"What will you do with your time...?"

[braumeister]

My answer is simple.

The same things you're going to do on your next vacation. Ever notice how at the end of a vacation you wish you could have an extra week or two before going back to work? Well, I'm giving myself that extra time. All I want.

 

[Options]

"What will you do with your time...?"

The clock runs faster when you are not working, I swear. So, you have so little time, even when you are not doing anything worthwhile to write home about.

PS. The corollary of the above is that you have to retire early, because the years in retirement before you croak are shorter than you think.

I couldn't agree more. I can't believe how fast time flies in retirement--just yesterday it was October first and now we're in November, how did that happen? Where did the days go? I have no idea how I ever had time to work. I agree with the statement above about needing to take a day off in retirement, I just never have time to do it...

 

[Teacher Terry]

One of the things I have noticed about being semi-retired is that I have the time and energy to plan things and have a great time. For instance, I have 4 good friends from HS that live all over the country and we see each other about once every 10 years. We would all meet in our hometown because all our parents were there. So I planned for all of them to come to our house for a week last June. I planned a year in advance because some are still working. The second they got here we all just started talking and it was like no time had passed and we were still young. I would have not done that if I was still working f.t. I teach an online college class from home. I used to do quite a bit of consulting but now rarely do and only as a favor to 2 friends when they need me. I was fully retired for 7 months and did not like it so for me this has been the perfect balance. I can teach from anywhere with internet so have done it on a cruise and while in Poland. My DH retired at 53 when he got laid-off and could not find a job. He has worked some during the past 5 years and as we speak is interviewing for a project that will last 2 years and is f.t. WE have been able to help some friends stay in their home /stay together longer then they could have ( about a year) before things got so bad for them health wise. I am glad we were able to give them that gift.

 

[Dawg52]

I agree with the statement above about needing to take a day off in retirement.

Not me.....I made a commitment to retirement and I'm sticking to it.

 

[pb4uski]

One of the astounding things that I found out once I retired was how content I can be just puttering around and not doing much of anything.

 

[Big_Hitter]

One of the astounding things that I found out once I retired was how content I can be just puttering around and not doing much of anything.

w*rks for me (pun intended)

 

[scrabbler1]

I worked part-time for the last 7 years of my career, so I had built up a good set of activities to do in the weekdays I wasn't working. Those included resurrecting an old hobby while starting some new ones.


It became a challenge trying to juggle those things while working as many as 3 days a week (I had been mostly telecommuting but the bigwigs took it away 2 years into my part-time days). I reduced that to 2 days a week which eased things but it wasn't until I ERed that I was freed from the frequent scheduling conflicts between work and my other activities. After I ERed, the only scheduling conflicts I had were between the activities themselves which rarely happened.

 

[FIREmenow]

One of the astounding things that I found out once I retired was how content I can be just puttering around and not doing much of anything.

You're my hero.

 

[exnavynuke]

One of the astounding things that I found out once I retired was how content I can be just puttering around and not doing much of anything.

I've got years to go until I FIRE and I've already got that realization down pat

It's been one of my favorite plans for many of my "staycations" over the past few years.

 

[Walt34]

One of the astounding things that I found out once I retired was how content I can be just puttering around and not doing much of anything.

Same here, and I was in a job that much of the time was fairly high pressure, high visibility, and very little room for error.

Now pretty much the only things I commit to are going to the gym every other day and go for a long walk on alternate days. Sometimes fly a small foamie R/C airplane in the back yard, watch youtube and Amazon Prime videos, go out to lunch with DW, and of course post here.

 

[medved]

I'm not at all surprised that people who haven't been considering retirement don't know what they would do in retirement, like people who don't own cars don't know where nearby gas stations are. I don't think asking what a retiree would do all day needs to be interpreted as a challenge, especially when it is often asked as chit-chat while mingling.

