Taking social security or a pension early can really cut down on the amounts of those payments - for the few people out there who will even get a pension anymore.
Also, to me it is a myth that people will spend less when retired. Keeping yourself amused with dining out, sports, hobbies, and/or travel takes money.
It seems like I'm hearing more and more stories like this. Gentlearts, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I hope you find a volunteer position or a new job that you enjoy. I've had very good luck with being a museum docent. You learn a lot of interesting things, the other volunteers tend to also be interesting, and you interact with the public.
Regarding the OP's question.... my official retirement date is in January, which also happens to be when my company moves to a new location and switches gear to a new focus. So these things are guesses, but FWIW here's my list:
Things I'll miss (I think):
--Work friends. We've talked about getting together from time to time, but since the new location is more than an hour's drive away, I doubt that will happen very often.
--The ritzy hotel rooms I stayed in for conferences, etc. I tend to be frugal, so when we travel we don't stay in places that are quite so fancy.
Things I won't miss:
--Rush hour traffic. Having to drive places for work assignments.
--Pantyhose and work suits.
--Having to shop after work and on weekends when the stores are crowded. Same goes for errands and doctor appointments.
--Missing events that take place during work hours. Family events, but also local events. This year, for example, I'll be able to go to a few inauguration events. I live right here in the DC metro area and it's amazing to me that I miss out on so many things because my time is already accounted for.
--Never having a moment to just stop and take a breath because when I'm not at work I'm busy busy busy catching up on everything.
--Office politics.
--Having to sit near someone who smells bad for 8 hours a day. (Not something I do right now, by the way, if my co-workers are reading this--but something that's happened often in the past. )
--The daily wait to go through security.
--Having to go into work when I didn't feel like it. This includes being in LA and going into work during the LA Riots. Working just hours after the Northridge earthquake (my hubby was in a close call while driving on an overpass and quite shaken up--I really wanted to stay at home with him). Working when sick. Working when my kids were in school events that I reluctantly had to miss. Driving to work during bad storms, blizzards, and when the roads were dangerously icy. And it also includes those days when I was just tired of sitting and hated being at work that day.
--Working late or on weekends because of a deadline.
--Co-workers regularly want you to buy their kids' girl scout cookies or contribute $$ to someone's birthday cake (not a problem where I work now but was a chronic annoyance in a previous job).
--Listening to my co-worker's squeaky chair all day.
--Having to wake up to go to work when I'd rather snooze a little longer.
--Cutting the evening short because "tomorrow is a work day."
--Spilling something on clothes and then having to continue wearing it for 8 more hours because I'm at work and can't change. Not that I spill things a lot but when do I like the luxury of immediately cleaning the stain and changing clothes.
--Having to make my lunch every morning or else having to drive somewhere at lunch time. Skipping lunch because of a deadline or getting heartburn because I ate while working. And having an assigned lunch period. Ah the luxury of simply strolling to your fridge to get whatever you're hungry for, to eat when you are hungry, and to take as long as you wish to eat.
--Having to continue sitting at a desk when you're butt is tired of sitting or your legs keep falling asleep. Having to continue looking at a computer when your eyes are starting to blur. Having to continue reading manuscripts with tiny print when you've gotten a headache. Having to continue repetitive wrist motions because you're on a a deadline and a lengthy document has to be typed. Etc. Etc. My body is starting to resent an enforced 8-hour day of working.
Thanks for the suggestions. I can relate to many of your reason for being glad, and suggestions for directions to point myself.
I actually was a museum docent for 12 years, but I've moved and the local museum is not one I can be excited about.
Mainly, I am stifling the urge to volunteer for everything, because it makes me mad I'm not in a real job which pays money. In my first week, I knitted a dog sweater, joined a fiber guild, and signed up to deliver Meals on Wheels. Gee, I still have 20+ days a month to fill with things besides cleaning closets and going to doctors.
I wonder how many people on their deathbed would say,
" Gee , I wish I would have worked more !"
Well, there are a number of people who would say that on their deathbed. Jambo101 is one of them - please read his post (the one right before yours) if you haven't already. His point of view, while probably in the minority, is not really that unusual, but it is under-represented in public internet forums. I do not share it, but I have known a few people who do, and that's one reason I know he is not alone.
