"You'll Be Bored!!!"

[ExFlyBoy5]

In that case I would just hang out with your Grandad and ignore the other relative.

Funny you mention that. Every Sunday he holds a "Happy Hour" (that lasts about 4-5 hours) that some of his retired older friends (75+ years old) attend on a weekly basis and it is one of the great highlights of my week! I guess I just have an "old" heart!

 

[Which Roger]

Most here haven't found retirement boring (a few just won't admit it), but it certainly happens to some people - the fortunate few who actually enjoy their careers for example. I suspect retirement boredom often afflicts people who were largely bored outside their careers to begin with.

Top 10 reasons people get bored with retirement | Moneywise News

+1. I understand a few items on the list, but not "My mind wasn't being pushed" or "Every day was the same". Someone who feels this way clearly isn't taking the initiative to turn their retirement into what they want it to be. Rather, they're just sitting there letting life come at them.

 

[jjquantz]

+1. I understand a few items on the list, but not "My mind wasn't being pushed" or "Every day was the same". Someone who feels this way clearly isn't taking the initiative to turn their retirement into what they want it to be. Rather, they're just sitting there letting life come at them.

"My mind not being pushed" and "Every day was the same" describes most of my w*rking life. Perhaps I should have stayed in a technical field but, unfortunately, I seem to have been good at people related things even though I never found interacting with people very interesting or intellectually challenging (emotionally challenging is something else). When I taught high school, I always told my students that they should be careful what they were good at because they would likely end up HAVING to do that.

 

[athena53]

+1. I understand a few items on the list, but not "My mind wasn't being pushed" or "Every day was the same". Someone who feels this way clearly isn't taking the initiative to turn their retirement into what they want it to be. Rather, they're just sitting there letting life come at them.

I agree. I'd rather deal with the boredom problem (and I have a ton of interests and volunteer opportunities that could take up my entire life if I said yes to all of them) than go back to work!

 

[Ronstar]

I'm far from being bored. I have so many hobbies and projects going that it's hard to keep them all straight. I think it's important for a prospective retiree to set up leisure activities before they retire so that boredom has no chance of setting in when they retire.


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[LoneAspen]

When I taught high school, I always told my students that they should be careful what they were good at because they would likely end up HAVING to do that.

Isn't that the truth!

When I was a kid, video games fascinated me, and then the age of personal computers at home began. My first computer was an Atari 400. So I got drawn into the whole computers and programming thing, which led to a career in the IT field.

For for first handful of years, I enjoyed it, but as time went on, I grew to hate it. Sitting in an office building, in a cube, pecking away at a keyboard, and starting at a computer all day got old. Plus, every program ever written does the same basic things - take input, process it, and produce output. After a while, every program and system I ever wrote (and still continue to write) seems like I'm just doing the same boring thing over and over again.

That's probably the curse for 99% of the workforce out there. People get pigeon-holed into working at something they might be good at, but don't enjoy (or in my case, don't enjoy any more).

 

[nuke_diver]

I never understand the "you'll be bored" comment.
So if retirement equals boredom, no one should ever retire?
All should work until dead or disabled?
Or is there some magical age at which you don't get bored?
What is it about being old that prevents this boredom of which they speak?


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Another +1
As I am talking about retiring I get the same comments or that I'm too young to retire (55). I heard this from my Aunt and Uncle (who retired around the same age ). I think in their case they just don't see me as 55 but as a young kid still. Others don't know what I do outside of work that well and think I can't fill up that 50ish hours with hobbies etc (which I certainly can).

I do believe if you are very social not having a work environment might be tough as you won't have people around to talk to all the time. But I'm happy alone or with just DW so this isn't a concern if you are comfortable with time alone or without people your age.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Another +1
I'm happy alone or with just DW so this isn't a concern if you are comfortable with time alone or without people your age.

I'm the same way. Yesterday in the office, my co-w*rkers were out flying and I hung around to take care of some menial tasks. The silence around here was GREAT! Of course, today everyone is around and someone actually felt the need to heat up their lunch and eat it in my office. Really?!? Oh man...just 62 days to go!

