ER Eddie
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Messages
- 1,794
I just completed my first month of retirement, and I made a list of the things that have surprised me. Thought I would share. Some are good surprises, some not so good. Even the 'bad' ones have an upside, though.
1. My sadness over leaving my colleagues/career only lasted a day or two. I expected it to last longer.
2. I initially "celebrated" my retirement with too much alcohol and weed. I was enjoying the freedom. But it went on far too long -- a couple of weeks -- and I ended up in a very low place, miserable and bitterly disappointed in myself. On the upside, it was a good reminder of my vulnerability in that area. I'm back on track now.
3. I'm not worried about money or budget. I expected that once I didn't have a paycheck, I'd get very budget-conscious. That hasn't happened.
4. Despite all of the thought, planning, and preparation I did for retirement, I was surprised at how much thought and self-direction is still required. I'm still spending a lot of time thinking about goals, values, purpose, etc., and working to keep myself on track.
5. I was surprised to find myself selling my game console and games. I've played games for 20 years, and I've spent a lot of time (too much) on game forums. I've been losing interest over the past year or two, but I didn't expect to suddenly just dump the hobby completely. But it suddenly became clear to me that that is what I wanted to do. I was surprised at how easy it was. The downside is that now I've got a fancy 4K/HDR TV that I use only for watching 720p Youtube vids, lol.
6. How busy I am. In some ways I feel like I'm working harder than when I was working -- except of course, I'm working on what I want to work on, rather than on what is required.
7. I lose track of the days. I've heard this mentioned here before, so it wasn't a big surprise, but it was still a little weird. I often have to stop and think before I know what day it is.
8. How quickly the days go by.
9. I don't have nearly the desire to socialize that I thought I would. Prior to retirement, I was worried about feeling socially isolated. I'm single, live alone, my dog recently died, and apart from a couple friends and family, I didn't have much of a social life outside of work. So, in the months leading up to retirement, I made sure to attend social groups, book clubs, and so forth -- preparing myself in advance. But when I retired, I found that I didn't really care to do many of those things. And yet I haven't felt lonely or isolated at all. That's been a nice surprise.
10. I got a call yesterday from my old work, telling me that I might be deposed on an old case. I really dislike being deposed (although in this particular case, it shouldn't be too big a deal). And I really dislike being dragged involuntarily back to work after I've retired. The upside is that it's a good reminder of one reason I pulled the plug.
So those are some of my early retirement surprises after the first month. I hope you can resonate to some of them.
1. My sadness over leaving my colleagues/career only lasted a day or two. I expected it to last longer.
2. I initially "celebrated" my retirement with too much alcohol and weed. I was enjoying the freedom. But it went on far too long -- a couple of weeks -- and I ended up in a very low place, miserable and bitterly disappointed in myself. On the upside, it was a good reminder of my vulnerability in that area. I'm back on track now.
3. I'm not worried about money or budget. I expected that once I didn't have a paycheck, I'd get very budget-conscious. That hasn't happened.
4. Despite all of the thought, planning, and preparation I did for retirement, I was surprised at how much thought and self-direction is still required. I'm still spending a lot of time thinking about goals, values, purpose, etc., and working to keep myself on track.
5. I was surprised to find myself selling my game console and games. I've played games for 20 years, and I've spent a lot of time (too much) on game forums. I've been losing interest over the past year or two, but I didn't expect to suddenly just dump the hobby completely. But it suddenly became clear to me that that is what I wanted to do. I was surprised at how easy it was. The downside is that now I've got a fancy 4K/HDR TV that I use only for watching 720p Youtube vids, lol.
6. How busy I am. In some ways I feel like I'm working harder than when I was working -- except of course, I'm working on what I want to work on, rather than on what is required.
7. I lose track of the days. I've heard this mentioned here before, so it wasn't a big surprise, but it was still a little weird. I often have to stop and think before I know what day it is.
8. How quickly the days go by.
9. I don't have nearly the desire to socialize that I thought I would. Prior to retirement, I was worried about feeling socially isolated. I'm single, live alone, my dog recently died, and apart from a couple friends and family, I didn't have much of a social life outside of work. So, in the months leading up to retirement, I made sure to attend social groups, book clubs, and so forth -- preparing myself in advance. But when I retired, I found that I didn't really care to do many of those things. And yet I haven't felt lonely or isolated at all. That's been a nice surprise.
10. I got a call yesterday from my old work, telling me that I might be deposed on an old case. I really dislike being deposed (although in this particular case, it shouldn't be too big a deal). And I really dislike being dragged involuntarily back to work after I've retired. The upside is that it's a good reminder of one reason I pulled the plug.
So those are some of my early retirement surprises after the first month. I hope you can resonate to some of them.
Last edited: