The Adjustment Period - What was it like?

[Rianne]

I keep getting e-mails of all the jobs available. And there are many. Networking websites keep popping up, inviting me to join. All this sends an uneasy chill down my spine. I cannot imagine going back to work. I found I'm responsible for my happiness and trust me, it's not at work. Your imagination will take you places to enhance your time and life becomes life rather than drudgery.

Some people have awesome careers that they swear they will never retire. My brother is one of those. He is a professor and will retire this year to go teach/research in the Czech Republic on a Fullbright Scholarship. He says he will happily work til he dies. I am not in this boat. It really depends on how you view your job.

 

[Bryan Barnfellow]

I was heavily invested (emotionally, intellectually) in my former employers, including the last one. That said, I planned and worked with my wife for an early retirement so that we could do things together and I could be in charge of my life 24 hours a day. When the day finally came, I was ecstatic and we spent the next day enjoying our city together and acknowledging both our hard work and our luck.

After a week or two I fell into what I call my own memento mori period, whereupon I slept late every day and often stayed up late reflecting on my professional and personal life. I found myself looking at old yearbooks and googling old classmates, friends, occasionally an old girlfriend, just to see what they were up to. My wife, who is a perceptive person, just gave me room to be me during this time. It actually lasted two months, then one day I woke up early, made some eggs for breakfast and said to her, "I'm done! Now, my retirement actually starts."

So, allow some time for this possibility and alert your love ones that your retirement is like a new j*b in that it requires a learning curve. Ask them to allow you time to find your way.

-BB

 

[Which Roger]

Thanks to everyone for these excellent responses. Very helpful and encouraging. Big decision but great to get these perspectives.

I'm like a lot of people on this forum in that it took me about 2 seconds to make the adjustment. In fact, I made most of the adjustment while I was still w*rking. But we're not representative of the general working population, and there are a lot of people who struggle with this.

 

[Danmar]

I was heavily invested (emotionally, intellectually) in my former employers, including the last one.

reflecting on my professional and personal life.

It actually lasted two months, then one day I woke up early, made some eggs for breakfast and said to her, "I'm done! Now, my retirement actually starts."


-BB

Interesting. I also went through a period of critical examination of my professional life. Thought of all the woulda, coulda, shoulda’s. Took me a few years to totally shake these issues. Almost 3 years I think. You were much faster than I was. This was also during the period of the financial crises so maybe that was a factor. Looks like we are very much in the minority here.

 

[6miths]

My 'adjustment time' was in the two or three years leading up to pulling the plug. Thinking and planning. It has been 4 years now. Still get the dreams but they are lessening.

 

[athena53]

One week elapsed between the day I called DH from work on a Friday afternoon and said, "I think I'm going to quit my job on Monday" and my last day of work. My BS bucket was full.

No adjustment at all, really. I had a lot of existing outside interests and they just expanded- not enough to fill a 9-to-5 schedule, but enough to provide some purpose to my life and some time to goof off. More time at the gym, more traveling, more reading, more church volunteer work. I now donate plasma and platelets, which can be done monthly and kill the whole afternoon, because I have the time for it. I took a Geology class at the local community college and aced it. Unfortunately, I no longer live near that community college and don't qualify for the greatly-reduced Senior rate or I'd be back. In my current area most CCs seem to be focused on career-related stuff such as coding and finance.

I think that what's important is to have an idea of what interests, volunteer work and hobbies you want to pursue.

 

[Scuba]

Another comment on adjustment - initially (for the first 4 months or so), I stayed involved in professional networking groups. I was sure I wouldn’t want to go back to full-time work, but was thinking I may want to consult and/or do Board work so I should stay connected. Then we did a 3 month retirement celebration trip to the USVI. That really helped with my adjustment. I realized I just loved getting up whenever I wanted, doing active things in a beautiful setting, and enjoying life with DH and friends who visited.

Once we returned home, I dropped out of the groups I had stayed connected with and stopped going to any professional conferences, events, etc. I don’t miss them at all!

