name your 50 activities that

[retiringat50]

1) you enjoyed in the past but no longer do them
2) currently enjoy
3) wanted to try
4) physical activities/exercise

saw on a different post that to get ready for ER one should try to answer these with FIFTY answers. I filled in some blanks but dont think I can get to 50! did get my wheels turning though

whats your answers?

[Midpack]

I answered in the other thread you asked this in, so repeating.

This is something everyone has to do for themselves and mine are of no interest to anyone else. But I might get some new ideas to fill out my 50 (only at 42 so far) or it if it helps someone else get started in this IMHO very worthwhile exercise --- in no order whatsoever:

Sailing, dogs, internet, reading, dinner out, wine tasting/stocking our "cellar," iPod, being on the water, investing, researching retirement (where to live and activities-this list), tennis, golf, movies, running, waiting tables, playing music, woodworking, environmental causes, conservation, Mystic Seaport volunteer, painting class, architecture, cooking classes, playing bridge, developing webpages, skydiving, meditation, photography, scuba, travel, being positive, gardening, winemaking, identifying 5 biggest faults and improving 1 each year, composting, zen, kayaking, cycling, weight lifting, walking, hiking, travel...and still working on it.

[REWahoo]

Originally Posted by retiringat50

name your 50 activities that
1) you enjoyed in the past but no longer do them

Responding to internet surveys...

[Ronstar]

Only have 24:

Hiking, biking, weight lifting, walking, pontoon boating, riding ATV, woodworking, canoeing, home improvement, landscaping, retirement research, investing, movies, car detailing, travel, playing with GPS, map collecting, computer programming, internet, reading, exploring, sports events, nascar races, television.

These are all current activities. I'm having a hard time thinking what I want to bring from the past or start new.

[Caroline]

retiringat50 -- is that 50 answers EACH? thanks -- thought provoking question.

[TromboneAl]

It's very hard to come up with 50.

Note that you can use the Ordered List to number them for you.

Not in order!

1. piano
2. sex
3. trombone
4. surfing
5. surfing Internet
6. woodworking
7. home improvement
8. hiking
9. running
10. rowing
11. bicycling
12. canoeing
13. canoe fishing
14. cutting firewood
15. splitting firewood
16. investing
17. chess
18. building electronics
19. training dogs
20. ocean fishing
21. garage sales
22. ping pong
23. tennis
24. skiing
25. snowboarding
26. gardening
27. car work
28. hang gliding
29. swimming
30. softball
31. killing gophers
32. watching TV
33. motorcycle riding
34. motorcycle repair
35. movies

[Midpack]

Originally Posted by Caroline

retiringat50 -- is that 50 answers EACH? thanks -- thought provoking question.

50 total, it's from several of Ernie Zelinski's books...

[Nords]

Originally Posted by retiringat50

1) you enjoyed in the past but no longer do them
2) currently enjoy
3) wanted to try
4) physical activities/exercise
saw on a different post that to get ready for ER one should try to answer these with FIFTY answers. I filled in some blanks but dont think I can get to 50! did get my wheels turning though
whats your answers?

Originally Posted by TromboneAl

It's very hard to come up with 50.

Al, I started to brainstorm an ordered list when I suddenly realized that I already have one.

It's called a "Honey-Do" list, and it's two pages of Outlook tasks. Every one of the activities satisfies at least one of RA50's criteria. The spouse joke is that the list has "only" 400 annual tasks...

[oma]

Top of my head……


Golfing (Top priority – have played 20 plus years already).
Attending PGA/LPGA events (all majors – already have Masters)
Caddying for PGA/LPGA events (something I’d like to do)
Attending NFL (all stadiums if possible)
Internet surfing (already do too much, I find).
Studying about basic investing
Running/Exercising/Lifting - (have done this off and on for 2 decades)
Traveling/Exploring USA/World – Australia, New Zealand, NYC in particular
See the “Wonders of the World”
Tennis – haven’t played much since high school/college
Softball – want to play in an old man’s league – I’m not very good
Basketball – want to play in an old man under 5’6” league
Want to relearn guitar and/or piano (once learned in childhood)
Snow Skiing (last time 1993)
Reading Great Novels (haven’t read many novels during professional life)
Attending concerts – old groups from 1960-1980s.
Dog training (had to give up my Golden Retriever d/t military life)
Fishing (never learned how)
Boating (w/ fishing)
Attending TV show taping – ie Letterman, O’Brian, Daily Show
Working in a free clinic (volunteer)
Working in a homeless shelter (volunteer)
Going to famous museums in the world/USA
Dating (married to the military 22+ yrs)
Attending professional conferences (still interested in my professon)
Learning to cook like a chef
Eat good nutrition after learning to cook
Biking – off trail
Learn to swim properly for exercise (you can’t call what I do as swimming)
White water rafting (did it in Idaho once)
Run a marathon (10 km is the longest I’ve gotten up to).



Just to name a few.....

[aworkingrachel]

reading, writing, researching, surfing the internet, watching movies, sex, drawing, talking on the phone, traveling, walking, exploring the city, ice skating, roller skating, biking, cooking, typing, sitting outside, drinking tea, saving money, scuba diving, asking questions, answering questions, taking pictures, coloring, learning new software, petting cats, running, swimming, hang gliding (stole that one, but have done it), needlepoint, crochet, thrift shopping, window shopping, taking long drives, picking apples, jumping in leaves, setting goals, going to the library, collecting, sweeping, making up new outfits, eating caramels, painting, playing board games, watching TV, cuddling, talking to Ryan, feeding birds, birdwatching, tubing, hiking, playing in a concert band.

