First week FIREd: What are your Tips and Suggestions?

[FLSUnFIRE]

This coming week is my last week of w*rk at 47! I have thoughts and loose goals (maintain and improve mental, physical, social health; enjoy life; etc) regarding how I will live post FIRE but expect the first few weeks to be de-compressive and mostly plan to rest A LOT. -It's a big life change that is not without stress and I am so tired of answering "What are you going to do?"



That said, I'm a firm believer that we are all functions of our habits and will work quickly to establish habits and routines that are healthy and in alignment with my values, and, probably more importantly early on to avoid bad habits (drinking, excessive internet time-wasting, etc).


I would really like to hear from you successful FIREes if you would be so kind and share your tips experiences that may help me and others as they start their post-career lives! What are you glad you did, wish you did, or wish you didn't do as you launched your new life?


I'm considering a 24 hr fast to start the "w*rk week" (I want to get back to intermittent fasting a few days a week) as well as a possible digital fast for several days (computer/phone/internet only when needed with a clear purpose-working HOA budget, personal finance, etc). The only plans I have is drafting a more detailed "announcement" post here with a summary of my FIRE journey and and sending a few letters/emails to thank a few people that impacted me over my life/career.


Thanks!


FLSunFIRE

 

[lordjust]

This coming week is my last week of w*rk at 47! I have thoughts and loose goals (maintain and improve mental, physical, social health; enjoy life; etc) regarding how I will live post FIRE but expect the first few weeks to be de-compressive and mostly plan to rest A LOT. -It's a big life change that is not without stress and I am so tired of answering "What are you going to do?"



That said, I'm a firm believer that we are all functions of our habits and will work quickly to establish habits and routines that are healthy and in alignment with my values, and, probably more importantly early on to avoid bad habits (drinking, excessive internet time-wasting, etc).


I would really like to hear from you successful FIREes if you would be so kind and share your tips experiences that may help me and others as they start their post-career lives! What are you glad you did, wish you did, or wish you didn't do as you launched your new life?


I'm considering a 24 hr fast to start the "w*rk week" (I want to get back to intermittent fasting a few days a week) as well as a possible digital fast for several days (computer/phone/internet only when needed with a clear purpose-working HOA budget, personal finance, etc). The only plans I have is drafting a more detailed "announcement" post here with a summary of my FIRE journey and and sending a few letters/emails to thank a few people that impacted me over my life/career.


Thanks!


FLSunFIRE

I’ll be interested in your activities due to our similar ages. I haven’t pulled the cord yet but I am hoping to travel, hike, gym, sports, read to keep busy. Funny enough I was just promoted today and all I could do was laugh and/or groan because I plan on quitting.

 

[Ronstar]

Congrats! You'll need some hobbies. Hobbies are the fun way to conquer "What will I do all day?"

I spend most of my days playing with my hobbies. And it's great when hobbies work well together. For me, photography works well with travel. I consider hiking and biking as hobbies, and they also provide some exercise.

With enough hobbies, you will never get bored.

 

[street]

Well, congratulations on a very early retirement.

Like Ronstar said, find a hobby and something that you love to do and take it the next level. The hard part you have accomplished, now it is just finding your way, which is the most fun of being retired.

 

[WhenIsItTime]

I retired at similar age two yrs ago. I focus my time on two boys, daily exercise incl. couple sports, having fun everyday, and supporting a couple non-profits with my time.

I had a home improvement DIY phase the first winter that kept me busy. Was great to get several projects done. That has run its course. More inclined to hire it out now. Last winter I built a golf simulator and use it a lot!

I do an alcohol fasting (days off) each week (everyday seems deserving of happy hour!!). I really like your idea of device fasting. I read the news and a couple forums too often.

Congrat’s! You are successful. Channel that talent and motivation to positive things in your life and you will continue to do great!

 

[Dtail]

Congrats! You'll need some hobbies. Hobbies are the fun way to conquer "What will I do all day?"

I spend most of my days playing with my hobbies. And it's great when hobbies work well together. For me, photography works well with travel. I consider hiking and biking as hobbies, and they also provide some exercise.

With enough hobbies, you will never get bored.