 

[Kristinia]

Love all of these perspectives so thought I would share mine. I retired at the end of August - not quite when I had planned but Megacorp pushed my hand. I worked as a consultant until the end of October and then....that was it. The first few days were very odd for me as I had been working since I was 14. I busied myself with projects around the house and bascially cleaning out “stuff”. Moved all work clothes upstairs; cleaned out the garage; rearranged shelves...that sort of thing. Then I started to think what do I really want to do with my time. Now as others have said, I can’t believe I ever had time to work. I’ve taken up painting, working on my photography and just plain ole enjoying the day. DH is going to retire in the next 2 months and what I want both of us to do is to just stop and think about the next chapter. Our whole lives we are constantly moving towards something - a move; a vacation; a goal. Now we just need to stand in one place and breathe and see what happens. You find a whole new person in yourself when you take the time to listen and not worry about a commute, what the boss thinks, what projects are due and what others on your team think. You find that life is pretty damn nice and it will unfold nicely if you allow it. So for all on the fence or just starting the retirement chapter....relax. Take care that your financial situation is steady and good then enjoy the ride

 

[sterlingmossy]

For those that have mastered the art of retirement what would you say is the ideal retirement day? For example:

- Wake
- Workout
- Meditate
- Eat
- Do something creative
- Etc

 

[RAE]

For the first month or so that I was retired, I would wake up at the same time (early), have a quick breakfast (like I did when working), and then feel like I needed to be productive doing something. Fortunately, I had made a pretty long list of house projects that needed doing (mostly low priority stuff that I never made time to do when working). So I got to work on those, and accomplished quite a bit while I was still in that "restless" mode. After that, I started to relax and get into real retirement. I still get things accomplished, but it's at my own pace (usually slow, ha). Also, I have a lot of hobbies and interests (most of which I never had enough time to explore fully while working). So I can stay very busy just doing that stuff if I want to (but again, at my own pace).

Everyone is different, but that is my experience. My only advice would be to give some serious thought to how you want to spend your time in retirement. This is probably the first time in your life that you've ever been in complete control of your time and agenda. It's a great opportunity to explore/do things that you've never had adequate time for before - take advantage of it.

 

[candrew]

DW & I retired just over a year ago. The adjustment period has had it's ups and downs for us. It hasn't been all a bed of roses.

One year ago, we were "down" in the Southern Hemisphere traveling about the North and South Islands of New Zealand for 3 months. We were "up" in Cape Reinga and all the way "down" south to Invercargill.

Then we were "up" in the hills of Tuscany for 3 months over last summer.

While writing this reply, we are "up" on a hill top in the Costa Rican rainforest looking out at the Pacific Ocean. This is our home for the next 8 months.

Friday, we'll be going "down" to the beach.

DW & I have managed to adjust to the ups and downs of this retirement gig!

 

[Bklyn55]

9 months in. No adjustment at all. My advice is to set up a loose routine whether its gym or coffee with a friend or shopping, so that the week has some structure to it. The biggest surprises for me are that I am spending less money than predicted and I am NEVER bored!

 

[chicamuxen]

Everyone's adjustment maybe different but I would suggest retiring to something.

For me after 35 years putting in 10 to 12 hours a day and basically working on weekends it took me sometime to unwind. The adjustment for me was the fast pace life I had while working and still finding every extra second doing the things I loved to do.

Now I don't have to hurry and live life at a slow pace do what I want to do when ever I want to do it. That took a while for me. I also have many hobbies I hunt, fish, hike and spend time at the ranch. I wish now I would have retired sooner.

Not taking anything away from your career when you leave there will be someone waiting to do your job just like you did it. We are all replaceable a sad thing but it is true.

That is what took me the longest, learning to slow down doing everything. When i was working, i felt rushed to do everything. But i am adjusted now

 

[Kristinia]

For those that have mastered the art of retirement what would you say is the ideal retirement day? For example:

- Wake
- Workout
- Meditate
- Eat
- Do something creative
- Etc

My day is wake up around 7am...chat with DH, walk the dog, eat a leisurely breakfast, drink coffee while catching some of the news, do a yoga class, mess around with cleaning the house (I am a clean freak!) then I paint or work with my photography. Watch a movie in the afternoon if I feel it then take a 2 mile walk on the trail behind our house. If the day is cold then I give myself a break to just chill in the house and relax. It takes awhile to find your routine but when you do, you can’t imagine going back to work...ever. I, like others, tried to stay in touch with my field and ‘field’ offers but I don’t want to go back. Don’t care the company ....they all have the same way of doing things that eventually will have you hating Sundays all over again. It is nice to be on this side of the working world

 

[Denverite]

Well, I feel like I hit the jackpot with this excellent set of posts. Again, great perspectives and insights from this valuable forum.

Many thanks to all of you for taking the time to respond. Clearly there will be an adjustment period as I expected, but I may be stressing it too much in my mind. Not surprising, as I tend to worry about things. These posts have addressed many of the main concerns.

 

[Bryan Barnfellow]

Interesting. I also went through a period of critical examination of my professional life. Thought of all the woulda, coulda, shoulda’s. Took me a few years to totally shake these issues. Almost 3 years I think. You were much faster than I was. This was also during the period of the financial crises so maybe that was a factor. Looks like we are very much in the minority here.

Glad to see that another forum member had a similar experience.

