Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It takes time to rest and unwind after retiring. We downsized, bought and remodeled an older house ourselves and moved. Then we took a few trips. I have also either taught a college class or consulted part time 8 of the 11 years since retiring. I have done volunteering, helped friends that became very ill for a few years before dying, etc. Life happens and you have time to help in ways you didn’t while working.
BUT....is this what retirement will be? No more schedules so throw it all out the door or is it just like that, for the first few days?
Not only for the first few days but from now on. In fact, you can toss your wristwatch out if you like. Just kidding about that but the reality is you are about to enter a brand new way of living. Doing what you want, when you want and never having to show up for anything unless you've decided so.
Trust me, you're going to love it once you get used to it.
I'm 63 and planning to retire in two years. I'm one who likes a schedule and have already considered a place I might like to volunteer at (am blown away by the mission of that organization), a cardio tennis class I might add to my current tennis schedule, and a book club I might like to join.
With my current job and responsibilities I, though, haven't been able to check these out as I don't have the time. But these are things that I expect that I will probably be starting to check out almost on day 1 of retirement. And if those don't look like the right fit, I will look into other similar activities that I think would be right up my alley. I know that I am happiest with some sort of schedule.
I get the comments too about having the time to help other with declining health or financial stuff. I have older relatives that I am power of attorney for, executer for, and trustee for (some with long time lines for the trust).
For us we have traveled all along and are now traveling less rather than more. And the more limited traveling is the plan when I retire too. DS is six and 1/2 older than me and has already been retired for six years and fortunately I have generous PTO (30 days off a year).
I understand the sleep thing too. Not now in my work life, but I have had periods of time before when work was so intense that when the intensity stopped I almost felt numb for a month and almost felt guilty and reluctant to pick up some fun frivilous activities in my free time.
One of my co-worker just retired and OMG he two months after retirement is doing a 80 day around the world cruise with his wife. (Not something on my list --interest or in the position to do financially), but I say good for him and I think that is really cool.
Get a cat and you will start each day nice and early.
I have SIX and there are a few flaws to that theory.
First of all, I wake up to 4 of them awaiting for me at corners of the bed. They don't wake me up. What they do, however, is follow me around like vultures, en masse, to "say" it is time for breakfast.
And what do cats do after breakfast? They sleep, fine encouragement to stay awake.
Like my Mother said of what my cats think when I was a Vampirelle........"She must be a cat! She sleeps all day.".
Well my 17 year old cat will sit down and take a nap (a long one). However, the orange cat will be racing around the house after he eats all morning until about 2-3 p.m. in the afternoon. He cannot sit still and why walk when you can run and why jump when you can leap small buildings in a single bound?
After I came out of my work coma, I too slept for like two weeks, I decided I would accomplish at least one thing every day and then take the day off. Sometimes I met that goal early in the day. Other times I would take hours of mental planning to meet that goal. You’ll get in a grove in your own time. Enjoy the journey.
I agree. During my working years, I worked all sorts of crazy schedules of rotating shift work and lots of overtime, pushing through no matter how tired I was. When I retired, after doing that for 37 years, believe me, I spent the first several weeks doing my best to catch up on my sleep, and simply relaxing.
The first task that I tackled, however, was raking my lawn.....my entire lawn, all at once, for the very first time, rather than a little here and a little there, as I previously had been doing while living with my crazy work schedule. Think about that!
I agree. During my working years, I worked all sorts of crazy schedules of rotating shift work and lots of overtime, pushing through no matter how tired I was. When I retired, after doing that for 37 years, believe me, I spent the first several weeks doing my best to catch up on my sleep, and simply relaxing.
The first task that I tackled, however, was raking my lawn.....my entire lawn, all at once, for the very first time, rather than a little here and a little there, as I previously had been doing while living with my crazy work schedule. Think about that!
Unfortunately, in the concepts of live and let live, raking the lawn is now in the same concept of pulling up dandilions. Depriving the lower creatures of needed nutrients.
As it is, I did do some work eventually yesterday, moving a stack of DVDs back up to the library, trying to put some in order. Spent a few hours doing that, moving a helping cat downstairs a few times, thinking there is so much! (but what will it be like once I finally get it sorted and keep it sorted), and making a final decision on The Viper Affair to not go there.
But, then, there is the other side of that coin........of so much to be done, especially after all the years of being put aside. That, alas, is another MASSIVE BALLIWICK where right now, the answer is just do it, work through it as oppose to "you don't have time for this, toss it all out and start anew" for the latter is closer to idle away the time......instead of making good use of it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