Back on point...I do like to socialize, but I do it infrequently. I have always been somewhat independent and enjoy my alone/quiet time.

 

[jjquantz]

Isn't that the truth!

When I was a kid, video games fascinated me, and then the age of personal computers at home began. My first computer was an Atari 400. So I got drawn into the whole computers and programming thing, which led to a career in the IT field.

For for first handful of years, I enjoyed it, but as time went on, I grew to hate it. Sitting in an office building, in a cube, pecking away at a keyboard, and starting at a computer all day got old. Plus, every program ever written does the same basic things - take input, process it, and produce output. After a while, every program and system I ever wrote (and still continue to write) seems like I'm just doing the same boring thing over and over again.

That's probably the curse for 99% of the workforce out there. People get pigeon-holed into working at something they might be good at, but don't enjoy (or in my case, don't enjoy any more).

I tried fighting this by changing careers every 5 years, but it can be difficult to improve one's financial situation if one is really rebooting into a totally new field every five years (plus it can be hard on the family). So eventually, I just started changing workplaces every few years. This helped, but not much. In retirement I can flit from interest to interest and not worry about how it will effect my income.

 

[38Chevy454]

I can only say the best way to prove "them" wrong is through results and time. It sounds like you have it worked out and so now go implement your retirement plans and show everyone that you are making it just fine. Have fun while showing the doubters that you are right and they are wrong.

It does seem there are variations in personality types and some of those just can't get out of the working mode. Too bad they are not able to see alternate viewpoints.

 

[scrabbler1]

I'm far from being bored. I have so many hobbies and projects going that it's hard to keep them all straight. I think it's important for a prospective retiree to set up leisure activities before they retire so that boredom has no chance of setting in when they retire.


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I worked part-time for 7 years before I fully ERed so I had already set up a good set of activities in those 7 years. All ERing did was to free up 2 more days to do them, hardly a big change to my everyday life in that regard (but working ZERO was a big change and a nice one!).

 

[pb4uski]

Mine hasn't given me a hard time but he doesn't "get it". In fact he is pushing 80 and after taking him for a surgery a few days ago within 10 minutes of being out of recovery room he was already saying he hopes the surgery got rid of the pain enough to go back to work. It just cracks me up. He says maybe he can now get a few more good years of work in before he dies. And no he doesn't need any money.....

Dad has passed and enjoyed his retirement, but his brother/my uncle is the same as your dad. Up at 5 am every morning, working every day despite being an 85-year old multi-millionaire and not needing the money. He just like to work. The nice thing is he owns his own business and can go at his own pace and delegate things he doesn't want to or can't do to his crew.

Good for him, but not what I want. While he hasn't said anything to me, I suspect he takes a dim view of his nephew (me) giving up a good, well-paying job to retire at 56.

 

[GTFan]

Isn't that the truth!

When I was a kid, video games fascinated me, and then the age of personal computers at home began. My first computer was an Atari 400. So I got drawn into the whole computers and programming thing, which led to a career in the IT field.

For for first handful of years, I enjoyed it, but as time went on, I grew to hate it. Sitting in an office building, in a cube, pecking away at a keyboard, and starting at a computer all day got old. Plus, every program ever written does the same basic things - take input, process it, and produce output. After a while, every program and system I ever wrote (and still continue to write) seems like I'm just doing the same boring thing over and over again.

That's probably the curse for 99% of the workforce out there. People get pigeon-holed into working at something they might be good at, but don't enjoy (or in my case, don't enjoy any more).

You just described me to a T, down to getting into Atari PCs early on. I feel like sitting in a cube all day is slowly taking my life force away, which is why I'm taking a buyout package from Megacorp even though I have a cushy IT job, good coworkers and manager etc. I'm good at it and they are sad to see me go, but once I hit my FI number I quickly lost interest (and patience) in the work and the ancillary BS after the 25 years I've put in.

Back on topic, I've got a nice ToDo list of stuff around the house made up that will take me 6 months to a year, easy, assuming I work on it every day. I don't plan to once I get my Fun List setup, so it will probably take a lot longer.