We human beings are vastly different from one another - different in physical traits such as hair color and height; different in talents such as musical ear, mathematical ability, eye-hand coordination; different in personality; different in the kind of work for which we are suited. We differ in the degree to which work is a meaningful way to fill our lives (men being, on average, more likely than women to define themselves in terms of their work), in the degree to which we have had outside interests and hobbies before retirement, etc. etc.
The luck of the draw (circumstances) even plays a part in the specific job which we ended up getting, and that influences the degree to which we just can't wait to get out (retire). Sure, you can argue that everybody stuck in a job they don't like ought to quit, retrain themselves, and find a job they enjoy. That's easy to say, but there are such things as family obligations and other circumstances that get in the way. And suppose your passion is art history - just try finding a job in that field!
Conversely, we can say that people who are bored and unfulfilled in retirement ought to get out there and find new hobbies, new interests, new actvities, new volunteer positions, etc. But remember that we are all different and that is very difficult to impossible for some people. I have always been interested in all sorts of things, and I have fallen almost automatically - without effort - into volunteer activities that I find very gratifying. But I don't think I should sneer at, or condemn, those who have not had experiences similar to mine.
Jambo does bring up some valid points, however. I have heard that many retirees later wish they had worked a few more years so that they were better prepared financially for retirement. Taking social security or a pension early can really cut down on the amounts of those payments - for the few people out there who will even get a pension anymore.
Also, to me it is a myth that people will spend less when retired. Keeping yourself amused with dining out, sports, hobbies, and/or travel takes money.
A bit of elaboration on the weekly paycheck.
Thanks to a lucrative company pension i'm still bringing in in retirement what i was making when working what i miss is actually earning that paycheck..
Spending less in retirement? agreed its a myth,i actually spend more as to alleviate the boredom i shop more and go out for lunch more.
A bit of elaboration on the weekly paycheck.
Thanks to a lucrative company pension i'm still bringing in in retirement what i was making when working what i miss is actually earning that paycheck..
Spending less in retirement? agreed its a myth,i actually spend more as to alleviate the boredom i shop more and go out for lunch more.
Agree about the spending. I now spend two months vacationing each year, when it used to be one or two weeks max. I go out to dinner about the same amount now, but spend more (when I was younger, I was dating and the guys were usually paying!) I now have time to play tennis (in winter indoors) so that's thousands per year for court time, club memberships, and all the tennis gear. I'm not complaining, as I was fortunate enough to save enough to do these things in retirement. But if I did not have the money to do things I'd go back to work.
The problem for people who retire and change their minds is that, depending on what field they were in, they may never work again at anything close to their previous salary level, and jobs for older people don't come along that easily.
Thanks for the suggestions. I can relate to many of your reason for being glad, and suggestions for directions to point myself.
I actually was a museum docent for 12 years, but I've moved and the local museum is not one I can be excited about.
Mainly, I am stifling the urge to volunteer for everything, because it makes me mad I'm not in a real job which pays money. In my first week, I knitted a dog sweater, joined a fiber guild, and signed up to deliver Meals on Wheels. Gee, I still have 20+ days a month to fill with things besides cleaning closets and going to doctors.
Yes, being forced to retire before you're ready sounds like it would be maddening. Hope you can find another job, or something you'd like to do to fill the time you used to spend working.
In the meantime, here's a suggestion that I've made before that a few people have told me has helped them during the transition phase into retirement. Take a photo every day. Of anything at all that interests you.
Some say the best method is to take a long walk each day and look for something to photograph while you walk. Or read the local newspaper and take photos of local events. Or take photos of various doors or trees or garden pots in your neighborhood. Whatever you find interesting. You end up spending a good amount of time walking around looking for things, you get a chance to see interesting things that you never had time to see before, it's a hobby that doesn't cost a dime (as long as you have a camera), and it gives you a goal for each day. Plus, sometimes the quest for your daily photo leads you to discover other things going on in your community that would be fun for you to pursue. And if you happen to have PhotoShop, you can teach yourself how to clean up the photos or do artsy things with them.
If you'd like, post them here. I think seeing a photo a day as a person eases into the transition of retirement would result in a very interesting and useful thread for this forum.
That's a great idea. Our camera is broken, but I got DH one for Christmas. However, do you see that this is still just a time filler? It is things that people do when they have nothing to do. There are some things on my bucket list, like maybe kayaking and zip lining, but DH is still working, so I'm not going by myself. Also, we have very limited resources now.
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Some folks do wish they had worked more.
