Quote:
Originally Posted by M_Six
I'm looking at retiring at the end of April. Wifey keeps asking me what I'm going to do with myself all day. She's 10 years younger and will continue to work. I'm thinking I'll take a gap year and just do projects around the house (of which there are many). I can also get my daily bike rides in early enough that I don't miss dinner. And speaking of which, I need to learn to cook so Wifey doesn't have to when she gets home.
For you folks that have retired, if there are any here, did you have trouble filling your days when you first retired? Was the lifestyle change difficult?
|
I'm finally fully retired and I've had no problem at all keeping busy. I eased into retirement a bit reducing my hours bit by bit instead of stopping cold turkey.
For me, the transition was easy. I'd worked so hard for so many years that, other than trying to be a good husband and father, I had no time really to do other things. With retirement, I'm finally able to do whatever I want, whenever I want. (of course the pandemic is putting a crimp in it).
It did take a few months to get used to it. For example, I'd plan a vacation to Hawaii for a week or 10 days like I always did, not thinking that there's no reason to be back. I started planning longer trips. My last trip, for example, was 6 weeks in Europe: A week in Ireland, 2 weeks in Switzerland, a week on a Danube river cruise, and finally 5 nights in Prague. I never would have taken that kind of time when I was working. My wife and I took a 22 day cruise from Japan to Sydney. Again, something I would have not done while running my business.
Now, I read more, go on hikes almost every day (2 days are with hiking groups to which I belong), do house projects I used to pay others to do. I fired my gardener because he was doing a crappy job. I bought a lawn mower, trimmer, edger, and blower and I actually enjoy doing it myself. I just painted 150' of wrought iron fence. Never wold I have done that while working. I loved it. I'm currently refinishing a dining room table we love. Normally, I'd throw it out and go find a new one. My garage is organized and clean for the first time in my life. I started snow skiing again after several years. Just bought a new pair of skiis.
I have friends who retired and they are unhappy. Why? Their career defined who they were. My brother-in-law was an attorney and that was his brand. We'd play golf with a random twosome and I always bet myself how many seconds it would take him to tell his new captive audience that he was a lawyer. When he retired, he felt incomplete because he wasn't out there slaying dragons and earning money. His job defined him and he really wasn't happy with himself just as a person. I didn't have that problem at all. I worked hard do I could afford to retire. When people ask me what I do, I'm happy to just say, "I'm retired" and leave it at that. So, I think being comfortable in your own skin and feel that you have to justify yourself to anybody is a key to retirement happiness.
In your case, since your wife is younger and still working, it can get a little dynamic. I hike with a guy who's wife still works. He is a high net worth guy but his wife still bugs him from time to time about not being busy, sort of making him feel shamed about no longer working when she still is still employed. She says she is just worried that he is bored (which he is not) but there is underlying tension for sure, even though they are made financially. So, I would say you learning to cook and helping around the house in ways you didn't before could be a good thing.
Sorry to ramble, but when you are retired you have lots of time, including writing long-winded forum responses!
For me, I could have retired years before I actually pulled the trigger. I loved my career. I love being retired even more!
All the best!