I felt that a major phase of my life was coming to a close and a new and final phase was beginning. The process I went through was very useful -- I took ownership of all of my actions during the w*rking years, both good and bad, and accepted them as part of my history. I decided what dreams might reasonably still be achieved and let go of some that likely would not. After settling these things, I then was ready to move on to the many new things that retirement would bring.

-BB

 

[CaptTom]

It took me the time from the front door of the office to the time I got into my truck to adjust! ... As many have said before me, "How did I ever have time to go to work??"

Ditto!

I went right from w*rk over to the big-box home improvement store to pick up a few items on my way home. I'd left early, so the only other guys there were older, retired guys. It suddenly struck me: "I'm one of THEM now!"

Probably the hardest thing to get used to was driving mid-day when there's less traffic, but those who are on the road are all in no hurry to get anywhere. Not sure I'll ever get to that point. YMMV.

How long does it currently take you to get your mind off w*rk when on vacation? Or a weekend?

Toward the end, I'd totally forget about the place on my way out the door, and not think about it again until I got back Monday morning.That was probably a signal that I was ready.

 

[MRG]

For those that have mastered the art of retirement what would you say is the ideal retirement day? For example:

- Wake
- Workout
- Meditate
- Eat
- Do something creative
- Etc

Yes!

 

[David1961]

For me, the first month was the toughest. By three months, the adjustment was over.

 

[Souschef]

It took me the last train ride home to adjust! I left behind 50 years in the aerospace industry (I started very young().
A new boss who was bringing in his people, a supervisor who was called a drive by shooter by all of us.
I left the concrete canyons of the San Fernando Valley for a small town in Ventura County that was green all year.
We have a new home and a new life here. I volunteer with Civil Air Patrol, Angel Flight West, and Pilots n Paws. I also volunteer on a railroad historical society and will be preparing taxes for elderly and low income people starting next week.
In my down time, I sit on our porch looking at a 2000 foot mountain a couple of miles away, and read books in my Kindle.
Life is good!

 

[shortstop14]

I think I adapted pretty fast, but it took me a while to shake the time pressure feeling. The day I retired was probably the first time since I was in high school that I didn't have some sort of deadline pressure.

But we took a few long trips immediately after retiring, so it was easier to shake because the routine was completely different. Although the feeling of a vacation with no pressure to be home and back to work on a specific date felt odd.

And I'm still pretty resistant to activities that put me on a schedule. I just don't miss that feeling a bit. Plenty of opportunities to be a project manager again, if I really ever feel the need.

 

[RobbieB]

Yup, short. One day for me. I woke up the day I should have gone to work and thought;

"OMG, what have I done"

And then I had a cup of coffee and all was well.

So, maybe 5 minutes?

 

[Scuba]

I don’t necessarily have a standard “routine” but am finding my days go something like this:
- Wake up when I feel like it - never set an alarm unless I have an appointment
- Spend an hour or so reading news, email, websites
- Get up and take a 3-5 mile walk, sometimes alone, sometimes with a friend, sometimes with my dog
- Lunch with DH, usually at home; sometimes have lunch out with DH or a friend
- Do projects or errands or home chores in the afternoon most days; once in a while go to a movie or play a game with DH
- Evenings tend to be pretty busy with social events - dinner with friends, or sometimes meetings (HOA)
- Stay up MUCH later than when I worked. Used to go to sleep between 10-11 and now I’m often up till 1 am playing on my iPad

This being said, I do a lot of volunteer work with a local university as well as the Red Cross, so these things change my schedule up quite a bit. I enjoy the variety and I can normally avoid commuting during rush hour.

 

[Senator]

Remember, you are not giving up a career, you are just transitioning to your final career. If you are like me, I never intended to be an IT processional, I was working to get enough money to retire. I liked my job, but I never wanted to work until I dropped over.

Just as college is a stepping stone to a job, your job is a stepping stone in your life. Don't waste it. Do thew things now so that when you eventually get the bad news, and most of us will, you have all your regrets behind you.

I worked 100+ hours during my final 8 years or so. Working full-time, Purchasing, managing and maintaining 25 rentals, Homeowners Association President, HOA Property Manager, running a small snow removal/mowing business, etc. I slide right into retirement.

I still do the rentals and Homeowners Association President, HOA Property Manager.

 

[Danmar]

Glad to see that another forum member had a similar experience.

I felt that a major phase of my life was coming to a close and a new and final phase was beginning. The process I went through was very useful -- I took ownership of all of my actions during the w*rking years, both good and bad, and accepted them as part of my history. I decided what dreams might reasonably still be achieved and let go of some that likely would not. After settling these things, I then was ready to move on to the many new things that retirement would bring.

-BB

Agree. Well said.