When You’re Bored Silly in Retirement

[Jimbo125]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RE2Boys I work the "dog days of winter". After the holidays, I can't wait to get back to the CPA back office and do tax returns

Wow! That is what I can't wait to retire from!

[Taxman59]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbo125 Wow! That is what I can't wait to retire from!

Me too! After 35 tax seasons I am looking forward to no more!


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[mpeirce]

Quote:

Originally Posted by frank this time of year I get bored as the weather is not good here and I hate to sit around. what I did was take a job as a seasonal driver for FEDEX. you'd be surprised, I work from around 9 am and am done about 3pm. easy work, lots of driving to whatever area they send me. I see a lot of the country around here I never would have otherwise. it is thought provoking, not tedious, not labor intensive and keeps your interest.

What the the requirements? CDL? Anything else?

I've toyed with the idea of doing a little driving for Uber. Frankly it sounds like fun to me. My understanding is you can work as much or as little as you like. I doubt I do it, but who knows.

[Which Roger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover Fortunately there is an easy cure for boredom. It's called w*rk.

I found w*rk to be extremely boring and unfulfilling. That's why I got out ASAP.

[Which Roger]

I agree with the statement from the article “Successful retirement means finding fulfillment and meaning. And a lot of fulfillment and meaning comes from being good at what you do.”

But, most of the examples show people finding fulfillment by w*rking for somebody else, which is the last thing I want to do.

[scrabbler1]

I have been ERed for 6 years and have never, EVER been bored. I have plenty of hobbies and interests to keep me occupied. I'll tell what made me bored - the long, tiring commute on the trains. Too sleepy to read books, too many rude, loud cell-phone yakkers on the trains to enable me to sleep. Worst of both worlds.

[CaliforniaMan]

I was a lot more bored during my last few years working than now. I was just a lot busier. Sometimes I think we confuse boredom and lack of busyness. Being busy at w*rk can actually just mask your boredom, it is not a cure for it.

Was talking to a friend recently, he cannot imagine retiring, liked the commute time for thinking, being busy at work, the commute home etc. In my mind I thought he was just covering up a underlying lack of excitement (boredom) with life and being so busy he just didn't have to face it.

IMHO busyness is just a drug for boredom, not the cure. The cure is finding that excitement with life that we had as a child, where everything was new, exciting and adventurous.

For me it is pushing myself outside my comfort zone, trying to learn something new, make new friends, and exposing myself to ideas that are a bit different from mine. I am sure everyone is different.

Only about 8 or 9 months retired now but cannot imagine ever going back. Got forwarded a work email regarding a question I had been asked. Couldn't believe the pettiness and posturing. I had to put up with that before, now I don't. All that kept me busy, but not free from boredom.

I am much less busy now, and much less bored.

[unclemick]

21 years of ER - and still ducking 'opportunities to volunteer'.

INTJ and left handed.

heh heh heh - need I say more?

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliforniaMan I was a lot more bored during my last few years working than now. I was just a lot busier. Sometimes I think we confuse boredom and lack of busyness. Being busy at w*rk can actually just mask your boredom, it is not a cure for it. Was talking to a friend recently, he cannot imagine retiring, liked the commute time for thinking, being busy at work, the commute home etc. In my mind I thought he was just covering up a underlying lack of excitement (boredom) with life and being so busy he just didn't have to face it. IMHO busyness is just a drug for boredom, not the cure. The cure is finding that excitement with life that we had as a child, where everything was new, exciting and adventurous. For me it is pushing myself outside my comfort zone, trying to learn something new, make new friends, and exposing myself to ideas that are a bit different from mine. I am sure everyone is different. Only about 8 or 9 months retired now but cannot imagine ever going back. Got forwarded a work email regarding a question I had been asked. Couldn't believe the pettiness and posturing. I had to put up with that before, now I don't. All that kept me busy, but not free from boredom. I am much less busy now, and much less bored.

Interesting thought. I've noticed that some of what folks here happily occupy their time with, sounds more like 'busyness' to me. Not suggesting those activities aren't worthwhile at all, but I can see how work & busyness, satisfying activity & killing time, boredom & happiness can all run together.

