Regrets or disappointments

[Redbugdave]

I do not have any regrets about retiring. However, I do have other regrets. I posted this on another thread earlier...and it's how I feel:

For me personally...my regret was not following what I was really good at...instead taking another career that to me was stable and predictable...but mediocre in my eyes. It was a good job...but not necessarily for me.

Have any of you felt that you were put on this earth to do something special with your skills and life, or contribute something really good to the world, but got side tracked along the way? That's the way I have felt all these years. I am now working on fixing that and getting on that road I should have been on decades ago. Retirement has now allowed me to focus on my core values without having to have the need for money cloud the way. I feel like I have now been given a second chance in my life...and this time, I'm not going to screw it up. It's about personal achievement.

I know this is getting side tracked...but as a good parent you need to communicate to your kids how important it is to be in the field, (or job), where they are happiest and not something that's just secure. __________________

 

[Moscyn]

Retired for nearly 4 years. No regrets at all. This is where I should be at this stage of my life. My ex colleagues and relatives still ask me what do I do all day and I just don't bother to reply much. I am coming to 54 and I just want to do what I enjoy and to report to no bosses or to handle staff relationships. I want to spend time with loved ones and friends and myself. Right now I am enjoying my home with a cup of tea and this forum - wouldn't want to trade it for a cup of free office coffee in a cubicle dealing with lengthy emails! No regrets!

 

[johnnyfuego]

None, Nix, Nil, Nada!

Been retired about 8 years. Each year is better than the last. I retired to nothing! Went to the lake, watch TV, walk in the morning. I tell people I have found something I am really really really good at! Doing nothing! and I am going to keep doing it. I don't need 'meaning' to my life, or to make a difference. Just like our dog, everyday is Christmas.

I should also point out, finance is going better than forecast. That helps.

Not retired yet, but already feel like a +1. Especially the part about 'don't need meaning'. My whole life has has had 'meaning' built right in, good times and bad, easy times and hard. Took a while to realize it, but well worth the wait...

 

[Dcharles]

Retired four months now so I am a Newbie, but thus far I love it and cannot think of a good reason to go back to that structured work life. I am still adjusting, but this feels soooooo good!

 

[jjquantz]

Have any of you felt that you were put on this earth to do something special with your skills and life, or contribute something really good to the world, but got side tracked along the way? That's the way I have felt all these years. I am now working on fixing that and getting on that road I should have been on decades ago. Retirement has now allowed me to focus on my core values without having to have the need for money cloud the way. I feel like I have now been given a second chance in my life...and this time, I'm not going to screw it up. It's about personal achievement.

__________________

Same here - I have often phrased it as "I've valued the jobs that I've had, but not enjoyed them. I've enjoyed my hobbies, but not valued them. I'm hoping that ER will allow me to value the things that I enjoy.

After all, 35 years of w*rking resulted in 5-7 different jobs (depending on how you want to count changes of employment and my core group of 3 hobbies has remained constant. Had I grown up in a different environment I might have been comfortable taking the risks that would have been needed to monetize the hobbies, but instead I kept searching for the secure job that would provide a feeling of fulfillment as well. Never happened.

 

[martyp]

3 yrs ER'd and no regrets

 

[healthyandfun]

Retired in December 2013 at age 59 so I am still new at this. I find it to be an amazing experience! I love the freedom and flexibility. Just returned from a trip to Arizona which was beyond description. Two more trips in the works. Have taken advantage of some programs at local museums which have been excellent. I read many books to help prepare and am grateful for all the wisdom on this site. I feel that all that prep work made all the difference. I have no regrets.

 

[heyyou]

The past 8+ years of FIRE have been the best years of my life. It has been long enough that those prior 30 years are starting to fade. I was made for retirement. From the age of 25, that is what I wanted.

My sole regret is that I didn't travel to Hawaii prior to retirement, and now cannot afford a second home there (DW is not moving). My retirement problem doesn't seem to elicit much sympathy from others.

 

[westiesam]

Still new at this

I retired at the end of 2013 and I'm still in the "pinch me - is this really true stage" The winter up north was cold and brutal (and is still cold even though it's May). But I have no regrets thus far. I love having the time to do the things I always dreamed about when I was working. I also get to spend time with my elderly parents and that is precious to me. Plus my 4 year old Westie thinks it's cool that I'm home everyday. Life is good.

 

[billt460]

Sorry, but I don't do abbreviations well. Just what is "FIRE"?

 

[Rustic23]

This will help:

http://www.early-retirement.org/for...slang-frequently-used-on-the-forum-34884.html

 

[arky]

Sorry, but I don't do abbreviations well. Just what is "FIRE"?

Financially Independent Retired Early

 

[unclemick]

Heck, looking back, my whole life has gone differently than originally planned.

heh heh heh - Yep.

 

[billt460]

Financially Independent Retired Early

Thanks.

 

[Walt34]

In October 2011 I bought a copy of the book Photographer's Survival Manual a Legal Guide for Artists in the Digital Age for $14.44. I should have bought a case of them.

After two sold-out print runs a new copy now sells for $174.01. Would have been a pretty good ROI.

 

[athena53]

I was one of those "Man plans/God laughs" people. I'd planned to work till age 65 (Feb. 2018), the mortgage was on track to be paid off by then, and we would have had another $1 million in assets under some pretty reasonable assumptions. Instead, I got fed up and quit 2 weeks ago after the politics got ugly and I just didn't want to deal with it anymore. We'll be fine, I think, but it's not how I wanted to end a career that I've enjoyed and that's provided me with a good living and taken me to places I never thought I'd see on the company dime. So, I do regret not being able to keep that job- I loved the work.

