Active vs Busy during your retirement?

[WhiskyDave]

I heard a great quote about retirment which was " To stay active, but not busy"

I think it sums up exactly how I want to live each day after I FIRE later this year. I have heard it's better to have a loose schedule, possibly daily or weekly with interests and hobbies, but without too many (or any) set or required commitments.

A morning cup of coffee followed by a walk and or lunch out etc... vs no schedule can make your retirement more enjoyable---This is what I have heard from several current retiree's I have spoken with

So my question to you, how do you naviagte this balance between staying active, yet not too busy?

 

[RetireeRobert]

One's routine comes naturally.

I have been retired for 21 years. Lately I have taken to walking five miles a day in the hills out in my neck of the woods. Make a grocery store run about once a week. Babysit the granddaughter for a few hours one or two days a week. Go to men's Bible study midweek. Church small group study then service on weekend. Read my emails, surf the net, read some mysteries.

Pretty soon, there is a routine, but nothing really pressing. You get the idea.

 

[W2R]

I heard a great quote about retirment which was " To stay active, but not busy"

I think it sums up exactly how I want to live each day after I FIRE later this year. I have heard it's better to have a loose schedule, possibly daily or weekly with interests and hobbies, but without too many (or any) set or required commitments.

A morning cup of coffee followed by a walk and or lunch out etc... vs no schedule can make your retirement more enjoyable---This is what I have heard from several current retiree's I have spoken with

So my question to you, how do you naviagte this balance between staying active, yet not too busy?

For the first day or two of retirement I felt a little lost - - kept thinking "what am I supposed to do next?" So I invented a self-imposed rule just to give my retired life some structure: every day I'd make a point of getting out of the house and going somewhere for a couple of hours (like shopping, or the gym). That seemed to be enough structure for me and after a few days it was no longer necessary.

Now that I've been retired for 12 years, I have fallen into a nice routine that I like and I don't have to make rules like that for myself. Beyond the first few days I doubt you'll have any problems with this either.

 

[mystang52]

So my question to you, how do you naviagte this balance between staying active, yet not too busy?

I think it's important to do more than watch TV all day. That being said, what works for me is the attitude of staying active but not feeling compelled to fill every minute of every day. Having time not occupied by a j*b means being able to do the things one enjoys. For some people, that might indeed mean being busy almost all day. In my case, I have a couple of fitness activities, intellectual activities, and yes some time watching TV. When all else fails, I make it a point to get out of the house twice a day, even if it's just for a walk around the block. It's about balance.

 

[intent]

I'm on my second day of retirement, and for the second day in a row I've gotten up at about 4:30am. I just can't seem to sleep - I'm so excited to get started on my planned daily activities .

Yesterday I kept very busy completing the process of purchasing our first ACA plan. Today there isn't anything as pressing on the agenda, yet I still feel like it's going to be a busy day. It's as if I'm feeling that all of those hours/years I spent focused on improving and optimizing processes/systems/outcomes for my employers can now be spent focused on improving and optimizing processes/systems/outcomes for us - and I can't wait to get started.

I don't expect this level of activity/excitement to last. Then again, the beautiful thing is that whether I continue to keep myself very busy, settle into a less busy but still active routine, or become extraordinarily lazy, I'll be doing it because I want to do it and am enjoying it .

 

[Ronstar]

I am too busy. I usually go hiking or biking in the morning and get back home noon to 1 pm. Then I try to spend the rest of the day in my workshop, but many times yard work or something else prevents me from getting enough afternoon play time. I could use a few extra hours in the afternoon.

 

[DrRoy]

I am sometimes active, sometimes busy, but nearly always occupied with something. This month has been very active on a trip across the national parks and other wilds of Utah. Later there will be many hours of photo editing, interspaced with reading, music, sitting on the deck, having a beer or glass of wine.

 

[Aerides]

I am active but rarely busy.

And almost never busy that someone who works and is raising kids would not look at me and eyeroll to my definition of busy. For example, Thursday, I get my 2nd jab (and the pharmacy is a 30 min drive), and will also do grocery shopping for the weekend. That's a busy day!