Also, I've had that question too - what will you do to keep from being bored? All I can say to that is, does it matter when you do this? Doesn't matter if you leave at 51 or 61 or 71, you have to know that you're done and that's all that counts.

So even though I am somewhat anxious about leaving at 51 because I don't know exactly what I'm going to do every day, I'm pretty sure whatever it is will be better than what I'm doing now.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

We're fixing up the house to sell, decluttering and looking for a downsized place so I am busier than ever. Plus DH is home with me now so we go out to lunch together often and take a lot of day trips. Last week we went to the see a California Shakespeare Theater play, took a Hazel-Atlas mine tour, went hiking in the Redwoods and visited the railroad museum in Sacramento. This week I have tickets to the Academy of Science at Golden Gate park.

And my new hobby is bargain hunting. So all the activities we go to are usually free with reciprocal membership agreements or library passes, and the rest are cheap with Entertainment book, Groupon and Goldstar tickets.

Coming up I have tickets for the Exploratorium, Fioli Gardens, Quarryhill Botanic Garden, and the Oakland Zoo.

It is pretty cool to be able to see attractions 2 -3 times a week all year that many other people only get to do on vacation. Once we downsize we will have more free time for other hobbies, clubs and meetup groups, too. There are a number of clubs we would like to be more active in but just don't have the time right now.

 

[rodi]

"You'll be bored"

Answer - "Work is MORE boring!"

 

[unno2002]

Was talking with the daughter yesterday about work, retirement, & boredom… She's about to start her first full-time job. I retired "early" several years ago.



I related being dead-bored at quite a number of my jobs, even when I was physically working hard, or trying to figure out some situation, that while she might find some things boring, she needed to do her best.


I opine that I am less bored in retirement than when I was working.

 

[robnplunder]

"You'll be bored"

Answer - "Work is MORE boring!"

Another answer - being bored beats working. YMMV.

 

[CaliforniaMan]

Isn't that the truth!

When I was a kid, video games fascinated me, and then the age of personal computers at home began. My first computer was an Atari 400. So I got drawn into the whole computers and programming thing, which led to a career in the IT field.

For for first handful of years, I enjoyed it, but as time went on, I grew to hate it. Sitting in an office building, in a cube, pecking away at a keyboard, and starting at a computer all day got old. Plus, every program ever written does the same basic things - take input, process it, and produce output. After a while, every program and system I ever wrote (and still continue to write) seems like I'm just doing the same boring thing over and over again.

That's probably the curse for 99% of the workforce out there. People get pigeon-holed into working at something they might be good at, but don't enjoy (or in my case, don't enjoy any more).

+1 for me too. I started in embedded systems, loved making machines move, getting that input and finding ways to process it. But over the years you are right, you do the same things over and over. BTW, got a lot of saved Southwest miles flying from San Diego to San Jose my wife and I are planning to use this time for fun trips.

I tried fighting this by changing careers every 5 years, but it can be difficult to improve one's financial situation if one is really rebooting into a totally new field every five years (plus it can be hard on the family). So eventually, I just started changing workplaces every few years. This helped, but not much. In retirement I can flit from interest to interest and not worry about how it will effect my income.

+1 For me it was becoming a consultant, got to work on a lot of different and sometimes very interesting projects over the years, but after a while they did begin to seem the same. And now this year as I completed a big project, just could not see myself looking for another.

Been fully retired now for only 4 months, but already find too many things to do (none of them having to do with programming!) and my list of things I want to do, places to travel, already stretch two years into the future. Two years ago I could not have contemplated actually being retired, now I cannot contemplate being anything else.

 

[audreyh1]

Retired life is so busy I need a vacation!

Aug 9 is my 15 years retired anniversary!!!!

Seriously, we're going on a Europe trip later this month, which I have been furiously planning for, and it will be a major break from our normal retirement "routine" of chasing wildlife and photography. We almost never "sight see" or go to museums otherwise. So it will be a neat break. And then we'll back just in time for butterfly season!