+1 on the hobbies.
My main daily hobbies are Pickleball, gardening, investing and slowly getting back to travel. Plus if your personality was not wrapped up in your career, it will be an easier transition.
I had a stressful but rewarding and challenging career with 72 folks reporting to me at the end. I don't miss it one bit and can truly state that I am never bored in retirement, even on the occasional days when we just do nothing.

 

[Aerides]

First week? Chill! Give yourself a transition break. Or a short trip, something.

Allow yourself that mental decompress time, sit long with your morning coffee, and let the days unfold.

Second week? Start the new habits and hobbies.

 

[finnski1]

De stress. Don't do anything extraordinary or impulsive for at least a month or two. Enjoy! The hobbies will come as you relax more.

 

[steady saver]

I remember that an older friend once told me that after retirement, plan on a year of decompression. In that year you don't have to plan to accomplish anything if you don't want to, it's all about just "being"...I pooh poohed it in my mind, but she was right at least in the big scheme of things. I think the hardest thing for me has been to find the sweet spot of being okay with enjoying life, "wasting" time, etc while also adding a needed routine for scaffolding to my days. That routine changes but right now it includes riding my bike after lunch and doing a yoga routine about an hour before bed. If the rest of my day doesn't go how I would've liked, I feel content having taken care of myself.

 

[Montecfo]

First week?

Relax
Think
Imagine

Lots of time later for anything more ambitious.

 

[Bamaman]

Have you considered sleeping late your first week--completely decompressing.
I spend much of my early mornings getting caught up on what all's happening in world news online.
Eating breakfast while watching Let's Make a Deal is a positive activity.
After a week of doing nothing, I suggest doing what Floridians so often do--head for the Northeast Georgia Mountains for a complete change of scenery.

There's plenty of time to get into a daily routine.

One thing I avoided was ever calling the office as they're still in business and doing well 12 years later without me. All my co-workers are now retired, however very few ever even talk to each other.

 

[ThunderFIRE]

I am close to pulling the trigger (sometime in the next 3-9 months) and am scared and nervous about what I will do to fill my time. The ability to retire early kind of snuck up on me and I've only really been mentally preparing for the past 6 months or so as I've come to realize that I no longer get the same satisfaction out of my career that kept me motivated for 30+ years.

Good luck to you, and I'm enjoying seeing the responses in this thread. Congrats to you for retiring at your age!

 

[qwerty3656]

I am close to pulling the trigger (sometime in the next 3-9 months) and am scared and nervous about what I will do to fill my time. The ability to retire early kind of snuck up on me and I've only really been mentally preparing for the past 6 months or so as I've come to realize that I no longer get the same satisfaction out of my career that kept me motivated for 30+ years.

Good luck to you, and I'm enjoying seeing the responses in this thread. Congrats to you for retiring at your age!

same boat as you, retiring soon and not sure I have a retirement plan. I'm not Mr Social, so am I going to "get out" enough.

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

Thanks for the responses so far. I definitely think I will sleep a lot initially (For me, I was up at 4:20 today...eventually, I expect I'll mostly wake with the sun and stay out a bit later with friends rather than be the first to leave!). I expect I'll may have a mild funk/withdraw a bit as I absorb my new reality ...I don't think it will be bad but just part of the decompression process. After that, I expect contentment to predominate my mood(which seems to confuse a lot of people that view everything as binary happy/sad).



I'm not making "plans" yet, as someone here suggested (or perhaps I read somewhere else) that can set you up to feel "failure" to live up to your FIRE expectations.



I enjoy puttering (don't have a yard) and have had several hobbies in the past and tend to become engrossed, reach a level of mastery that I am a happy with, and move on. Some of which I may revisit and I'm sure new things will take hold. I'd kind of like to learn a musical instrument but not making that a goal as it will take a significant commitment to be successful. I "stole" all my dad's stained glass tools and materials so that will probably be my first foray into a new hobby once I can buy non-inflated lumber to build a bench. I played around with stained glass a little when he got into it many years ago but never enough to get good... I have a few project ideas as my skill develops and might even batch out some things once I master it for gifts and possibly sell for fun.


I don't get bored easily and if I do, I have a rule to go grab a trash bag and clean up my block! There is always litter in the city and it is a positive use of my time that gets me out of the house and active... and living in an urban environment there are plenty of jerks littering so that will always be an option!


