Are you capable of being okay with lazy? I’m learning to!

[Markola]

I know that each person in FIRE chooses the amount of leisure for oneself, but man, I’ve been lazy lately and it feels good. I tested positive for (a very mild case of) Covid over a week ago. I haven’t felt terrible, just enough to put me on the couch, or the chaise lounge, or the porch sofa, or bed. It’s such an American thing to feel guilty that I’m not pushing myself to be more productive, even while I’m recovering. The grass needs mowing and I keep saying, meh, tomorrow.

It is a progression for me. I remember being surprised in my career that near the end of some one-week vacations at the lake, I sometimes got bored and was ready to get back to office distractions. No more!

What is your relationship with lazy and has it evolved?

 

[Dtail]

Today I did one load of laundry and $50 of food shopping. Watching movies and Pickleball.
Lazy day - not sure but totally fine with it and have no guilt about not working whether I have a full day of activities or literally nothing to do.

 

[Retire2023]

I fully embrace it! Having worked a career, raised a son, seen both parents through end-of-life care (and another one currently for DH), we're tired. DH and I relish doing what we want to do, and not doing "most" of the things we don't. That being said, we don't spend all day every day doing nothing, but we have waited many years to get to this point and we've earned it.

 

[joesxm3]

Bored after one week vacation? You must have had a stress free line of w#rk. When I used to take vacation it took the first week just to decompress and be able to enjoy the second week

Nowadays when discussing the situation with my friend we decided that "being productive" means getting one thing accomplished per day.

I hope you get well soon.

 

[marko]

Bored after one week vacation? You must have had a stress free line of w#rk. When I used to take vacation it took the first week just to decompress and be able to enjoy the second week

Off topic, but my president once asked how I knew whether I was on vacation or working.

I told him that I looked down at the credit card. When his name was on it, I was working, when my name was on it, I was on vacation. It was, in fact, only a slight exaggeration.

 

[Fermion]

I wouldn't exactly say I am lazy, but I haven't put on pants in two days...

 

[Jerry1]

I have lazy days and I have days where I do a lot. Retirement allows me to pick which days are which and how intense either will be. My main story around that is about grass mowing and snow shoveling. Now that I don't have to fit either one of those into my work week (my job), they're not bad at all. Instead of doing them when I had to, now I do them when I want. They seem a whole lot easier that way.

 

[rk911]

I call it..declaring a personal holiday. I do that every now and then but most days I'm busy with this and that. My sleep schedule is crazy. Our dog is older and can't hold it all night anymore. She wakes me between 3-5 am and then every 2-3 hours after that.

 

[aja8888]

Being a widower and not taking care of a sick wife daily, I feel like I have more time now than I ever had. So I got a young dog, and I cut the grass, but when I have a chance, I go sit in my recliner and be lazy. And I don't feel the least bit bad about being in that recliner.

 

[Dawg52]

I’m always lazy on weekends. The working crowd clutters the golf course on weekends so I rest. Back to work golf tomorrow.

 

[kgtest]

It depends. I can be lazy or more or less immobile and selfish to my own needs and demands, while exerting little to no energy for days. But that doesn't happen often. 3 kiddos, 10, 7 and 4. Baseball Coach etc.

But, as I near mid 40s things are catching up. So I feel myself taking the lazy route more often these days.

 

[zangbao]

This is my default setting. One of the reasons I FIREd.

 

[NeilDH]

Bored after one week vacation? You must have had a stress free line of w#rk. When I used to take vacation it took the first week just to decompress and be able to enjoy the second week

Nowadays when discussing the situation with my friend we decided that "being productive" means getting one thing accomplished per day.

I hope you get well soon.

I’m in this one-thing-a-day camp. But that thing could be as simple as a walk or bike ride, or paying two bills, or researching investments. I’m in my rookie FIRE year, so I am indeed working through that guilt of not being busy in some way, though I certainly don’t feel bad about not being as busy as I was with the difficult job. I have really enjoyed just sitting sometimes, and taking time after a workout. I had longed for that time before and I was right.