BTW, our yard butterfly species list is up to 125 species! Number 125 was so rare, it hadn't been seen in 10 years! You never know what you'll find when you go out looking for stuff (even if it is 100 degrees out).

Did I mention we're not bored yet?

 

[CaliforniaMan]

Retired life is so busy I need a vacation!

Aug 9 is my 15 years retired anniversary!!!!

Seriously, we're going on a Europe trip later this month, which I have been furiously planning for, and it will be a major break from our normal retirement "routine" of chasing wildlife and photography. We almost never "sight see" or go to museums otherwise. So it will be a neat break. And then we'll back just in time for butterfly season!

BTW, our yard butterfly species list is up to 125 species! Number 125 was so rare, it hadn't been seen in 10 years! You never know what you'll find when you go out looking for stuff (even if it is 100 degrees out).

Did I mention we're not bored yet?

Your comment (bolded) made me smile!
Hope you have a great trip, we are planning Europe for next year, springtime or maybe fall. Not too much into being "sight seers" or checklist tourists ourselves, want to try to plan a slow stay in only maybe two places. Looking forward hopefully to your posts about your experiences.

 

[pb4uski]

Retired life is so busy I need a vacation!....

+1 between golfing a few times a week and the DIY work I am doing finishing off our new garage and the other things going on in my life..... how in the world did I ever find time to work?

 

[Calico]

Funny you mention that. Every Sunday he holds a "Happy Hour" (that lasts about 4-5 hours) that some of his retired older friends (75+ years old) attend on a weekly basis and it is one of the great highlights of my week! I guess I just have an "old" heart!

They sound like a fun group! Lots more fun than the crotchety relative telling you you'll be bored.

 

[Rdub]

We just got back from our annual trip to Maui, checking on the rentals. We left the day before the storm(s) hit. It was very cool to see the hurricane from 35,000 ft! While there we had lunch with one of my wife's friends who retired early (both in their early 40s). They live in Maui and are thoroughly enjoying life. He said his big mistake was not retiring a couple years earlier. He surfs most mornings, works out, goes to local markets for fresh groceries and loves the island life. He said a lot of his friends told him he would be bored to tears... he says they just don't get it and is having the time of his life.

Today I had lunch with my friend/old boss. He retired 3 months ago at 50 and says he doesn't have time to be bored. He said his biggest adjustment is trying to schedule his workouts, since there is always time to do it later. He is loving it and can't wait for me to join the crowd. It is great chatting with friends who have retired early and loving every minute of it. Neither one of them misses working.

 

[braumeister]

He sold his business and retired about 7 years ago (at age 70) and probably still regrets it. He's used to running things and running the condo association just doesn't cut it.

This comment rang a bell with me.

I retired at 55 (21 years in the AF, then 12 in a civilian job) and it has been wonderful.

But DW (2 years younger) was hard over on not joining me in RE. She truly loved the social aspects of w*rk. Going out to lunch with her friends and that sort of thing. It took another dozen years for her to realize that retirement wouldn't be so bad after all (even though there was no financial reason she couldn't have done it when I did).

It was OK for us. I love to cook, so I took over all the shopping and meal preparation, and most of the household chores. I had the time and it was no big deal to me, so I was able to give her the option of enjoying her job.

Eventually (about a year ago) she actually retired when she turned 65 (I think there was something lurking in her subconscious about that age), and for the past year she has come to thoroughly enjoy it as much as I do.

The only big change has been that instead of me going off on solo "vacations" so much, we are doing more joint trips. We both love that, but we still occasionally go on solo trips to indulge our own interests.

The result is that I don't have a problem understanding why some people don't want to retire even when they could,

 

[Walt34]

The result is that I don't have a problem understanding why some people don't want to retire even when they could,

I don't either, I really did enjoy my job and stayed on about four or five years after I could have retired simply because I liked the job so much. It was actually fun for me and for a long time I felt like "I can't believe they're actually paying me to do this!"

But it was the strain of trying to get time & money for the needed upgrades and ongoing training, plus the DC area traffic that makes getting anywhere a chore, that got me to leave.