FLSunFIRE

 

[dp226]

Retired just over 1 month ago. Take a trip to make a real transition. I did not even though many of my friends suggested it. I should have taken their advise in hindsight.

I was doing a split between work from home and working in the office before I retired. The work at home helped with the transition to some extent but I think it confused it as well. Woke up the first Monday morning feeling I needed to be doing something but was not sure what it was. I think if I had gone on a trip, that first week would have been easier not thinking I had things to do. My normal routine for the last 30+ years would have been broken but just being at the house did not create that psychological break for me.

My wife keeps telling me it all does not have to be done right now. You actually have tomorrow to work on some of the projects. It has taken all month to start believing her.

One other tip I got was do not get to concerned about the expenses the first couple of months. All the little projects you have been putting off for years will now come up as will the costs associated. My big example is the doorbell on the house has been broken for the last 10 years and was never a priority. It got used 2-3 times. year so big deal. Though only a $20 fix, it got fixed the end of the first week. There were several other things like that (which cost even more) that have been getting done for no pressing reason other than why not and I can. I still have several other projects that I want to do but I finally stopped obsessing about them last week (30 days) and have decided to go a little slower since I have another 30 years to get them done.

 

[tb001]

Retired just over 1 month ago. Take a trip to make a real transition. I did not even though many of my friends suggested it. I should have taken their advise in hindsight.

I was doing a split between work from home and working in the office before I retired. The work at home helped with the transition to some extent but I think it confused it as well. Woke up the first Monday morning feeling I needed to be doing something but was not sure what it was. I think if I had gone on a trip, that first week would have been easier not thinking I had things to do. My normal routine for the last 30+ years would have been broken but just being at the house did not create that psychological break for me.

My wife keeps telling me it all does not have to be done right now. You actually have tomorrow to work on some of the projects. It has taken all month to start believing her.

One other tip I got was do not get to concerned about the expenses the first couple of months. All the little projects you have been putting off for years will now come up as will the costs associated. My big example is the doorbell on the house has been broken for the last 10 years and was never a priority. It got used 2-3 times. year so big deal. Though only a $20 fix, it got fixed the end of the first week. There were several other things like that (which cost even more) that have been getting done for no pressing reason other than why not and I can. I still have several other projects that I want to do but I finally stopped obsessing about them last week (30 days) and have decided to go a little slower since I have another 30 years to get them done.

I like your advice regarding expenses. We’ve spent a LOT on the house in the last year, in part due to market gains, but also because there is just so much more time to get things done. I worried initially, but most of the big projects are either things the previous owners deferred maintenance on or will lower ongoing expenses. We’re finally starting to wind down and have most of the big stuff crossed off the list. I was worried it would be never ending.

 

[W2R]

I remember that an older friend once told me that after retirement, plan on a year of decompression. In that year you don't have to plan to accomplish anything if you don't want to, it's all about just "being"...I pooh poohed it in my mind, but she was right at least in the big scheme of things. I think the hardest thing for me has been to find the sweet spot of being okay with enjoying life, "wasting" time, etc while also adding a needed routine for scaffolding to my days. That routine changes but right now it includes riding my bike after lunch and doing a yoga routine about an hour before bed. If the rest of my day doesn't go how I would've liked, I feel content having taken care of myself.

+1 For me, de-stressing was like peeling an onion - - it took over a year to peel off layers of stress from all those years of working. I'd think, "Oh NOW I am completely de-stressed!" and then I'd find another layer of stress below. I am glad that I let myself do that.

I also made a conscious effort to add a little structure to my day, so that I didn't feel lost. Going to the gym every day was a nice routine that helped in this regard. Besides, it was a healthy thing for me to do.

 

[martyp]

For me the first month was a milestone month because I had never been away from work that long. Yes there are some decompression days. They will feel familiar to past vacations but after two weeks you will realize you don’t have to go back to work. It is OK to keep in touch with friends from work but give it a rest for the first month. I had a short bucket list of things I started to take care of. Some were house repair tasks. I signed up for some classes. I signed up with a personal trainer at a gym. I resolved to never watch TV during the day. I settled into a home routine that just took the world in more slowly.

 

[Major Tom]

First week? Chill! Give yourself a transition break. Or a short trip, something.