What I remind myself is that DH is 15 years older than I am. I'd known that I might end up having to quit to take on a caregiver role and now we have time together while he's still active and up for travel to interesting places. That's a big plus.

 

[HFWR]

Sorry, but I don't do abbreviations well. Just what is "FIRE"?

It's a FLA... Four-letter acronym!

 

[xyz]

Regrets ? I have been retired for 1.5 years now and don't have time to even think ! I almost never have time to hang around on the internet any more.. Decided I was going to become a triathlete and have been working out 4 - 5 hours a day. In my first half ironman in 11 days and if all goes well going to begin training for a full ironman. ... Let's see I lost 105 pounds and run half marathons as partial workouts... Nope no regrets.. loving this whole retirement thing ! Once you have the financial thing out of the way you can really focus on what you really want in life.

 

[LoneAspen]

Regrets ? I have been retired for 1.5 years now and don't have time to even think ! I almost never have time to hang around on the internet any more.. Decided I was going to become a triathlete and have been working out 4 - 5 hours a day. In my first half ironman in 11 days and if all goes well going to begin training for a full ironman. ... Let's see I lost 105 pounds and run half marathons as partial workouts... Nope no regrets.. loving this whole retirement thing ! Once you have the financial thing out of the way you can really focus on what you really want in life.

Amen to that!

I can't wait. There are so many experiences I want to move forward on, that I never had the chance to with a job, boss, and projects hanging over my head all the time.

Including losing about 80 pounds myself - massive congrats on losing 105! That's awesome!

I have really let myself go sitting in a chair all day and doing nothing but sedentary stuff for years. I try to get on a Nordictrack I have for 30 mins a night, but that's not enough. But by the time I get home, and on weekends, I just don't feel like doing much more than that.

After I quit the 9-to-5 world, though, I plan on amping up my activity level like you did. I remember back in the early 90's, when I lived in Colorado and first learned to ski, I would go to Keystone where they had night skiing, and I'd ski all day, into the night, on Sat and Sun. I definitely want to revisit that.

I'm looking forward to changing my life for the better in so many ways once I can quit and walk out the rat race door forever. I can't wait.

 

[NW-Bound]

Whatever regret I might have when stopping my lucrative and often enjoyable part-time work in 2012 was squashed when I was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease in 2013, and took an entire year to pursue treatment. I am OK now, but life is too short to spend any minute regretting whatever in the past.

 

[Throwdownmyaceinthehole]

I'm 18 months into semi FIRE, still working about 20 hrs a week from home, but will chuck that at the first overload of BS bucket. I've felt both ways, major feelings of lost youth, then total giddiness of doing whatever I want to do...just this morning woke up at 6:15, then snuggled back down to sleep 2 more hours. FIRE = Priceless

 

[cranberryjoe]

I'm 9 months in. No regrets. I'm slightly disappointed in myself that I haven't yet gotten around to most of the hobby projects I wanted to do. While waiting for ER I made a big long list of things I want to do and since ER I've never even looked at it. My non-idle time is consumed mostly by my main hobby, photography. I keep getting myself involved in more and more photography projects that the time I'm spending is like a full time job, with overtime. I have several other hobbies that just aren't getting the love they deserve. All in due time, I presume.

It looks like I'm going to have some larger than anticipated home maintenance expenses coming up soon, as well as a medical procedure next month that's more than I normally spend. It's all in my worst case planning budget but I had hoped not to be tapping so much of that early on. No big deal, just shows you can't plan everything in detail.

I've kept in touch with a couple of former coworkers, but last week I had lunch with the whole department - first time I had seen most of them since ER. Based on what I heard I am **so** glad I left. I sleep well at night knowing that none of that mess is my problem any more.

 

[davismills]

I'm 1.5 years into retirement and have fully acclimated. We've made six trips in our motor home and we're currently using it as a research facility while looking for property in Melbourne, FL. We like this area. I love controlling my day with exercise, more time to really talk with people, less TV and more travel. I returned from an eleven day hike on the Appalachian trail just two weeks ago. Hiked from Springer Mtn, GA to Franklin, NC. I hiked with a friend that's still working. Unfortunately, my friend was locked into a very tight schedule as he had to get back to work. In some ways that pace was placed on me as well. He did not have time to "smell the roses" on this hike and unfortunately neither did I. I can't imagine going back to the slavery of work.

 

[kcowan]

I worked for 35 years. My Dad worked for 50 years and his wife died the month he retired. I was determined to have enough time to enjoy life. After 12 years retired, I have no regrets. I liked working but I like this better.

 

[nokkieny]

I do not have any regrets about retiring. However, I do have other regrets. I posted this on another thread earlier...and it's how I feel:

For me personally...my regret was not following what I was really good at...instead taking another career that to me was stable and predictable...but mediocre in my eyes. It was a good job...but not necessarily for me.

Have any of you felt that you were put on this earth to do something special with your skills and life, or contribute something really good to the world, but got side tracked along the way? That's the way I have felt all these years. I am now working on fixing that and getting on that road I should have been on decades ago. Retirement has now allowed me to focus on my core values without having to have the need for money cloud the way. I feel like I have now been given a second chance in my life...and this time, I'm not going to screw it up. It's about personal achievement.

I know this is getting side tracked...but as a good parent you need to communicate to your kids how important it is to be in the field, (or job), where they are happiest and not something that's just secure. __________________

I was happy to see most people had no regrets, but I feel like I will need a little more than sailing into the sunset, at least during my earlier years of retirement. For me phase two will probably be a job I enjoy, but if not I still feel like I will need to fulfill some purpose that I believe in. I guess I could say I am making money now so I can make a difference later. Not necessarily looking to make world peace but more so inner peace.