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What's Your Top Retirement Insight
11-22-2015, 02:06 PM
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#1
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gone traveling
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 105
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What's Your Top Retirement Insight
My wife and I are close to retiring. We're okay financially, but we wonder about the non-financial aspects of retirement.
For those of you who have been retired for awhile, would you please share your top non-financial retirement insight. In particular, did you learn anything in retirement that was different than your pre-retirement thinking.
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11-22-2015, 02:10 PM
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#2
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sarasota, FL & Vermont
Posts: 36,345
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How happy I could be doing not much of anything.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app
__________________
If something cannot endure laughter.... it cannot endure.
Patience is the art of concealing your impatience.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Retired Jan 2012 at age 56
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11-22-2015, 02:19 PM
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#3
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Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,340
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pb4uski
How happy I could be doing not much of anything.
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That's my take on it too. For a while I felt like I "should" be doing something since that's what I'd been doing since about the age of five. Then light dawned over Marblehead and I thought "Who sez I have to do anything?"
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
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11-22-2015, 02:23 PM
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#4
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Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Flyover country
Posts: 25,343
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Honestly, there was nothing to be insightful about.
I knew retirement would be wonderful, and it has been -- just about since day one.
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11-22-2015, 02:31 PM
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#5
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
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Coming up on 9 years. I was surprised at how much I've come to resent a schedule, once retired. Even a part time volunteer commitment fits like a hair shirt.
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11-22-2015, 02:31 PM
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#6
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: northern Michigan
Posts: 2,215
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Well, I guess I learned that keeping myself plenty busy is not a problem. In fact, it is sometimes hard to find the time to do all the things I'd like to do. I don't have to rush around after work and on weekends to get things done anymore, and it is hard to describe just how pleasant that is. I still get a lot accomplished, but now I do it at my own pace. It's a good life
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11-22-2015, 02:32 PM
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#7
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 2,511
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only been retired since the first quarter of this year, so likely not as good advice as others. Sometimes we get a hell of a lot done, sometimes not. As long as you are not a micro-manager and you did not marry one, it likely doesn't matter.
Like everything in life, take some time and see how it goes. If something isn't right (or you are thrown a curve ball (or new medical issue)) just make adjustments and and enjoy life.
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11-22-2015, 02:45 PM
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#8
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 10,926
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Honestly, my ~4 years post retirement insight(s) are;
(1) I now know I should have retired earlier than I did (probably by 2 or 3 years)
(2) I over estimated the amount I needed to retire (probably by 10 years but that remains to be seen)
(3) How quickly I forgot about working and settled into retirement once I retired.
(4) My mind wants me to write checks that my body can't afford to cash. a.k.a. I still think I'm 20 sometimes (no it's not senility, not yet anyway, I think)
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11-22-2015, 02:47 PM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 8,408
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Quote:
Originally Posted by travelover
Coming up on 9 years. I was surprised at much much I've come to resent a schedule, once retired. Even a part time volunteer commitment fits like a hair shirt.
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+1. That was a bit of a surprise for me too. (ten years next week)
I also find I'm quite busy each day (nap time included)...like so many say: "I don't know how I found time to work"
__________________
Living well is the best revenge!
Retired @ 52 in 2005
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11-22-2015, 02:56 PM
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#10
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gone traveling
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 105
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Great responses so far. Can you guys give some examples of how you spend your time?
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11-22-2015, 03:03 PM
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#11
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 567
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My problem is a sleep schedule I can't seem to find a good one. I might nap from 4-8PM then be awake until dawn then sleep until after noon. So a day like tomorrow when someone is coming to my house at 8AM will mean trying to sleep at night and get up in the morning. I hate having appointments and remembering what day of the week it is.
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11-22-2015, 03:07 PM
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#12
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 17,774
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Everyone is different. I like being relatively unscheduled, and did not expect retirement to be one way or another. DH is not at all spontaneous and his retirement was triggered by a last-minute buyout. He loves having lots of things planned, and his phone's calendar is now chockfull of (mostly made-up) tasks, but he has accomplished a lot in the past seven years that he never imagined he would attempt, from getting a masters degree to being a silent partner in a very small business unrelated to his profession that has become pretty successful although he makes no money from it. I would not enjoy his retirement but it has been very entertaining to watch it!
You probably already know what type of person you are and will be quite happy to find that your retirement will adapt to it, and I hope you will enjoy the time as much as we do!
__________________
“Would you like an adventure now, or would you like to have your tea first?” J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
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11-22-2015, 03:09 PM
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#13
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,401
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AtlasShrugged
Great responses so far. Can you guys give some examples of how you spend your time?
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Here are sufficient examples to keep you entertained for years.
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...day-37868.html
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11-22-2015, 03:11 PM
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#14
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 10,926
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AtlasShrugged
Great responses so far. Can you guys give some examples of how you spend your time?
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1) Time to travel anytime I want
2) Time to pursue my life long hobbies (several of them) anytime I want
3) Time to enjoy watching football, NASCAR, etc on Sundays without the worry of getting ready for the work week on Monday
4) Time to go out with the DW, anytime and anywhere "she" wants
5) Time to do nothing, anytime I want (like right now)
Common theme = Time to do whatever I want - honestly I am rarely bored.
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11-22-2015, 03:18 PM
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#15
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gone traveling
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 105
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Meadbh
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Perfect. Thanks
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11-22-2015, 04:00 PM
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#16
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 6,506
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Work is truly an offensive four letter word.
__________________
There must be moderation in everything, including moderation.
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11-22-2015, 05:45 PM
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#17
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 9,358
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That we had been working longer hours than medieval serfs:
Preindustrial workers worked fewer hours than today's
__________________
Even clouds seem bright and breezy, 'Cause the livin' is free and easy, See the rat race in a new way, Like you're wakin' up to a new day (Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether lyrics, Alan Parsons Project, based on an EA Poe story)
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11-22-2015, 06:23 PM
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#18
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 11,078
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What I learned was, why did I think anything I did in the corporate world mattered? That's all nonsense; reality is the corporate world existed just to make money to enjoy the rest of your life with.
I learned how much happier I can be. Get up when I want and do what I want. My projects have my deadlines and priorities not some nonsense a VP promised.
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11-22-2015, 06:52 PM
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#19
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sarasota, FL & Vermont
Posts: 36,345
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One other thing is that for the most part, any sense of urgency goes out the window. Whatever doesn't get done today can get done tomorrow or the next day or the day after that.... When I'm working on a project I take my time, measure twice, and am not in a rush to get it done before I have to head back to work.
I golf much more and do some projects for family and friends.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app
__________________
If something cannot endure laughter.... it cannot endure.
Patience is the art of concealing your impatience.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Retired Jan 2012 at age 56
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11-22-2015, 07:02 PM
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#20
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,288
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My top insight is that I really couldn't care less what day of the week it is.
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