Newly retired and loving it so far but up till now (1 month) its just feels like a long vacation,I have resurrected a bunch of hobbies but am wondering what happens when the novelty wears off.I live in an apartment so doing stuff around the house is not going to keep me busy,its winter and i hate any kind of winter activities,and i've always been somewhat of a loner in life so joining clubs of some sort wont be very enjoyable,volunteering i never understood as why should i work for nothing.also i dont have unlimited money so constant travel aint gonna happen.Its looking like come spring i'm going to have to get some kind of employment just to give my life some form of structure.
Anyone else find that the dream of retirement can be a bit of a bore?
Flame suit on.
Didn't we just go through this a few months ago? For someone responsible for their own entertainment, you seem to be finding a lot of reasons that you can't enjoy yourself.
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f36/about-retire-30362.html
Do you feel your enjoyment of life, ER attitude, or happiness factor has improved since then?
You were talking about a Florida vacation. Is your current state of mind a side effect of your winter climate, and will life seem better in sunshine & warmth?
"Novelty"? I don't know what hobbies you're working on, but like Al says there are hobbies that never lose their novelty. Maybe it'll help to consider different hobbies. When I paddle out I can [-]ogle hot surfer chicks[/-] just enjoy the beach weather, cruise in a straight line, or try to [-]really embarrass myself[/-] hang five and do cutbacks. If that ever gets boring (I wouldn't recognize it, it hasn't happened yet) then I can try stand-up paddle surfing or kayak surfing or kitesurfing or windsurfing. And more than two or three times a week is an ibuprofen challenge, let alone a neglect of my chores.
What's on your reading list? Amazon.com can provide best-seller lists, topic lists, and additional suggestions. I have to limit my browsing there or I'd never leave the house.
A friend of ours retired retired from the Navy several years back. All he could talk about was selling his San Diego home for huge equity profits, moving back to his Florida hometown, and [-]ogling hot surfer chicks[/-] taking a part-time lifeguard job. Three months later we ran into him in Pearl Harbor where he was working a contract job and telling us that he was so bored with his retirement he didn't even want to leave the house to walk his dog. He found steady contract work with old shipmates, hasn't taken a vacation in the last three years, and is happily back to fantasizing about selling his San Diego home, moving back to his Florida hometown, and so on.
I know that doesn't work for everyone, but going back to work sounds a little like saying "I can't think of anything to do, so I'm going to have someone else tell me what I have to do."
jambo, in your case I think returning to work is probably going to be a good idea. If you're beginning to experience boredom after only one month, you probably aren't wired for retirement, early or otherwise.
If your idea of [-]entertainment[/-] constructive dialogue is trolling "I'm bored" flame-enticing threads on Internet discussion boards, then you're right-- you do need to go back to work.
If you can't be responsible for your own entertainment, then perhaps [-]you'll find it in the office environment[/-] it's time to seek elsewhere.