That wasn't too hard. All things I have done or currently do; I already have the list of hundreds of things I want to try, which includes at least 50 physical activities.

A few of those make me sound like I'm about three...

[aworkingrachel]

Oops, this is the "Life after FIRE" forum...yeah, nowhere close to that.

[Midpack]

Originally Posted by aworkingrachel

A few of those make me sound like I'm about three...

That's a good thing, you never want to let go of a little of that...

[oma]

Originally Posted by aworkingrachel

Oops, this is the "Life after FIRE" forum...yeah, nowhere close to that.

I have a year to go, too. But my list consists of things that I'll concentrate on after ER.

Add to the list: watch the great movies of my time (Oscar type films), and read the great novels of my time. Also, audit college classes on philosophy and other subjects that I've grown up missing (world history is another).

[pedorrero]

I thought it'd be fun to just respond, before reading other's responses. I don't claim I'll get fifty for each (or all), but that might be a good thing, eh? This exercise, by the way, is very similar to what's in the excellent book(s) by (er...) Zelenski such as "The Joy of Not Working".

Activities:
1) you enjoyed in the past but no longer do them:

Drinking (to excess, most of my life)
Smoking (quit at age 29)
Using illegal drugs
Watching TV (to excess)

2) currently enjoy:
Listening to music (recorded, usually); on a nice stereo rig.
Attending university (courses I like, to no career end, being around younger people).
Volunteering and attending meetings to help those who suffer from alcohol abuse (including myself!).
Web surfing and sharing my opinion such as here.
Traveling.
Being retired and doing what I love.
Having sex* (currently in a dry spell, but look foward to the next "warm moist front" so to speak.)

3) wanted to try:
More travel.
Spend more time with family/renew connections (most of my family lives far away, is rarely visited; not because of a feud, just because it's always been that way.)
Find new friendships.

4) physical activities/exercise
(currently do): like exercise, mainly cycling.
Find partners to exercise with.

[Midpack]

Yep...acknowledged above.

Originally Posted by pedorrero

This exercise, by the way, is very similar to what's in the excellent book(s) by (er...) Zelenski such as "The Joy of Not Working".

Originally Posted by Midpack

50 total, it's from several of Ernie Zelinski's books...

[LeatherneckPA]

Originally Posted by TromboneAl

piano, sex,trombone

Originally Posted by aworkingrachel

reading, writing, researching, surfing the internet, watching movies, sex,

Originally Posted by pedorrero

Having sex* (currently in a dry spell, but look foward to the next "warm moist front" so to speak.)

WOW!!! either you folks need to re-examine your priorities, or I do. May not feel like one, but I guess I still THINK like a teenager.

[tangomonster]

I've been feeling bad that I couldn't come up with 50---and then I realized that 50 was just a number that this one author came up with. It could have been 25 or 45 or 65.

And as far as I can see, there's nothing wrong with a smaller amount of activities if you really like them. With their being "only" sixteen hours of possible time a day to pursue these activities---and some time taken away for self-care and household maintenance, then that leaves ten to twelve hours a day, let's say. Times seven days a week = 84 hours. So if you wanted to do the fifty activities, you would have less than two hours a week to do each one---which wouldn't be satisfying for those poeple who are really into something, be it playing on the computer or golfing or woodworking or cooking.

So---no worries for those of us who can't come up with 50! As long as are happy and engaged in something we like, I don't see it as a problem. Having to come up with 50 reminds me of those asinine brainstorming sessions we had to have at w*rk, coming up with new ideas that never led to any changes anyway!

[Want2retire]

Tangomonster, you're right - - there's nothing magic about 50!! Being a Gemini, I'm always off into a zillion different directions so finding 50 for me was a snap:

1) brush up on classical piano; get one of those Yamaha digital pianos for this
2) brush up on classical guitar (already have the guitar)
3) compose a song that I really, truly like
4) write a book (non-fiction) on something like budgets or spiritual matters
5) write a sonnet
6) join a bird-watching group
7) go back and re-explore (mathematical) topology
8 )learn to sketch (charcoal), and paint (oils)
9) make my own stained glass windows
10) go for walks along nature paths
11) walk/run a marathon
12) work up to spending an hour a day on the elliptical.
13) take yoga classes
14) SCUBA dive (get re-certified first!)
15) snorkel
16) get better with weight machines
17) try free weights
18 ) go back and work through the problems in my old engineering books again
19) (computer) programming
20) make a really NICE personal website for myself
21) scan all my family photos and put every last one of them on the website.
22) play volleyball (with wimps)
23) volunteer with seniors
24) teach a class at a local community college
25) take some finance classes
26) get my CPA
27) start an online blog about something meaningful and add to it every day
28 ) organic gardening in my back yard
29) study indigenous botany of the area where I happen to ER
30) start knitting/crocheting again
31) computer games!!! what more can I say. Play them to the END.
32) more graduate math classes
33) master Hanon finally!!
34) read more science fiction
35) growing roses
36) Jazzercise
37) play bridge seriously
38 ) learn how to win at chess
39) photography
40) investing
41) old movies I never saw the first time around
42) needlepoint
43) crossword puzzles, sudoku
44) polish up my (Parisian) French
45) fine carpentry (household cabinets, furniture)
46) cooking
47) get politically active and change something!
48 ) work on spiritual matters
49) read the Greek philosophers
50) watch the squirrels, a la Khan