Staying active is easier than when working. I go for walks and runs and then gym/workout whenever I like, which is almost every day.

 

[Music Lover]

So my question to you, how do you naviagte this balance between staying active, yet not too busy?

I've been retired for 5 years. For the first 3 years I was active. The last 2 years have been extremely busy. I undertook a major reno of my house doing 90% of the work myself, GF's mother moved and we had to purge and sell a 4 bedroom 3 bath house, GF sold her house and moved to an apartment and then moved in with me in the space of a year, I did a lot of maintenance and improvements on GF's family cabin, and we just bought a cabin of our own that will get new flooring and a new kitchen. I'm also helping a friend renovate his cabin.

In short, I've been far too busy and need a break. The good news is that most of the work will be done by summer and I'll be able to relax.

 

[Markola]

I like the busy vs. active framing. I’m 10 months in, having FIREd in July, so I’m in the Baby Steps stage of learning how to do this and building my new routines. So far, the first couple of hours each day drinking coffee and reading are a delicious luxury. After that, I start to get antsy, yet Covid and endless Minnesota winter crimp my ability to do what I most like to do, which is get outside in the yard or garage comfortably and build or refurbish something. I can’t even attend my exercise class due to Covid.

I’ve tried the winter sports and all that but the things I really like to do most simply require more warmth. Covid will end but my major takeaway for next year is that a must confront winter, such as by heating the garage and also leaving for the south or doing our major travels December - April rather than just the two months we experimented with this year. Summer and fall in Minnesota are terrific and not to be missed.

I’m very grateful but I arrived at this abundant available time through tremendous intentionality and I don’t want to waste it being stuck inside too much, so I need to intentionally find the new things that work for my new lifestyle and I’m not there yet.

 

[audreyh1]

Who watches TV all day?

 

[W2R]

Who watches TV all day?

Probably nobody! I haven't turned my TV on since Hurricane Zeta was headed for New Orleans last October.

Honestly, as bad as the programming is, I'm surprised that anyone would listen to TV at all these days.

F watches old movies from the 1930's now and then, but he finds them online, not on the TV.

 

[WhiskyDave]

I’m very grateful but I arrived at this abundant available time through tremendous intentionality and I don’t want to waste it being stuck inside too much, so I need to intentionally find the new things that work for my new lifestyle

Well said....That's a great quote M...I'm going to remember your words when I retire, as it a good reminder about what it takes to get here and lets not waste the moment.

 

[NoiseBoy]

I like that description too. I'm in my second week of retirement and so far my mornings involve coffee & news/website reading, then a small "chore" from my To Do list which generally takes me to the time for exercising. Afterwards, I eat a light lunch and then run some errands such as to the grocery store or library. When I get home I usually go for a walk and get back home in time for "happy hour", which is everyday of the week now My goal is to cross one thing off of my list or make progress on an on-going task such as closing out my father's estate. In the evenings I watch some TV and read. I don't set an alarm and I'm sleeping a little better now.

 

[ChicagoGal]

Love that quote! I'm only 2 weeks into retirement, so still don't have a "pattern." My thought about activity has been that most days, I'm aiming to do something physical, something intellectual, something productive and, at least a few times a week, something social. None of these need to be big, just something to tick off the box. For example, today is:

Physical: House walking (it's snowing, so I'm not walking outside, but will still get my 7,000 steps inside!) and maybe a Just Dance video.
Intellectual: Working on the escape room game I'm in the middle of, getting through more of the book I'm reading
Productive: a load of laundry, empty the dishwasher and maybe do a grocery run.
Social: Having a video lunch with a friend

Definitely not busy, but active. (And for the record, my TV is on almost all of the time - it's background noise for me. Currently it's Good Morning, Football.)

Will be interesting to see how it all evolves as I plunge deeper into retirement.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Interesting quote and I am not sure that I could differentiate the two. Almost like comparing leisure with lazy.

