Do you have to be busy in FIRE?

[Meadbh]

Thanks for all the comments.
Looks like that I do have things to do every day, such as pulling weeds from my lawn, fighting pests (bugs, rabbits, and squirrels) in my vegetable and fruit garden, but I just do not feel that I am busy with "important" things.
I am in an unpaid summer break period, which I use to experience or experiment my retirement life.

OK then, what do you consider to be "important" things?

 

[Walt34]

One of my greatest accomplishments in retirement - maybe my only accomplishment - is learning to simply "be". I discovered I didn't have to set goals, measure accomplishments, or schedule my time at volunteer activities to be happy and enjoy life.

Another one here.

For a while there after retirement I was actually feeling a little guilty because I wasn't "doing anything" and then had an awakening - I worked so hard, and for so long, that I'd reached the goal of not having to do anything if I didn't want to.

I've pointed to this post several times but Nords articulated it very well several years ago: http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f30/the-fog-of-work-42328.html

Most days I sleep as late as I want to and don't feel the slightest bit of guilt about it. We do try to get to the gym every other day so we don't turn completely into slugs, and we both do some things to maintain a bit of mental stimulation. For me it is radio control model airplanes that I can fly in the back yard, some photography, and I enjoy documentary movies on youtube and Amazon Prime.

 

[Bir48die]

Ditto on being busy in spurts. In the winter I've done volunteer taxes and been crazy busy. In the summer I putt around the house, golf and camp. Today my day before lunch was:

Coffee & Paper
Gym
Repair bird holes in my siding
Clean both bbq's (last nigh a fire erupted)

I'm done. Will go drink beer with buddies later

 

[flyingaway]

I played golf this morning, ate lunch then took a nap. Had planned to clean up my house today but the nap made me tired. Think I will put it off until tomorrow.

I did not play golf but did take a two hour nap and felt too tired to do anything in the afternoon. I did make dinner for my family though.

 

[flyingaway]

OK then, what do you consider to be "important" things?

I really don't know. My wife comes back from work every day and asks me if I feel bored and I may need find something to do.

 

[Senator]

You larger problem will be keeping yourself physically challenged. If you do not get exercise, you will die much faster...

Your gardening will help.

 

[Ronstar]

I'm busier now than when I worked. It seem that my penchant for taking on additional duties during my working days has extended into retirement.

 

[flyingaway]

You larger problem will be keeping yourself physically challenged. If you do not get exercise, you will die much faster...

Your gardening will help.

I walk with my wife almost every evening. I need to exercise more and make use of the equipment that I bought several years ago but were only occasionally used.

 

[flyingaway]

I'm busier now than when I worked. It seem that my penchant for taking on additional duties during my working days has extended into retirement.

If I have to be busy in retirement, I would rather to be busy in work to get some money to upgrade my economy class to business class for international travels.

That is my point, I just want to be justified to do nothing in retirement.

 

[Meadbh]

If I have to be busy in retirement, I would rather to be busy in work to get some money to upgrade my economy class to business class for international travels.

That is my point, I just want to be justified to do nothing in retirement.

Then you are clearly not ready to retire. Work on!

 

[foxfirev5]

I'm as busy as I was when I was working. However it's much more productive from a personal standpoint. Exercise every morning and usually some sort of chore or small project at one of the house. Anything that could even remotely construed as work is usually done well before noon.
I honestly feel ER has improved my overall situation. Health has at least been maintained with lower BP, weight loss and keeping higher glucose levels at bay. Money has taken a backseat to other priorities.

 

[Midpack]

I made breakfast, scheduled an oil change Fri, scheduled a lunch with friends Thur, went for a long bike ride, thoroughly cleaned the range, made lunch, played nine holes of golf (practicing, hitting 3-4 balls on every shot), updated my USGA handicap, made dinner, went for a walk with DW, and I'll just relax this evening. Playing golf was the only semi planned activity, the rest just happened. I'll probably do less tomorrow...

 

[Jerry1]

You larger problem will be keeping yourself physically challenged. If you do not get exercise, you will die much faster...

Your gardening will help.

Both mind and body. My dad is 86 (I'm 56). He is still getting around very well. I'd rather be him than stuck in a chair watching TV because I could not move.

I'm with you. I don't have a lot planned for my retirement and look forward to doing what I want, when I want. But a good walk once a day or some consistent physical movement is necessary. The mind is a greater challenge in my opinion. Not sure if reading and mind puzzles will do enough, but I'm sure it's better than nothing. Stay active.

One addition to Senator's comment: You might not die any faster. The medical community has become very good at keeping people alive. You might find something worse than dying. Read Younger Next Year, by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Every day I see your posts describing shows and concerts you have been to. I love the arts too, but I simply couldn't handle the pace you set!

We usually get out of the house every day, but some days we just do something low key like take the dog to the park and go out for lunch. Even at 4 bigger events a week X 3 hours each that only averages 12 hours a week. Compared to working full-time, commuting and raising kids that still leaves a lot of loafing around time!

