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Except for the post just above mine, everybody's answer thus far in the thread has been some version of "yes". That is to be expected, and my answer is also yes.
Here is another "no" from me. If anything, I am busier and more ambitious in tackling new tasks and activities in retirement than while working.
While I was working, there were defined schedules and deadlines which helped me at times to take a breather before the due date. In retirement, I am on my own so there is always the urge to get things done and there are no excuses to put things off or to delay things.
In retirement, I feel like a kid in a candy store with "free time" and opportunities to pick up new activities, to learn new things so my "to do" list keeps getting longer and longer. My calendar is filled with scheduled events and activities and I often have to decide which ones to attend.
On top of scheduled activities, there are also life unexpected events. In the last two months, I could hardly have the time to relax. I tried to watch few movies in the evening and found myself falling asleep after the first 10-15 minutes. In the last two months, we had to deal with the illness of our beloved dog (we had to put her to sleep), the loss of my trusty car (totaled by a deer encounter), ordeal of ordering a new car (the one we ordered was damaged in a train derailment but the distributor did not notify the dealer for 3 weeks), our heating oil order was delivered to the wrong address, the basement dehumidifier malfunctioned on top of the well pipe water leak, we discovered carpenter ants damages in the wood tool shed (after having the roof replaced) and today we had to clean up the shed's attic (full of unknown stuffs) after discovering that it has been used as a mink's residence.
So I have been on my feet everyday from 4:30am (when I get up to get ready for my daily row at 5:30am) to 10:30pm (when I often crash on the couch while trying to get some relaxation time by watching a movie or reading a book - I am reading several books on birds, trees, Japanese houses/architecture and travel books in preparation for our France wines/caves/art trip in the fall).
Maybe I could feel more relaxed and may decide to be 'lazy' for a change further out in retirement. Right now, there are many things that I have to do on top of the things that I want to do. I do feel stressed at times but also feel purposeful, engaged and satisfied (after successfully solving/dealing with the challenges or learning some new stuffs). Bottom line is that my busyness serves me well and I have no regrets.
I have a lazy streak a mile wide. After a year of retirement I am beginning to accept this character flaw and just live with it. I try to keep going with projects around the house, but some days I just decide to put them off. And I'm getting very good at that. I know it is a bad habit and so I try to face it constantly.
My wife worked seven days a week at our business all her life, getting up at 4 am, even on holidays. She now rarely leaves the bedroom before 8am or so. If anyone has earned the privilege of sleeping in, it is her. She truly loves her new schedule.
Except for the post just above mine, everybody's answer thus far in the thread has been some version of "yes". That is to be expected, and my answer is also yes, I have become lazier in retirement. But there are varying degrees of laziness. I am the type who needs some structure in my life, so it is there - stuff from which I derive a sense of accomplishment and gratification, not just things to pass the time. But overall, my amount of structure is substantially less than it was before retirement. I am not "driven" to see how much I can accomplish. I am on a more relaxed path than before.
Yes, I still have some weekly scheduled events, but everything else is on the fly.
I am an early morning person and still get up at 5:00 - 5:30 AM. If I don't have to be anywhere, I do take my share of afternoon naps
I haven't gotten lazier but I have slowed WAAAY down, thanks to back issues. I walk with a cane these days and that is frustrating.
Even more frustrating is I still eat like I used to but I don't get the exercise I used to so every time I go for my physical, the doctor tersely asks me when I might think about losing the extra 25# I put on, lollol
I still have two horses to take care of and clean their stalls every day. We still have 25 acres that we maintain. We do everything with no outside help because nobody wants to get dirt under their fingernails these days, unless they get paid enough to hire a brain surgeon
I can still get my horses to the vet without issue but I have stopped trail riding. Just carrying them to the vet wears me out, much less get to the trails, unload, ride four hours, load up, and come back home.
My good friend up north still slogs thru the mud with her horse - love that woman, she rides almost as hard as we did 30-40 years ago, so I really enjoy her trail stories. She is a cancer survivor ---- she still has a ton of energy and the Will to get out there with her horse
She and her husband stay active -- she with her horse, he with hunting and fishing.
My friend is 68, I am 70. We both feel like we need to "keep on keepin' on, with the things we have always enjoyed; we are afraid the day we stop doing things we love will -- be-- the-- day-- we -- stop-----
I've gotten really lazy about cooking. I have no shame about buying pre-cleaned, prepackaged vegetables and prepared entrees that only need to be heated up. Just because I'm at home all day doesn't mean I have to be Julia Child and make everything from scratch. I'm retired, dammit! I'm not going to spend all day in the kitchen.
Luckily Mr. Bay loves to dine out and has no issue with whether the meals I serve at home are from scratch or from the microwave. As long as they taste good, he's content.
I used to be a fairly good cook. And I enjoyed cooking.
But a lot of things have happened over the years and cooking took a backseat. So unfortunately, I am not eating as well as I should be and usually it's not that tasty.
The other day I was in a store that has prepared individual meals at various prices, depending on what is in them. The other day I saw one with a nice seasoned piece of salmon with salt potatoes. Oh my, a true delight. I enjoyed that meal so much. I think I need to have at least one or two of those meals a week. Delicious and I felt "full" for the first time in a while.
Cooking has taken a back seat here in my household too. I don't spend time making elaborate sauce this and that. No sousvide here and there, just very basic cooking served with fresh salad at lunch and steamed vegetable at dinner time. But my husband seems to like it. We do eat fancy food when we travel, I guess that's how we make up for our lack of cooking.
I do buy salad fixings and some fruit. Don't want to live on take out 24/7. Drink lots of water and exercise daily.
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