He said "You're what, 64?" - I answered I'll be 62 in July.

[Which Roger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by target2019 Leaving the cold weather region probably adds years to your life. That's my first thought as inches of snow are piling up.

It depends on the individual. I embrace winter and feel most alive during that season. It's the hot summer days that suck the life out of me.

[euro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Which Roger It depends on the individual. I embrace winter and feel most alive during that season. It's the hot summer days that suck the life out of me.

There is really only one solution to this weather dilemma: SoCal.... (but unfortunately, that's unaffordable for many)

[walkinwood]

Your retirement is voluntary and something you want to do.So the odds are that you'll make it work and be happy.

A lot of people didn't have the option to continue working - lack of employment, health or other issues forced retirement on them. It's much harder to take to something that's been foisted on you.

Good luck.

[unclemick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Before I retired, I made a list of a couple of dozen things I wanted to do after I retired. Grow roses, learn Mexican Spanish, get an MBA, complete the Crescent City Classic (New Orleans 10K race), write a book, and so on. By now I am in my 7th year of retirement, and I haven't done any of them. I doubt I ever will, and that's OK. Retirement has been too busy and too much fun to need that list. I can say with confidence that I have never been bored for even one day in retirement (5 minutes, maybe, but one day? no way!). I think that it helps to have some initiative. Still, having the list on my computer desktop was a nice security blanket.

INTJ here. I love whining, grumpy and playing the curmudgeon. But at 22 years of ER I have real trouble keeping a straight face.

My list was handwritten, torn up long ago and the items long lost to memory.

heh heh heh - when my Sister moved from Cal to Vermont she learned snowshoes and cross country sking. BIL was a mining engineer so a variety of climes were encountered during her working years. Watching this stuff causes a tinge of lust for a candy apple red hot rod snowmobile. Haven't seen one yet in Kansas City.

[Gumby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by walkinwood Your retirement is voluntary and something you want to do.So the odds are that you'll make it work and be happy. A lot of people didn't have the option to continue working - lack of employment, health or other issues forced retirement on them. It's much harder to take to something that's been foisted on you. Good luck.

A very good point.

[mystang52]

This is an obviously unscientific, non-random "poll" of my college buds: 15 of us meet every 3 months for dinner. One of us (dentist) forcibly retired at a very young age due to medical issues. 6 more including me voluntarily ER'd over the last few years.
Of these 6, 5 of us are VERY happy. That's an 83% happy percentage. And the one who's not happy? He wasn't happy when working, either. So, as others here alluded to, it's probably more one's underlying personality that drives retirement happiness.

Another example was my Dad. He retired at 65 and other than dabble in his art passion, did virtually nothing else. He died at 91 and except for the last year of his life when his health declined he was happy every day.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclemick My list was handwritten, torn up long ago and the items long lost to memory.

Mine is somewhere on an old computer backup. Somehow it disappeared from my desktop at some point in the 14 years since I created it although I still had it on my desktop when I retired. I've forgotten many of the items on the list, at least for now.

I just remembered another item from that list, though - - taking up classical piano again, for the first time in 40-50 years. Yeah, right!

I don't need classical piano to feel fulfilled and happy in retirement, and my guess is that you probably don't need a candy apple red hot rod snowmobile, either.

[ugeauxgirl]

Retirement: Your Ticket to a Happier, Healthier Life - US News

Check out this article. It turns out that if you retire because you WANT to, not because you have to because of health or other reasons, most people have a long term increase in health and happiness. I help people retire for a living. Clients are generally a little worried about this, but all (except for 2 that were forced out) are having a great time and its actually harder to get in touch with them- they're off having fun instead of sitting behind their desks. Ignore that guy- but I hear it a lot too. Even (strangely) from my parents who appear to be having a great retirement- they're never home either.

[38Chevy454]

If the old guy defined his life by his work, then I can understand his opinion. Too many people have no real interests or outside activities beyond their work life. The live to work instead of work to live - a sad way to be IMHO.

I tell everyone at work, my quality of life is when I go out the gate, not come in the gate!

[Clone]

I have seen several folks that were tyrant managers at work. Mean and rude to folks. They were on a power trip. When they retired, they had nobody to boss around. I have heard of several folks crossing paths with them at a grocery store, and it ended up with them telling their former manager to go stuff themselves!

One of these guys didn't last 6 months before he had a heart attack. Coincidental, probably. But I think he defined himself as being this powerful taskmaster, and when he retired nobody respected him, people told him off, etc.

If you are defined by your job, you need to have something that will define you in retirement.

For me, it is amazing how the stress of the old job evaporated.

