Transition into ER with a Purpose

[Dcharles]

OK......I bet this topic has been covered somewhere on the ER Forum, but I would like to ask you for advice. I retired at 60 the end of 2013 and DW still works a couple days a week on her Hobby job in a nice Quilt Store. The question I have is......is there a good book or resource some of you have found to be helpful in the transition to ER? DW is questioning .....Now what? Sure, we have a free schedule to spoil the grand kids, work on the house and even travel a bit, but for some reason, the absence of a job or place to be is a little unsettling. We both volunteer at our Lions Club, Rotary and Church. Maybe it is feeling guilty for not working! I am totally enjoying much less stress and getting some projects done around our home, but DW isn't so sure at times. Just wondering if others have had similar experiences?

 

[pb4uski]

No worries. You'll get used to it.

As a former Type-A at work, many people I know thought that i would be climbing the walls after a year or so of retirement. Even I have been pleasantly surprised how content I can be with just puttering around and not doing much of anything.

 

[HFWR]

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free: Retirement Wisdom That You Won't Get from Your Financial Advisor: Ernie J. Zelinski: 9780969419495: Amazon.com: Books

 

[ls99]

Having wondered through various j*bs and life without any purpose save that it was interesting to me at the time, the last thing on my mind for retirement was purpose.

 

[eytonxav]

Yes, I've experienced this. I retired and went back to work 2x before retiring for good at 63. I always enjoyed the challenges at work, but most recently got tired of the commute, otherwise I might have continued working. However, I've now been retired for a year, and don't have any desire to go back, so maybe my enthusiasm for challenges has eased. My DW is still working as a p/t librarian in what she terms a labor of love job, but she plans to retire at end of this year.

 

[GrayHare]

Now what?

"Best: You want to pursue a passion, You want to preserve your health, You want to take on something new"

http://www.fool.com/retirement/general/2014/04/27/the-best-and-worst-reasons-for-retiring-early.aspx

 

[Walt34]

It is an adjustment and does take some time. As Leonidas (another member here) put it, "It's hard to go from full throttle to idle" in the space of a week or so. For a while there I did stumble into an easy job with a short commute but when that went south I bailed.

But I learned to relax, kind of hard for a "Type A" to do.

DW just showed me her "to do" list for the house and I won't be lacking for something to do for quite a while.

When I can weasel out of that I'll be playing with photography, goofing off, sleeping late, and when the weather warms up I'll take the boat out (might even take a fishing rod) hit the library and see what's new there, I want to go see Steamtown in PA, and, well, I'll think up some other things too.

 

[robnplunder]

OK......I bet this topic has been covered somewhere on the ER Forum, but I would like to ask you for advice. I retired at 60 the end of 2013 and DW still works a couple days a week on her Hobby job in a nice Quilt Store. The question I have is......is there a good book or resource some of you have found to be helpful in the transition to ER? DW is questioning .....Now what? Sure, we have a free schedule to spoil the grand kids, work on the house and even travel a bit, but for some reason, the absence of a job or place to be is a little unsettling. We both volunteer at our Lions Club, Rotary and Church. Maybe it is feeling guilty for not working! I am totally enjoying much less stress and getting some projects done around our home, but DW isn't so sure at times. Just wondering if others have had similar experiences?

Sounds like it will serve you well to have an active daily routine when you RE.

I will RE in less than a year and my RE daily schedule is fully set. My worry is that I can't squeeze everything I want to do in a 24 hour day.

 

[Options]

....

I will RE in less than a year and my RE daily schedule is fully set. My worry is that I can't squeeze everything I want to do in a 24 hour day.

+1
I recall my father was actually stressed for a few years after he retired because he had so many pent up projects to complete (naturaly, all his kids laughed at him!). Took him a few years to finally begin to calm down. Then again, he's always been extremely active. I'm the same way so I don't worry about "being bored" at all.

 

[Major Tom]

I tend to agree with pb4uski - you'll adjust.

I suppose it's a bit of a lazy theory, but I think that people tend to find their own level. Some find lots to do at home, and can putter all day to their hearts content. Others need to join organized activities, or even pursue part-time work interests.

For the first few years, I built radio gear and blogged about it. The blog did quite well and a nice side-effect was that I was able to inspire a few others to try some of the projects I had built. I have also spent an inordinate amount of time committing a large-ish CD collection to hard drive - rather more time than I should have spent. 5 years in and I seem to be kicking my heels a bit. I've even had a few days where I felt at a bit of a loss for what to do. Mind you, it has been very hot recently, so I take a sip of cold wine and have a long afternoon nap.

It was rather comforting to discover, on stopping work, that I was nowhere near as important as I thought I was

 

[heeyy_joe]

Perform a random act of kindness everyday.

 

[johnnyfuego]

+ 1 on the Ernie Zelinski books. Right now I am reading 'The joy of retirement' by David Borchard. It is a little too much psychobabble for my tastes, but it does have some interesting points. I just bought it because it was cheap on Amazon Kindle. Zelinski's books, on the other hand, are a fun and practical read...

 

[haha]

People are all different. I do need to have a purpose, and for me it is at the same time easy and demanding. I want to model good habits and adjustments and resilience for my sons.

My Dad and I were not close friends, but I got so much from the brave way that he faced adversity, from his unwavering fairness, and from many other solid traits he showed. Books and gurus may give much of this same information, but books and gurus often lie and my Dad's life did not.

Ha

 

[Bestwifeever]

You'll know it when you get there.

 

[Willers]

Another resource that might help:

The Retirement Maze: What You Should Know Before and After You Retire: Rob Pascale, Louis H. Primavera, Rip Roach: 9781442216181: Amazon.com: Books

"This book investigates the struggles faced by retirees in building a new life outside of the workforce. It provides an honest assessment of retirement, based on the not-always-acknowledged fact that it is a difficult transition with pitfalls and obstacles to be overcome"

 

[Dcharles]

thanks so much everyone! your input and suggested reading is highly valued and I will start reading and keeping my ear to the 'rail'. I appreciate your open and helpful comments and ideas!!

 

[48Fire]

OK......I bet this topic has been covered somewhere on the ER Forum, but I would like to ask you for advice. I retired at 60 the end of 2013 and DW still works a couple days a week on her Hobby job in a nice Quilt Store. The question I have is......is there a good book or resource some of you have found to be helpful in the transition to ER? DW is questioning .....Now what? Sure, we have a free schedule to spoil the grand kids, work on the house and even travel a bit, but for some reason, the absence of a job or place to be is a little unsettling. We both volunteer at our Lions Club, Rotary and Church. Maybe it is feeling guilty for not working! I am totally enjoying much less stress and getting some projects done around our home, but DW isn't so sure at times. Just wondering if others have had similar experiences?

Books recommended are good. But also, get a good mentor. And most importantly, be willing and open to trying new things.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[seraphim]

I'm still kind of adjusting, a year out. We spend half our time traveling, but I was looking for goals. Recently got motivated to start taking photography seriously again, and I enjoy writing, so ... Who knows? Still rather be retired than at work...