Allow yourself that mental decompress time, sit long with your morning coffee, and let the days unfold.

Second week? Start the new habits and hobbies.

+1 to this, but I wouldn't even put any time constraints on it. On my first day, I got out of bed when I felt like it, made coffee, and then did what I wanted to, when I wanted.

I've been doing pretty much the same ever since. As others have said, it really helps to have interests and hobbies, as well as at least a minimum of structure to your days/weeks.

 

[Markola]

Congrats, OP! It’s been one year and two days for me since I left at 54. “Early Retirement” is only now finally transitioning into just plain “life.”

If you’re at all like me, you’ll have whole weeks with nothing on the calendar, which takes some getting used to.

Every now and then, no matter the numbers, you’ll second guess yourself and wonder if you did the right thing, because habits are hard to break, ER is so unusual and role models are hard to come by. It really helped me to talk with our financial planner and hear him say, “Trust the numbers.”

If you decide - LATER - to earn some money anyway, there are lots of ways to do it. For myself, I would have been no good to anyone for the past year, but now I’ve gotten a couple of small streams of income going and it feels good at this time to be creative again after doing nothing.

If you are in a relationship, it’s only natural that some adjustments are bound to be needed given the big shift in daily patterns.

I could go on but take it one fresh day at a time and you’ll be in a different place in a year, with the button fully reset and with fresh eyes to rebuild, piece by intentional piece, your next chapter. Enjoy!

 

[pacergal]

Retired end of November 2016, about a week later, left with DH for 2 weeks in Hawaii.
Came back still in vacay mode, able to wake up each day and decide "What do I want to do today?"
Continue to wake up with that feeling! Best part of retirement, freedom to do what I want, when I want!

 

[Sunset]

Spend your time on here

 

[Surewhitey]

I've transitioned to being a part time designer / cabinetry / furniture builder. One of my happy places. I'm on the patio the first couple of hours and then off to w*... my hobby.

Also, this allows me to help others with their projects. Currently I'm planning on installing a ramp for an elderly friend & another wants to install an engineered flooring in a room. Both from church group.

We also have more people over for dinner and a game. They all end up liking & wanting the game (I make these as gifts too). Yesterday's guests took one home just last night after playing past 10 (the new midnight).

Do good & you'll never regret it.

 

[Scuba]

I’ve been ER’d almost 5 years. My career was pretty demanding and I had to have a lot of structure in my life to accomplish what I wanted to. It has been really nice to let go of that in ER.

- I don’t set my alarm clock unless I have an early appointment.
- I avoided making commitments to new volunteer opportunities or consulting or any of those things for the first 1-2 years to figure out how I wanted to spend my time.
- Every year has been different. Spent 3 months in the Caribbean as a post-ER celebration about 6 months after ER. Wonderful! 6 weeks in Greece the following year. Slow travel is one of the most satisfying things we’ve done in ER. The following year, 6 weeks in Palm Springs which led us to moving there full time, buying another property and doing a major remodel on it. Then COVID. Now resuming travel and getting out. Just spent 2 months in USVI.
- When we are home, surprisingly I do not feel the need for a structured routine. Quite the contrary! I enjoy having a variety of options - several different fitness activities, time with DH at home, going out to eat, running errands, time with friends, just reading a book while on a raft in the pool. It’s all good and way more fun than working.
- Just this year, I decided I was a little bored so I joined a couple of HOA Committees. Then I started a Women’s friendship group and membership shot up to well over 200 in 3 weeks! So now I’m a little overcommitted and certainly not bored at all.

To summarize, I guess I’ve “gone with the flow,” and look forward to continually evolve. I will say that a huge benefit of ER is being able to devote significant time to health and fitness.

 

[1242Vintage]

First few weeks after retirement I didn’t do much. Nothing on the schedule besides sleeping in, a little exercise mid-day at the gym, and a few light jobs around the house and orchard.

A year into retirement and I’m into a routine that I love. Typically a morning session at the gym, one job outside around the house or orchard followed by a late afternoon mountain bike ride. And some travel thrown in every few months.

Retirement is my fountain of youth. Health is better, weight is lower, maintenance on house and orchard all caught up, and relationships with family are stronger.

Best wishes finding your path into retirement. Enjoy the journey.