Having too much time after RE? Is that even possible?

[robnplunder]

By now, I have seen (more than a) few posts about people RE'ng and finding themselves with too much time on their hand. A few even un-retired . I can't imagine how that is even remotely possible. Think of all the pent up things you wanted to do and couldn't. How many RE'd folks had this problem of having too much time in RE? Who were ready from day 1 to keep oneself busy (useful, fulfilling, etc) after RE?

I think I will have too many pent up things to do that 24 hours a day of RE won't be enough. To name a few ... more traveling, sleeping, golfing (lessons, at last), regular daily workouts, walks, reading (about time), stock trading (in the mornings), watching TV (whenever), gardening (3 times a week), join bowling league, spend more time with relatives in different parts of US, volunteering, fishing (always wanted to get int), daydreaming, and back to more traveling, sleeping, golfing ....

 

[Walt34]

I'll admit it was an adjustment. Leonidas, I think it was, phrased it well - "It's hard to go from full throttle to idle in one day".

Now I can't imaging where I'd find the time for work. When would I cook, goof off, relax, piddle around, spend half a day working on one photo in Photoshop, browse the 'net, nap, talk to DW, and all the other things that fill the day?

 

[LitGal]

No. For me, it hasn't been possible. After two years of ER, I've only completed about 5 things I'd hoped to do.

But, if I'd been working, those 5 projects wouldn't have happened and/or I'd not have had the time to enjoy them.

Not sure when the "pent up energy for projects" will end.....

Wish I could have ER'd sooner!

 

[Options]

....

I think I will have too many pent up things to do that 24 hours a day of RE won't be enough. To name a few ... more traveling, sleeping, golfing (lessons, at last), regular daily workouts, walks, reading (about time), stock trading (in the mornings), watching TV (whenever), gardening (3 times a week), join bowling league, spend more time with relatives in different parts of US, volunteering, fishing (always wanted to get int), daydreaming, and back to more traveling, sleeping, golfing ....

+1
Couldn't have said it better. Will definitely retire 1/15 (if I last til then; in constant danger of spontaneously resigning!). Still working, every other weekend is a 4 day weekend. It's still never enough time to do all of the things I want/need to do.

On the one hand, perhaps getting bored in retirement has something to do with whether one is a self-generative person. On the other, I can see how after being retired a few years, things would slow down a bit. That said, I can't remember ever being bored in my life. When things got dull, I just created something, some event, something to do!

 

[Telly]

...... perhaps getting bored in retirement has something to do with whether one is a self-generative person............

Probably! No boredom here. I have always been a self-starter person.
My inquisitive nature means looking something up on wiki can easily occupy hours of learning something unrelated!

As for big to-do lists and great projects, it slowed down for me. Not complaining. I think a good approximation of ER busyness is like taking a week of vacation from work to do things around the house - at first it's go go go, then at a more moderate pace, eventually on the last day or two of vacation, you do very little. ER for me is like that last day or two

 

[robnplunder]

My inquisitive nature means looking something up on wiki can easily occupy hours of learning something unrelated!

Ditto. That's probably one of the common denominators for people who can retire and fully occupy themselves from day 1 of RE.

 

[Senator]

How many RE'd folks had this problem of having too much time in RE?

Just look at how many posters have 1,000s of posts here... That might be a good list.

I am still working, so the number of posts I have is not relevant... Just don't look at me in a couple of years.

 

[Midpack]

No. For me, it hasn't been possible. After two years of ER, I've only completed about 5 things I'd hoped to do.

But, if I'd been working, those 5 projects wouldn't have happened and/or I'd not have had the time to enjoy them.

Not sure when the "pent up energy for projects" will end.....

Wish I could have ER'd sooner!

I suspect very few people retire expecting to face periods of boredom, but it does happen to some. And not everyone who faces boredom will admit it, especially here since "it's our own fault."

I was plenty busy for the first two years doing all the many 'pent up projects and activities' I'd built up. It was great fun, and very satisfying to catch up. But after three years, my pent up list is pretty well exhausted. So there were some boring days last winter. For me winter compounds the problem as I like to be outdoors, mostly engaged in activities that aren't possible when it's northern winter cold. But now that Spring/Summer/Fall is here, I'm very busy again, as my posting frequency shows.

