When You’re Bored Silly in Retirement

[pihwoah]

Last night I was so "un-bored" that I stayed up way later than usual, working on my Excel spreadsheets for my usual New Year's Day analyses, for rebalancing at that time, and for figuring out exactly how much I really do want to withdraw next year. We are getting so close to the end of 2014 that I am getting excited about it! I can hardly wait to close 2014 (financially), and embark on 2015. I set up my spending spreadsheet for 2015, too. Oh gosh, I admit it - - I just love this kind of stuff.

I suspect that ER Forum members are some of the very few who can appreciate the hedonic joy of playing in the numbers.

You're speaking my language.

 

[freebird5825]

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

 

[Lsbcal]

UPDATE: Not bored anymore. Coffee, running in the mud and puddles, and buying a new carry on suitcase for trips relieved the boredom.

 

[Texconsin]

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 (even though I'm an engineer) as I am so bored. But by April, I can't wait to get away from the office and back outside. Repeat every year for last 15. Don't really need the money, though in earlier years of retirement it gave some increase in security. And my employer knows this, so they keep the hassle factor low and let me call my own hours. WIn-Win. Probably continue until RMDs start and boys finish college when me and DW can start what some would consider a typical retirement

I hope you're not "Trading Places" with a CPA who engineered the Kansas City Hyatt Regency walkway or the I-35 bridge in the Twin Cities!

 

[Amethyst]

The question remains: are you still silly?

UPDATE: Not bored anymore. Coffee, running in the mud and puddles, and buying a new carry on suitcase for trips relieved the boredom.

 

[Lsbcal]

... We are getting so close to the end of 2014 that I am getting excited about it! I can hardly wait to close 2014 (financially), and embark on 2015. I set up my spending spreadsheet for 2015, too. Oh gosh, I admit it - - I just love this kind of stuff.

I suspect that ER Forum members are some of the very few who can appreciate the hedonic joy of playing in the numbers.

Its fun when the markets are up. That VPW calculator has emboldened me to think about higher spending in 2015. I'm a total spreadsheet junky too.

 

[Lsbcal]

The question remains: are you still silly?

I'm definitely [-]bored[/-] silly.

 

[Rick_Head]

When I'm bored in retirement, I'll make a trip to Colorado, do what's LEGAL there, borrow a gun from brewer and make the world a better place.






That means "sans moi".

 

[Options]

Being able to entertain oneself is a learned skill and one that is helpful, or even crucial, in retirement. Those who haven't bothered to learn it as a schoolchild, and who are not willing to make the effort to learn it later on in their adult years or in retirement, probably would be happiest if they just keep working.
Hopefully they will contribute to SS for the rest of us.

That said, my sig line nicely pertains to the thread topic, doesn't it!

+1
I don't ever remember being bored in my life. Retirement won't change that. Self-generative individuals just don't know how to be bored. This new chapter in my life has already begun unfolding.

OTOH, I think being bored is the ultimate luxury, as is sleeping in or choosing to do nothing all day--simply because you can--and I have every intention of trying these out in ER (in just 10 weeks)!

 

[Bestwifeever]

UPDATE: Not bored anymore. Coffee, running in the mud and puddles, and buying a new carry on suitcase for trips relieved the boredom.

You had me at running in the mud and puddles! While drinking coffee? Bliss, not boredom!

 

[6miths]

Boredom?! You're kidding right. I've only been ER for 6 months so I'm not one to judge I guess but I can tell you that I was none too happy at giving up my boredom when I started to get calls to come back to do things. Sadly, news of my departure made it to an old friend halfway across the country who is in a manpower jam and now I am going to have to go back and help out for a week or two a month until June. W*#k is very over-rated!

 

[audreyh1]

Last night I was so "un-bored" that I stayed up way later than usual, working on my Excel spreadsheets for my usual New Year's Day analyses, for rebalancing at that time, and for figuring out exactly how much I really do want to withdraw next year. We are getting so close to the end of 2014 that I am getting excited about it! I can hardly wait to close 2014 (financially), and embark on 2015. I set up my spending spreadsheet for 2015, too. Oh gosh, I admit it - - I just love this kind of stuff.

I suspect that ER Forum members are some of the very few who can appreciate the hedonic joy of playing in the numbers.

Gonna be doing some of that tomorrow. This week I had enough distributions paid out to cover my withdrawal, so the spreadsheet starts changing. Then with this week's drop in equities, the rebalance might go the other way. Things keep changing until the last minute! I don't know my final numbers until Jan 1!

 

[aim-high]

"When I'm bored, I take a nap, and it goes away."

 

[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.

 

[imoldernu]

Don't ever remember being bored... ever.

Life's activities change over the years. Truth be told, would like to go back to the first 20 or so years after retirement, when physical and mental activity was at the peak of enjoyment, but that doesn't mean any discontent today... just a changing scene.

Now... different. As seen from long rambling posts, not so much of the physical/social activity. In its' place, (at least in winter)... the joy of complete freedom, to go with the flow, or to brave the storm. To drift back to comfortable hours of passive TV, or browsing the internet... or with sudden bursts of energy, to initiate some social contact, explore new vistas, repair, clean or begin some new project. The physical part of this is a damned nuisance. The biking, canoeing and camp maintenance of the other three seasons gives way to walking the mall with DW... sheesh imagine... the most fun part of that is a chance to speak French with the Tunisian lady that runs a shop in the mall.

Anyway... life in the final quarter century has adjusted to the limitations of the body. Not at all unpleasant, given the small burden of cares.
......................................................................
(sigh)... ruminating here brought a flashback to the early 1980's, a momentary stressful part of life, long forgotten... when the world was not as pleasant. A recurring thought of throwing a brick through the window of a bank... and going to a quiet jail cell with a stack of books to read.

 

[Jimbo125]

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]

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

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


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

 

[mpeirce]

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]

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]

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.