pb4uski
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Good point. I never would have thought that I could be so happy puttering around and not doing much of anything.
It was time to change my early-retirement.org user name, formerly wishin&hopin. All that wishin’ and hopin’ paid off about six months ago when I ER’d, and now it’s all about focus. That is, focusing fully on the present and, since the choices of what to do are many, focusing my energies. Thus my new name.
One month into ER, I posted the three things that most surprised me. I’ve now updated that list and expanded the items to five:
5. I’ve come to realize that I spent the last few years at work sleep deprived, and a full night’s sleep (at least eight hours for me) is one of the most crucial parts of living a healthy, well-balanced life. I was as productive as ever at work with less sleep, but I was constantly irritable. I chalked that up at the time to some of the challenging personalities I had to deal with, but I now think it was more about me -- if I’d had enough sleep, it would have been like water off a duck’s back. Maybe.
4. I now understand why relatively few end up working part time in retirement, despite what they tell pollsters before they retire. Once you’ve tasted the freedom that comes from having full control of your life and no work-related stress, it’s very hard to give it up. Although I’ve heard retired friends say they’re seeking opportunities to do “meaningful” work of some sort, they want it entirely on their own terms. Not surprisingly, there aren’t many of those unicorns around. And as previous threads here have made clear, volunteer work can be as frustrating as regular work, without the financial compensation.
3. Related to the above, if things get tight financially, I think it’s more likely that I’ll economize further rather than try to earn new income. I've stopped worrying too much about it, since it appears I can live on less than I originally estimated, barring unplanned major expenses.
2. I’m never bored. Ever. It's very easy for me to stay mentally engaged, and being an introvert (like most of us here), I haven’t even had to ramp up my socializing much.
1. Time goes by much quicker than pre-ER. That’s why focusing my energies is an important part of making the most of each day.
Thanks for the summary. I retired almost three years ago and experienced the same five things... Plus, if I am honest, I would add that I am adjusting to having too much time around my wife of 35 years. hope to work through it...
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3 weeks into ER and my surprises are:
1. How little I miss work.
2. How rest deprived I have been for years.
3. How easily I can fill my days.
4. How quickly the week goes by.
5. How little I am interested in making time commitments that don't align with unstructured days.
I didn't think I'd be as good at doing nothing as I turned out to be.
Good point. I never would have thought that I could be so happy puttering around and not doing much of anything.
Time does fly! I forget to wear my watch and have to remind myself what day of the week it is.
+1 Excellent!One month into ER, I posted the three things that most surprised me. I’ve now updated that list and expanded the items to five:
Which brings up another revelation: TGIF becomes TGIM. Instead of looking forward to the weekend, you look forward to the start of the workweek, when the roads and stores aren't crowded.
Once you’ve tasted the freedom that comes from having full control of your life and no work-related stress, it’s very hard to give it up.