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I'm relatively new to this as well and I was also giving a lot of thought to those posts, articles, etc. that said I had to retire "to" something rather than "from" work. Well, so far, something has always been finding me to keep me occupied, and a day doesn't go by that I don't think how glad I am to be "from" work.

 

[Midpack]

We usually get out of the house every day, but some days we just do something low key like take the dog to the park and go out for lunch.

I hate to waste gasoline, so I often don't drive every day, usually every other day. I get outside every day, but I am starting to think it's a good idea to get out of the house and go somewhere every day. So I have to get over "wasting" gasoline.

 

[DrRoy]

People are different, but most report being happier in RE when they are occupied, and they are healthier (and probably happier) when they are mentally and socially engaged.

 

[misshathaway]

+2

To this I would only add, learning to tune out the voices that disapprove or find fault with the retirement and lifestyle choices I've made.

For me the voices are largely from people my age or older who are still working and envious. But I didn't throw off the harness only to put it back on in an equally heinous volunteer job.

I think that much of the time the "What do you do all day?" question from a new person is them trying to get an idea of what retirement for them might be like. I've heard it so much with the emphasis on the DO that I automatically feel defensive even if it might just be curiosity.

 

[flyingaway]

I'm relatively new to this as well and I was also giving a lot of thought to those posts, articles, etc. that said I had to retire "to" something rather than "from" work. Well, so far, something has always been finding me to keep me occupied, and a day doesn't go by that I don't think how glad I am to be "from" work.

I hope not to have something in retirement that I have to do, formally defined, like a mission.

 

[Nemo2]

 

[Which Roger]

Is it OK not to get yourself intellectually challenged in early retirement?

It sounds like you've had an intellectually challenging career, so I think it's perfectly rational to take a break from the intellect when you retire. I've done a lot of relatively-mindless, labor-intensive projects since I ERd. But after a couple years, I found myself missing the intellectual part just a bit, so I pursued some things that would give me that challenge. But still they were very different that when I was w*rking. It's important to not just waste away in retirement, but there's no requirement that your retirement life has to look anything like your w*rking life.

 

[Koolau]

When I find myself "busy", it's usually a good thing because I like what I'm doing. Examples: Helping out neighbors, interacting with UH students, going to open houses, etc. But if I'm "forced" to be busy, it's just like being at w*rk - or worse since I don't get paid for it. Examples: getting ready for taxes, cleaning the condo, doctor appointments, etc. YMMV

 

[ls99]

I hate to waste gasoline, so I often don't drive every day, usually every other day. I get outside every day, but I am starting to think it's a good idea to get out of the house and go somewhere every day. So I have to get over "wasting" gasoline.

Getting out of the house is good. I had made it a practice from my first day of retirement to leave the house every day. for at least an hour if not more.

Get shoot the breeze with folks at the diner, twice a week also going to the Y more opportunity to chat with others. Never gave a thought to wasting gas. IMHO encounters with random people and the usual suspects is a good thing.

Now that I am a widower it is even more important to get out every day for a while. As far too many get into a grand funk, get sloppy, unshaven, unwashed etc.. Seen far too many of that version in the past ten or so years.

My attendance at dance classes requires me up my game in getting clean and neat, dress in a reasonably dressy coordinated fashion, besides learning new stuff. The 45 minute drive to and from is actually a plus. Part of what I call "drive therapy".

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I have to admit that I was one that retired to "nothing", but that is exactly what I was looking forward to. Up until then, almost EVERYTHING had to be planned...dinners, w*rk schedules, vacations, EVERYTHING...and I disliked that. I wanted the freedom to do pretty much whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and it has been good to me. I can say that in the 3 years that I have been retired, the moments of "boredom" have been pretty much non-existent. I often wake up with nothing in mind to "do", but somehow I will go to bed and will have only accomplished 1/2 of what I eventually set out to do.

At any rate, and as others have mentioned, if you don't feel confident that you can occupy your time in the way YOU want to, then perhaps continuing to w*rk isn't a bad idea. For me, I hated w*rking for someone else. I don't mind hard w*rk and certainly there are things around the house that need tending to and is w*rk, but I am the boss and no one else (well, except the DW!).

And as to the question that some folks may ask about "what did you do all day?"...this is my favorite quote from the movie "Office Space":

 

[JoeWras]

Getting out of the house is good. I had made it a practice from my first day of retirement to leave the house every day. for at least an hour if not more.
....
My attendance at dance classes requires me up my game in getting clean and neat, dress in a reasonably dressy coordinated fashion, besides learning new stuff. The 45 minute drive to and from is actually a plus. Part of what I call "drive therapy".

One of the most amazing and uplifting things I've seen in my neighborhood is this.

A 90+ gentleman who lives in a nearby CCRC walks up and down the road (a good mile!) every morning between 7 and 8AM. But here's the thing, he is impeccably dressed. Being summer, it may mean a Seersucker suit and straw hat. In winter, it may mean a suit with vest.

It seems to keep him going.