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A retired co worker called me up the other day. The call started off with comms going be down for a few days, our check in system, but somewhere in the course of the phone call, he commented about "if I knew then what I know now, I would have never retired.". He didn't go into it and I was tied up with the work thing of the day to pursue it..........................BUT.................
...............................are there common things that people run into retirement that makes them regret it?
I am sure there are issues like money, loss of feeling useful, unable to see faces, even those you detest, everyday, perhaps even boredom..............
..............but are there other things that those of still working don't realize awaits for us once the Big Gold Watch falls?
A retired co worker called me up the other day. The call started off with comms going be down for a few days, our check in system, but somewhere in the course of the phone call, he commented about "if I knew then what I know now, I would have never retired.". He didn't go into it and I was tied up with the work thing of the day to pursue it..........................BUT.................
...............................are there common things that people run into retirement that makes them regret it?
Oh, you mean like seeing the same silent face every single day and daydreaming about all the other places I could explore if it wasn't 118°F out?
Just to prove how pathetic I can be, the exterminator who comes around once a month flirts with me. I really really look forward to that.
You have to plan how you are going to fill your days. Some people have hobbies that they enjoy and others take up new ones. A friend of mine didn’t have enough to do so she joined meetup groups for hiking, dining, card playing, etc. Introverts obviously won’t need as much socializing as extroverts.
Except for 3 years of the 11 I have been retired I have always worked a little. My username comes from the 9 years I spent teaching an online college class and I loved it. I also consult in my previous career. Age is not a deterrent in human services so still work a little bit.
My first project after retiring was a massive decluttering and then we bought an old house and spent every day renovating it for 4 months before moving in. It was the perfect size for 2 people and much less to take care of for me.
Then we did a bunch of traveling including taking the dogs on rv trips all over the country, Europe a few times and 5 cruises. It’s also a good idea to know what your income will be in retirement and then live on that amount for a year to make sure it’s feasible.
So far I haven't run into that. There are some things I miss but those are overwhelmed by what I don't miss; primarily the ever expanding amount of BS that was pushed on us daily. Everything from weekly DEI training to meetings on the reports about the work that we weren't getting down due to meetings about the reports. We even had to do a TPS report that was a restating in a different format all the other reports we had to do.
Even sitting here writing this now it sounds silly, but nevertheless, it was real the last few years I worked. There were a couple of causes of it. One was our management changed from those who had done the work getting promoted to management to instead outside hires who had never done the work before but went directly into management over it. The second reason was each new executive at each level want the information formatted a different way but weren't willing to get rid of the previous reports because "there must have been a reason for them."
We actually had some managers, one in particular, who insisted that everything to them must be in paper format, no electronic files. Now I know your first thought must be he was an older generation technophobic, but no, he was a millennial who was quite comfortable with using his computer. This was merely a show of power on his part to show everyone who was boss.
Can't think of anything that would make me say I shouldn't have retired. I love being retired. Who wouldn't love being entirely in charge of their own time? I think some folks are so accustomed to having their schedule dictated to them, and being told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, that they can no longer think for themselves, or even imagine how to spend their time. That's sad to me.
.....are there common things that people run into retirement that makes them regret it?
I am sure there are issues like money, loss of feeling useful, unable to see faces, even those you detest, everyday, perhaps even boredom......
DH and I discussed this!
money
We have always been good with money, and will continue to be fine with our savings and investments.
loss of feeling useful
A total non-issue. Usefulness was not defined by our jobs... but by our relationships and volunteerism. Both of those continue in retirement.
unable to see faces, even those you detest, everyday
Well, we didn't go blind! (joke )
We see faces every day.... each other's, our neighbors, our friends, people we see in stores and restaurants, at concerts and sporting events. We see far more now than pre-retirement.
boredom
We have never been bored! They is far too much to see and do, to read and to experience.
We LOVE retirement!
We agree with this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by FREE866
I'd actually say "if I knew then what I know now I'd have retired earlier"
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