I agree it was not intended as a challenge, and I certainly did not take any offense. (In any event, even if it were a challenge, I like people to challenge my ideas; it makes me think more about them, and sometimes refine them). They just don't understand what any reasonably smart, driven, professionally successful person under the age of, say, 60 or 65, would do all day if they no longer worked. And they seem to think that ER does not make sense unless one knows, with great specificity, what one would do with each of the available hours and days.... Really, ER has just never occurred to them. But I got the reaction so often, from almost everyone, including people I think (thought?) I have a lot in common with. It did make me sort of wonder whether there's something I am missing.

 

[RobbieB]

Me thinks that lots of people don't really know how to do anything but their job.

 

[ohyes]

I'm not at all surprised that people who haven't been considering retirement don't know what they would do in retirement, like people who don't own cars don't know where nearby gas stations are. I don't think asking what a retiree would do all day needs to be interpreted as a challenge, especially when it is often asked as chit-chat while mingling.

Agree, although I think I saw the questioning as a challenge during my last few months of work. I remember wondering how retired folks filled their days (it seemed nigh impossible) a few years before the retirement bug got me....but was taken aback when folks asked me that question. Now, I know it is often just curiosity....nothing more.

A few of my co-workers who seemed most curious are still working, while many have retired. I had lunch a few weeks ago (at my former work place) with one of my closest work-buddies. Retirement is not yet on her radar, but we talked a lot about her miserable marriage. Work is her bright spot. I have thought on that conversation often in the last couple weeks. DH and I were leaving on a cruise two days after our lunch. My friend probably has no desire to cruise with her DH and thus....she continues to work...and does an extraordinary job.

We all make it as best we can.

 

[38Chevy454]

As said by many replies before mine, I believe for many the sad fact is they define their life by work and do not have any real hobbies or activities. They may have a job to retire from, but have nothing to retire to. Very sad IMHO.

I like and basically have it good in my work as engineer, I just like the things I do outside of work a lot more. I do not define my life by my work.

Those asking the question may also be hiding some jealousy if there financial situation is not as healthy as they would like it. Thus accepting of working longer is their plan.

 

[RobbieB]

I had lunch a few weeks ago (at my former work place) with one of my closest work-buddies. Retirement is not yet on her radar, but we talked a lot about her miserable marriage. Work is her bright spot. We all make it as best we can.

Oh yeah. Going to work is way better than her husband. Easy. Divorce is in the plan. Sucks.

Yeah, probably a reason a lot of people work.

 

[John Galt III]

I am very glad most people want to keep working until 65 or so, since they are paying taxes, keeping the economy productive, etc.! (Yes, I know we retired folks pay taxes too)

 

[traineeinvestor]

A few thought I would get bored and go back to work just for something to do, but most were aware that I had plenty of things lined up to keep me busy.

In contrast, the firm I consult for on a very part time basis has decided to close it's Hong Kong office at year end and a couple of colleagues in my age group are facing forced retirement and are worried about what they will do all day. Best advice I can offer is to come up with a few things before their significant others does it for them.

 

[HadEnuff]

Since I retired 7 years ago.
Fly for Angel Flight West
Fly for Pilots & Paws
Flew a B-25
Flew a Mig-15
Volunteer on a tourist railroad
Do data analysis for a food bank
Travel about 2 months a year
Sit on our porch with my Kindle Fire reading and looking at a 2000 foot mountain a mile away.
Life is good. Tomorrow we will be celebrating our 9th anniversary!

Mine would have been a very short retirement had I tried any of the first 4 things on your list. In fact, I would not have made it past #1.

 

[Scuba]

As said by many replies before mine, I believe for many the sad fact is they define their life by work and do not have any real hobbies or activities. They may have a job to retire from, but have nothing to retire to. Very sad IMHO.

+1
I just FIRED yesterday at 56 from a C-level position. Several colleagues predicted I'll be back to work after taking a break to "recharge." I attribute this reaction partly to lack of imagination and interests outside of work and partly to envy.

I used to get the same reaction from people when I was in my 30's and said I didn't want children. I can't count how many people said "oh, you'll change your mind." Never even came close. I think people are well-intentioned but tend to impose their own values on others. Do what you think is best for you and listen to your gut.