Living in the moment

[exnavynuke]

I don't do countdowns. They were fairly popular in the Navy, guys counting down until their enlistment would be up. They'd start years in advance, then probably 1/3rd of them would restart their countdown when the re-enlisted.

I never saw anyone gain happiness from the countdown relative to those who didn't bother with one, but I saw quite a few who seemed miserable on multiple occasions thinking about "how far away" it was still.

I find what helps me most is trying to think about the best things between now and then. In May I'm heading out to Vegas, so I look forward to that. Or I look forward to the trip I have planned to Aruba later this year. Or I look forward to putting the finishing touches on this year's garden on Saturday (weather permitting). Or maybe I'll look forward to playing a round of golf after work.

When I focus on the things in life I enjoy "now", I find it easier to leave obsessing about retirement for short periods of time that are less frequent than they would be if I only thought about it.

 

[Scuba]

Great advice, exnavynuke.

 

[sakowitzm]

Start the planning process! Where will you live? What kind of home/community/town? What climate? I retired 10 months ago, and at least five years ago I started looking at Del Webb communities. I can tell you what states they are in, where they are located, and some pros and cons of the ones in Florida, Texas, and New Mexico.

Work out your finances. How much will you have? What's the spend-down plan? What's Plan B? What if the market tanks? How does healthcare factor in?

You'll be so busy working through things like this that the time will fly by and you won't even have finished your homework. And that's okay, too. You'll then have plenty of time to work on it!

 

[Car-Guy]

I'm retiring fall of 2019, still about 2.5 years away, but I'm obsessed - I can't stop thinking about it and counting down the days. And my job isn't even that bad. Any advice for how to get out of this obsessive mentality? I really want to enjoy every moment of my life and not waste time and energy wishing I could fast forward into the future (however nice that future sounds).

Retire now!

 

[simple girl]

Start a gratitude journal. Every night I take just a few moments to write about my day and what I am thankful for. It is amazing how much it helps. Plus, it is so fun to read what you wrote that same day the year before!

I received a 5 year gratitude journal, with just enough space to write a few lines each day. As the next year rolls around, you start over and write in the the "year 2" section, and so on, with each successive year.

We don't have yesterday, nor do we have tomorrow. The only thing we ever really have is NOW. The more you focus on that, the more brilliant each day of life becomes, even the things that you once considered mundane.

But it takes effort to stay in this mindset. The gratitude journal has helped me maintain this practice better.