And some of the activities I expected to do more of, have their limits. Like most I never had enough time to read. I enjoy reading, but I found I don't enjoy reading for hours on end, day after day. If nothing else my eyes get tired, and I just don't like sitting still for hours. But just an example that may not apply to others.

And some people can be happy with very little activity, where others have to occupied every waking moment. As with many questions/answers here, there's no universal answer.

 

[Dcharles]

I am 6 months in and cannot believe how fast time flies and how slow my project completion list is getting done! I can say that it does take me longer to complete home projects, but that's OK sometimes. I am enjoying the freedom from the corporate treadmill and loving a slower pace in life!


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Donzo]

I am in my 8th year of retirement and I honestly have never been bored. Lazy some days yes, bored no. I find that my mind is always busy on some plan/solution/idea. I used to always have to think about work to keep up and not miss anything...God forbid if you forgot a conference call or some inane paperwork. It's so incredible to focus on what you want to focus on. My only complaint is how fast time is going by - I want this stage of my life to continue as long as possible. It certainly does not feel like it has been 8 years since I bailed..........

 

[REWahoo]

I am in my 8th year of retirement and I honestly have never been bored. Lazy some days yes, bored no. I find that my mind is always busy on some plan/solution/idea. I used to always have to think about work to keep up and not miss anything...God forbid if you forgot a conference call or some inane paperwork. It's so incredible to focus on what you want to focus on. My only complaint is how fast time is going by - I want this stage of my life to continue as long as possible. It certainly does not feel like it has been 8 years since I bailed..........

Change your 8's to 9's and you capture my situation perfectly. Plus, I spend a lot of time reading - thanks Amazon Kindle reader and the never ending stream of free Kindle books!

 

[Cobra9777]

Going into ER, I had a large backlog of projects, mostly home maintenance and improvement... probably 40-50 items, some large (a week or more), some small (half a day). I thought it would take less than a year. But after one year, I'm only about 25% through that original list. Of course, many things popped up that weren't on the original list that had to be taken care of right away. And of course, the list got larger as DW started adding her items.

I'm not disappointed at all. I'm an avid DIYer, and enjoy teaching myself new things. I take things at a pace that allows me to "do it right", learn some new skills, and enjoy the process. I've also got a daily routine that takes some time, including online financial tracking, riding my bike, reading, cooking, cleaning, and routine maintenance stuff. I'm certainly never bored, but I am looking forward to DW retiring so we can travel more.

 

[Major Tom]

some people can be happy with very little activity

I am one of those people. It doesn't take much to keep me content. 5 years in (well, for the first 2 years I was technically unemployed but pretty much knew I wouldn't be going back to work) and I have been able to keep myself occupied with my own hobbies and pursuits.

Many new retirees seem to go through an initial period of extra activity, which often includes travel. I may do that in a few years, but it hasn't happened yet. I have, in many ways, returned to being the content and fairly reclusive personality I was as a teenager. I spent much time when young, in my bedroom at home, building and listening to shortwave radios and since stopping work, I've been doing a lot of that again. It's really quite sublime, as I have all the time in the world to build the things I wanted to as a kid, but had neither the experience or the cash to do so. I guess that in a way, I'm reliving my younger years, but with the extra benefits that being an adult provides.

I have my hobby of ham and shortwave radio, a rather large CD collection I am still working on archiving digitally, and 3 cats that keep me company, who I am very bonded to. I also have an SO who lives about a mile away. We speak on the phone every day and see each other about once a week. It's all I need to be content. My lifestyle would drive many people potty but that's fine because it's my life and not theirs

 

[REWahoo]

Going into ER, I had a large backlog of projects, mostly home maintenance and improvement... probably 40-50 items, some large (a week or more), some small (half a day). I thought it would take less than a year. But after one year, I'm only about 25% through that original list.

After six years I was around the 50% mark. Then my list somehow went missing...

 

[Chuckanut]

I have nothing to do. Ever. I just sit around and stare out the window.

Sometimes I lie just to add variety to my day.

 

[razztazz]

I have nothing to do. Ever. I just sit around and stare out the window.

Sometimes I lie just to add variety to my day.

This is more or less my lifestyle. I could never understand why people seem to have a need to always be doing something.