 

[Badger]

I can't. I just can't. I get out of bed early in the morning. I always have. Daylights burning and there are things to do and I don't want to miss anything. As I get older the mornings are for projects, repairs, honey-do, feeding the animals, and exercise. By noon I am usually too tired to continue so I do a little light reading and take a "nap". Don't necessarily sleep since the monkey in my head keeps thinking of new things to do.

 

[NeilDH]

I can't. I just can't. I get out of bed early in the morning. I always have. Daylights burning and there are things to do and I don't want to miss anything. As I get older the mornings are for projects, repairs, honey-do, feeding the animals, and exercise. By noon I am usually too tired to continue so I do a little light reading and take a "nap". Don't necessarily sleep since the monkey in my head keeps thinking of new things to do.

Nothing wrong with that if you’re excited about all that you’re doing.

 

[Trailwalker]

I have no problems being lazy after the daily to-do list gets done. I often get in an afternoon nap, reading light fiction, and watching some youtube from a comfortable reclining position on the couch. No guilt whatsoever about taking it easy.

 

[Koolau]

I prefer the word "unmotivated" to lazy. I know it's a semantics, but I just don't feel like I'm lazy. If I have motivation, I'll put out a lot of effort. If not, I may not do anything (productive.) I don't feel guilty although, just once in a while, I realize I could have actually accomplished something worth while. I get over that feeling pretty quickly, though. YMMV

 

[jollystomper]

Just as I have periods of high activity, I have periods of relative laziness. From mid-July until early August, with DS, DDIL, and grandkids from overseas in town, along with other kids and family traveling and visiting, we were very active. As soon as everyone left, I spend a few lazy days doing little. Our weekend was busy with fun things, and later this week we will be busy, so today and tomorrow will be lazier. The circle of retirement, I guess .

 

[old medic]

I'm not mentally capable of being lazy... unfortunately I'm physically restricted and it drives me nuts. I'll have days that I overdo it and it takes a day or 2 to recover. Then I can't sleep at night thinking about all I couldn't get done.

 

[pacergal]

I am not lazy, I am retired!
I have daily "tasks" that get done, either today or tomorrow.
No urge to get something done right away.
After Years of answering patient call lights or working on a schedule to see way too many patients in an 8 hour day, I relish my own time and my own schedule.

 

[jollystomper]

Upon reflection, I will now call my "lazy" days my "recharge" days.

 

[38Chevy454]

I don't nap, never have. I do hard work some days, finding my limit is less than it used to be. 4-6 hours of hard work is enough, being retired means if more work is needed can do the remainder the next day or two. I tend to keep pretty active just doing stuff on my old cars, keeping up the yard (2.5 acres), helping DW with house chores, running errands, walking the dogs, and many other things. I can see at some point in future and more years age that I won't do as much. It is nice to be able to stop and take a break whenever I want. Especially in summer to come inside and cool off from the temp and humidity.

 

[MC Rider]

Yes, I can be lazy. But otoh it can get boring.

But this thread inspired me to find and listen to a 1972 performance of Lazy by Deep Purple.
Thanks!

 

[MichaelB]

Someone here on our forum (I think it was Walt34) once wrote “not doing anything is not the same as not having anything to do”.

Not doing anything doesn’t happen naturally, it takes planning and focus, and I’ve tried to develop this skill since retiring. I’ve tried to explain this to DW but she doesn’t agree.

 

[FREE866]

Ha! Great post!
I like to look at it as "living a life of leisure" and I'm extremely happy with it. I'm now 58 years old, in my 8th year of retirement and truly enjoy my downtime of regular exercise, reading, meditation, mostly healthy meals, swimming and daily yoga/stretching. Call it "lazy" but I feel very fulfilled and have never been more content.