New to site and retirement

[Steve K]

Hi,
My name is Steve and today is also my 1st day on this forum. Retired March 6th at 55. Running out of honey-do’s and miss human conversation. Hoping to connect and learn ways to spread my time, especially since we are in a shelter in place scenario, which makes the transition doubly difficult.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

Welcome!

 

[Steve K]

Thank you.

 

[Rustic23]

Welcome! Hope all works out! This is a great site to waste a day!

 

[Steve K]

Thanks! Hoping to obtain insight from folks that have successfully transitioned. Going from many reports to none after many years is a transition and add in the social distancing and shelter in place constraints, it’s really testing me of late. Don’t want to waste a day but make the most of each one. ������

 

[HI Bill]

Welcome! You might want to check out the Life After Fire thread, the Travel Information thread, and the Health and Early Retirement Thread (assuming that you don't have any current financial questions).

 

[Gumby]

Welcome, Steve K. I look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[Steve K]

Thanks Bill

 

[Dtail]

Welcome to our wonderful site.
Lots of great information to be obtained here.
Congrats on your early retirement.

 

[Dawg52]

Congrats on ER. Retiring with a shelter in place is a bummer. I'm sure you were looking forward to various activities as when on vacation and now those are on hold. Don't have any good advice other than to say hang in there. Retirement is great when you can do what you want to do. For me..... I play golf and live on a course that is still open so life is not that much different. But there are other things I like to do so my days are a little more boring too.

 

[Dd852]

Thanks! Hoping to obtain insight from folks that have successfully transitioned. Going from many reports to none after many years is a transition and add in the social distancing and shelter in place constraints, it’s really testing me of late. Don’t want to waste a day but make the most of each one.

Greetings and enjoy the new life. I just want to pick up on the “from many reports to none” line as this was a challenge for me (out at 52 now 60) - it may sound obvious but don’t fall into the trap (which I still do on occasion) of treating your spouse as a report! That can have painful consequences. Very. You need to make a conscious decision of what the new you is going to be. Challenging in lock down for sure, but this is a good time to think about hobbies or things you always wanted to learn or ways you wanted to relax etc etc. it is fine to chop and change a lot - experiment. But do commit serially to things even if those “things” may seem trivial at first. Even a daily commitment to read something or exercise or or or.... is better than having no structure at all if you are used to a life with a lot of structure. You can give up the structure later if you like but it can be a helpful transition.

 

[target2019]

Thanks! Hoping to obtain insight from folks that have successfully transitioned. Going from many reports to none after many years is a transition and add in the social distancing and shelter in place constraints, it’s really testing me of late. Don’t want to waste a day but make the most of each one. ������

I'm no expert, but current social isolation situation is a real stress test of our plans. I got out on 2-28-20 and am experiencing a similar situation as you.

Without a once-a-week grocery run for essentials (and other external diversions), and limited time walking due to weather, it's probably helpful to have something planned for each day of the week. That way I can get one thing under the belt each day, and feel the accomplishment.

 

[VanWinkle]

Welcome Steve!! Not a perfect time to fill your days with activities, but this will pass and you will start living the days you envisioned before retirement.

VW

 

[Red Badger]

Congrats and welcome.

Retiring is akin to a new j*b. It's better to have a plan to "retire to" than just retiring from (that last job). I have a fairly full schedule each day in retirement -and that is by design. The Virus has definitely cramped our frequent travel, but I spend some of that time building new travel plans for when this matter passes. The isolation has also accelerated my basement build out (that includes a home theater - right now much desired). I wake up early, catch a bit of news, pay bills etc; then I have a late breakfast. After that, I go for a 3-5 mile hike. By the time that's done, my day is about half-shot. Many days, yard work or projects around the home fill the remainder of the day. All of this is unhurried and at the pace I choose - some days are fairly "unproductive." Volunteering is also a moderate part of my retirement. Anyway, that's my retirement and I'm sticking to it.

The self isolation is difficult for most everyone and certainly exacerbates any post retirement boredom. Not a lot to offer, except perhaps use this time to make an inventory of activities that you are interested in, as well as those that are unappealing. Then develop an action plan to incorporate your interests into a a plan that works for you and any SO. Some items might be constrained by the current pandemic, but this will hopefully pass in the months ahead (as we all fervently desire).

Best.

 

[street]

I have been retired just about 4 years now. I won't lie it took me about a year just to get unwound and to find my path. I had many hobbies, and many things to do each day but still took me a while to feel totally comfortable being free. I don't think it would be any different then an animal caged for 35/40 years then one day the cage was open to do what you want to do.
Find some hobby or love that you have and take it to the next level.

 

[MRG]

Welcome to a great group. My experience was adjusting to retirement was a process not an event. Hang around,these are trying times even if you hadn't made a huge life change.

For me it took a while, DF was dying as I quit my job, and everything had just changed. However the world was the same. Eventually I came back to what do I want to do with my remaining life.

Hang in there, in a year you will have adjusted much better, feel more comfortable and hopefully our lives can go back to something more normal.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Welcome - haven't been to RR in years - my FIL used to live off Steck/Mopac

 

[RxMan]

Welcome and congrats on your retirement.

 

[pacergal]

Welcome, and congratulations on your retirement. This is a great place to be, share and learn!
Hope to hear more from you.

 

[Gordomd]

My name is steve too , congrads
At 60 have 1-3 more omy

 

[davebarnes]

Dear Steve,
Not possible to run out of honey-dos.
It is the opposite of a black hole.