Once someone was giving giving me a sob story about how hard their life was and telling me how easy I had it because I was retired. I told them: Just because I'm retired doesn't mean I don't have problems. For instance, some days I have trouble staying in bed till 10 o' clock

 

[robnplunder]

I suspect very few people retire expecting to face periods of boredom, but it does happen to some. And not everyone who faces boredom will admit it, especially here since "it's our own fault."

I was plenty busy for the first two years doing all the many 'pent up projects and activities' I'd built up. It was great fun, and very satisfying to catch up. But after three years, my pent up list is pretty well exhausted. So there were some boring days last winter.

I can see that happen to me, too. I find that hobbies get old and need to replace them with new ones once in a while.

 

[nuke_diver]

I can't imagine that I will be (not yet RE) as my activities/hobbies can easily take up 8-10hrs (1-2 hrs at the gym, 2-4 hr riding, 3-4 hr music etc). I can also see that because you are not working you can throttle back, take a bit more time finding a good deal, researching a purchase or a trip etc which will fill in the time that work used to take.

I also plan to learn some new things while retired

The one thing I am most looking forward to is being able to spend more time reading books. At work reading/writing emails/presentation/reviews means I don't want to read when I get home so I rarely read for my own enjoyment now unless I am on vacation. I can't wait to be able to spend 3-4hrs on a rainy day with a good book

 

[robnplunder]

The one thing I am most looking forward to is being able to spend more time reading books. At work reading/writing emails/presentation/reviews means I don't want to read when I get home so I rarely read for my own enjoyment now unless I am on vacation. I can't wait to be able to spend 3-4hrs on a rainy day with a good book

Me, too. Last week in family Alsaka cruise trip, DS brought a book that I read in high school, Cat's cradle. I read it again and it reminded me how I used to love reading books. It also reminded me that it was the first time in years that I read a book other than manuals, product specifications, e-mails, etc.. Can't wait til RE and get back to reading.

 

[Major Tom]

This is more or less my lifestyle. I could never understand why people seem to have a need to always be doing something.

That gave me a chuckle, as it reminded me of a time some years ago when I was rushing around, getting things done. I was enjoying myself, but my Dad was perplexed. I remember him getting exasperated and saying, "I don't understand why people always need to be rushing around DOING things!"

It was quite funny at the time but looking back, I now get where he was coming from. He and I are like two peas in a pod, though the younger me didn't realize it at the time. It's not as if I don't like to go places and do things - just that I am not the type who needs a lot of stimulation to keep me content. My idea of heaven is no commitments or social engagements AT ALL. The thought of time stretching in front of me completely open is such a wonderful feeling.

 

[razztazz]

. My idea of heaven is no commitments or social engagements AT ALL. The thought of time stretching in front of me completely open is such a wonderful feeling.

HA ha. Are you sure you're not me? How am I going to enjoy the day if I am constantly distracted by going places and doing things!?

One of my favorite quotes is from Blaise Pascal. All man's miseries derive from his inability to sit quietly in a room, alone.

 

[Meadbh]

It's not as if I don't like to go places and do things - just that I am not the type who needs a lot of stimulation to keep me content. My idea of heaven is no commitments or social engagements AT ALL. The thought of time stretching in front of me completely open is such a wonderful feeling.

+1
Introverts Unite!
.....one at a time

I do make the effort. This spring I went on two trips accompanied by friends. I enjoyed myself thoroughly, but it's great to have some me time.

 

[Major Tom]

Thanks razztazz and Meadbh. I knew I wasn't the only one who feels this way, but I don't run across too many other souls like myself in my regular life. It's probably because they are enjoying themselves at home alone, the same way that I am

 

[FIREd]

It's not as if I don't like to go places and do things - just that I am not the type who needs a lot of stimulation to keep me content. My idea of heaven is no commitments or social engagements AT ALL. The thought of time stretching in front of me completely open is such a wonderful feeling.

+1! I enjoy waking up in the morning and having a completely open day in front of me.

It's 10:00am, and I still have no idea what I am going to do today. But I am pretty sure that I won't get bored.

 

[robnplunder]

+1! I enjoy waking up in the morning and having a completely open day in front of me.

It's 10:00am, and I still have no idea what I am going to do today. But I am pretty sure that I won't get bored.

I am an introvert but don't do very well with "a completely open day." I think it's caused by 30 years of Megacrop rat race I am still in. On weekends, I feel like it's time wasted if I have too much time sitting around doing nothing. I can only do so much relaxing at a time ... (confused).