[Ronstar]

I don't have time to get bored. I'm either asleep or doing something that I like to do 24/7/365. And I'm picking up more interests and hobbies to the point that some have to be minimized.

[frank]

"What the the requirements? CDL? Anything else?

I've toyed with the idea of doing a little driving for Uber. Frankly it sounds like fun to me. My understanding is you can work as much or as little as you like. I doubt I do it, but who knows."

I have a cdl, but other retired like me don't have. I just drive a regular size van. not step van or cube truck. you can work what days you have available. mostly my job is to take the packages that could not be delivered by regular route drivers for whatever reason ( couldn't find the address, nobody home, etc.) I had 6 deliveries and it took 6 hours and 5 small towns and rural farms, no real pressure, get your list of packages, gas up the van and go. come back when done.

[GreySquirrel]

After working most of my life on an acute care psychiatric ward I maintain what I have been saying for years, "I thrive on boredom." or at least a lower level of excitement.

[harley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetireBy90 Any advice on how to get the DW down that path? I think I'll be fine, but she really needs structure that she finds with a job. She retired from Army 22 years ago, then after a year, went to work for school lunch program, retired couple months ago. Now, she went back to work at a local hotel. How do I help her to find structure without a job?

Structure is overrated, in my opinion. I know some FIREd people maintain a strict schedule in retirement, getting up at the same time every day, making meals at the same time, doing exercises, chores, whatever on a strict(ish) schedule. Going to bed at the same time every night. Great for them if that's what makes them happy. But that's not for everybody.

We have a few things that are scheduled, like exercise classes at the Y or the occasional doctor's appointment. But other than that, we get up when we want to (me sometimes 3-4 hours before she does), eat when we feel like it, do chores when we feel like it, just hang out when we feel like it. Although we do most things together, she goes out by herself if she wants to. So do I. If she feels like working in the garden and I feel like reading, so be it. It's a huge change from having the job related schedule/structure, and it can take some getting used to. But once you've got it, it feels so natural and good you don't know how you could have stood that enforced structured lifestyle.

Reading over this paragraph, I can see that to some people it would appear that we are lazy slugs. But in actuality we tend to be busy most of the time. Just not with a structured schedule. I'd actually like a little more boredom in my life. But there's always something that needs to be done, or that would be fun to do. My to do list is ever growing, even though I do accomplish things on a regular basis.

So my suggestion is, just let it be. Let her retire when she's ready, and don't judge how she deals with it. And don't assume that just because she doesn't do it the same way you do that she's bored and unstructured. If she gets bored, she'll find things to do. Different strokes for different folks. Free advice, and worth every penny.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Which Roger I found w*rk to be extremely boring and unfulfilling. That's why I got out ASAP.

Trust me, there are other j*bs out there that will not give you a chance to be bored. You might want to slit your wrists, but you will not be bored.

[HFWR]

Rarely bored, often silly...

[antmary]

My "work' is play - at least, for me. I own a business that I am slowly passing on to my kids, and it does my heart good to see it...and them flourish. I find that I need to engage. Do I make money? Yes...but I really do it because it is fun, not because I "have" to.

Work is drudge consciousness - working for someone else, not really wanting to be there.

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by antmary My "work' is play - at least, for me. . I find that I need to engage. Do I make money? Yes...but I really do it because it is fun, not because I "have" to. Work is drudge consciousness - working for someone else, not really wanting to be there.

I could not have stated it better that is exactly how I feel about my part time ebay business !

[urn2bfree]

When I read an article like this it means as much to me as if someone wrote an article about "What To Do When You Are Tempted to Join ISIS to Wage Jihad." I guess there are people that this problem applies to, but it is so foreign to my life and experience that I simply cannot relate.


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[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by urn2bfree When I read an article like this it means as much to me as if someone wrote an article about "What To Do When You Are Tempted to Join ISIS to Wage Jihad." I guess there are people that this problem applies to, but it is so foreign to my life and experience that I simply cannot relate. Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

Yep, that one is not on the bucket list...

[Texconsin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebird5825 Avoiding boredom...this is why I grow plants indoors.

Gee; I hope that Texas legalizes it before I retire.