I think it is important to have some plans for what you will do, but I don't think it is critical to stick to that plan. My plans changed considerably from what I thought I was going to do, and I love it!

[ls99]

My only retirement plan was to avoid any form structured life. That partially failed miserably since DW loves to cook and damn good at it. Thus dinner schedule is on. Mind you it is one of the good failures.

One activity I never considered was figure skating. About two years into RE, I taught myself to figure skate, since the idea of a scheduled class was a no-no. Though that too may fall by the wayside for a little while, since there are a few moves I have tried to learn for a year now and have little to no sucess. I'll have to hire an instructor to explain what makes them work. Naturally, they will find flaws in my current techniques and insist on correcting them before moving onto what I really want to do.

I do stop for coffe nearly every day, but the time is sufficiently random. Aside from that quasi routine, I have way too many hobbies, things I like to tinker with, thus boredom is one very foreign concept. And of course there is my mancave with 14 acres of woods to prowl by foot or atv, and so it goes.

[redduck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayinpenn ... just read Rouge Lawyer by Grisham couldn't put it down. Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum.

Is that the Grisham book about a transvestite attorney?

[target2019]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Which Roger It depends on the individual. I embrace winter and feel most alive during that season. It's the hot summer days that suck the life out of me.

Cue a graph showing death rate per seasonal month. When I'm done shoveling in a few days, I'll look that up if not dead.
😇

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by target2019 Cue a graph showing death rate per seasonal month. When I'm done shoveling in a few days, I'll look that up if not dead.

In the South, apparently the elderly are particularly likely to die when exposed to excessive heat if they have no air conditioning or electric fans to cool them down.

[Music Lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 38Chevy454 If the old guy defined his life by his work, then I can understand his opinion. Too many people have no real interests or outside activities beyond their work life. The live to work instead of work to live - a sad way to be IMHO. I tell everyone at work, my quality of life is when I go out the gate, not come in the gate!

A co-worker who had put in for retirement in fall later changed her mind and now has no plans to leave. She's 60 with a few health issues, but told me that has no interests outside of work and is worried she'll be bored. It's her choice, but I find it sad that she hasn't found anything in 60 years to occupy her time other than w*rk.

[Options]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayinpenn ...What's the magic formula? Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum.

Isn't one, AFAICT. We're all different, it's finding what's best for each of us. I've recommended it before, and recommend again this book "What Color Is Your Parachute? for Retirement: Planning a Prosperous, Healthy, and Happy Future". It does an excellent job of detailing the latest research on all aspects of an effective retirement.

http://www.amazon.com/Color-Parachut.../dp/158008205X

Personally, I've been rather shocked to gradually see how unhappy I was before retirement (much more so than I realized at the time), and at the degree to which I've become much more calm, peaceful, and happy I've become now.

[cyber888]

I'm definitely retiring on or before 60, but I can do other things like volunteering, writing a book, etc.

[Lsbcal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayinpenn ... It got me to thinking about my plans in retirement and the formula for contentment 1) change the paradigm (move south - blizzard out there as I write this - the wind is howling - it will be a miracle if we don't lose power) 2) stay busy - part time job, volunteer, hobbies 3) exercise 4) travel and see some of the country 5) read - just read Rouge Lawyer by Grisham couldn't put it down. I am generally a pretty happy person and enjoy the simple things. I must admit to a bit of worry when I hear all the negativity from retirees. What's the magic formula?

What' the magic formula? What's the magic formula?

I think you nailed it in items 2 to 6. Don't know about #1 but I'm out every day in Northern California either walking or running.

Maybe I'd add to make some of your activities as mentally stimulating as possible. For me: develop new art skills, learn more gardening skills, become a better Excel user, go mobile and get that smartphone moving, keeping reading light science stuff, etc.

I'm not much of a socializer but have made more attempts to start up conversations and become a good listener and positive contributor.

I view it as a platter with several delicious items. It's important to not eat only one item. Do a lot of sampling and don't forget the vegetables.

[splitwdw]

Many of the people on this forum had jobs they hated. Maybe he had a great job and got forced out. The OP should look for him at PT and ask "why" he feels you should keep working. I'm surprised you wouldn't ask since you were sharing your retirement plans.

[Totoro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom I'm going to disagree with you slightly here. I don't think there's much work involved in being happy, it being more of a basic disposition, IMO. As others have said, there are all sorts of opinions about retirement. Just because he's not enjoying himself doesn't mean that you wouldn't. Don't let others' feelings about their own situations deter you.

There is some evidence that your happiness level has a long term baseline level - which then gets adjusted short-term by life circumstances.

In addition, raising the baseline could be trainable. Meditation. Some would qualify that as work I guess.

Nice talk about it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbLEf4HR74E