Nonetheless, like others I think I go back and forth. Sometimes there are variables that make it almost necessary to be "busy" while I prefer just being active. As an example was trying to deal with stuff in the yard. Grass seed, fertilizer, pruning, etc... normally we aren't rushed to get things done, but due to some travel and weather issues, these tasks have resulted in a number of busy days which I am not a fan of.

Like others have mentioned, being FIREd has somewhat of an adjustment period and I have found that while I do have some regular routines, I rarely have a "normal" day. But, it's rare that I have a day that is miserable.

 

[audreyh1]

Another question: Why are people so worried that they are going to end up watching TV all day?

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Another question: Why are people so worried that they are going to end up watching TV all day?

I would guess from the barrage of questions like, "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ALL DAY!?!?"

Think of it this way...until someone retires, they have probably spent almost their entire lives being told what to do. Parents, teachers, bosses... and when that directive nature of life is taken away (or the prospect of it being taken away) then I think the fear of boredom sets in and is a legitimate concern for some.

 

[W2R]

I would guess from the barrage of questions like, "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ALL DAY!?!?"

Think of it this way...until someone retires, they have probably spent almost their entire lives being told what to do. Parents, teachers, bosses... and when that directive nature of life is taken away (or the prospect of it being taken away) then I think the fear of boredom sets in and is a legitimate concern for some.

+1

Before I retired, everybody at work told me with great certainty that I would be bored stiff and I'd be back looking for my job again, very quickly.

These were very nice people and they weren't trying to be mean - - I think the reason they told me this was because their entire concept of who I am, was based on what they saw me doing at work (my job responsibilities and function). They didn't realize that there was more to who I am, than that.

 

[Markola]

Another question: Why are people so worried that they are going to end up watching TV all day?

Ha. That would be a fate worse than w*rk.

 

[Which Roger]

Another question: Why are people so worried that they are going to end up watching TV all day?

I think that's a legitimate concern for "normal" retirees who had their identities tied to their careers. But none of us are like that; if we were, we wouldn't have ERd.

 

[RetireeRobert]

Like others have mentioned, being FIREd has somewhat of an adjustment period and I have found that while I do have some regular routines, I rarely have a "normal" day.

Actually, when I quit my job 21 years ago, it took me maybe 20 "minutes" to adjust to retirement.

Of course, at that time my kids were ages 7, 11, and 17, so wife got a well-earned rest from chauffer duties. I spent my early retirement years ferrying kids to and from school, and activities, then planning and going on family vacations, and similar activities of daily family-with-kids life.

Never missed w*rk routine at all, and had no problem wondering what to do with my time.

 

[goingtotravel]

So my question to you, how do you navigate this balance between staying active, yet not too busy?

Going to FIRE in 3 1/2 weeks and am wondering the same thing. We are really behind on house maintenance tasks so I suspect catching up with that will consume a lot of our time (DH FIRE'd in February). But I need to focus on my health - stress and long work hours have taken a toll so I need to schedule some time to work out and prepare healthy meals. Hopefully I can come up with a plan to work small house tasks, spend time on my health, figure out which hobbies I want to keep, etc. If I didn't schedule time to relax while I w*rked I never did it, sad, right? Not going to let that happen in retirement!

Today one of my consultants asked me what I'd be doing after I retire and I said gardening, travel, whatever. He told me his company was hiring and that I'd figure out what I wanted to do eventually. I'm like no gardening and travel IS what I want to do and w*rk is something I never want to do again. Don't think he truly understood that I am not worried about getting bored at all.

 

[1242Vintage]

Coming up on one year retired. Took me a couple weeks last Spring to settle into the FIRE lifestyle.

Most days are active and outside with time spent working in my orchard, working in my shop to weld up some piece of equipment that I broke out in the orchard or out on my mountain bike ripping down my favorite trails. Would not call my schedule busy since anything not completed today, can always be finished tomorrow.

I have few schedule commitments. One is weekly on Tuesday morning for a date with Mom. Other commitment is usually on a weekend morning where I line up with other middle-age hacks for an amateur mountain bike race and finish line beer.

 

[skyking1]

The TV thing comes from getting home from work, tank empty and collapsing on the sofa till bed time. Of course there are all the chores thrown in there too