Well... Tomorrow's the big day.. "R" Day!

[gstrom99]

Congrats! I retired Oct 1, 2020. Sold the Illinois home and moved out to rural Iowa (acreage I bought in 2017) in July '21. I have had NO issues staying busy out here, and hopefully you do too. Good health helps.

 

[paulsharvey]

Well, im 30 years away (42 now, and expect to work till 72.5), so... but when I worked for the county, the joke was, when you have the retirement party, go ahead and make a calender invite 48 months out for the funeral. Many folks we worked with, only reason to get up was work, and when they stopped doing that, they did nothing.

It doesn't sound like that's your mind set, but it's pretty common for people to just waste away for a few years and be gone. Doesn't really matter if it's golf, fishing, hunting, wood working, gardening, whatever there has to be something to fill that time.

Also, my mom's husband has an addictive personality; so he would go insanely into a hobby, could be pool, fishing, golf, whatever, 4/5 days week, to the point he was better than "average" but could never be better than folks "gifted" in it; and get frustrated and start a new thing. Guess the lesson, even fishing can be work; probably better to fish a couple times a week, shoot skeet once a week, whatever, and have some variety in life.

 

[BackRoad]

Retired 6 years ago...but it feels like 6 weeks!
1. Keep moving and stay active.

2. Make a big goal list - and a daily ToDo list.
> The daily ToDo keeps you focused and you'll get energy from seeing the daily stuff being accomplished.
> Don't let the daily ToDo's prevent doing the big goal list!
> It sounds crazy, but we still take vacations from retirement for travel and adventures. It gives us something special to look forward to!

3. As much as you love your wife, you'll now be around her 24 hours a day.
> You'll need to work double-hard on the relationship...don't let the romance die before you do...

4. Every day is a gift from God, you can now fully enjoy each one.
> I've got a mile long view to a major road across the lake. After 6 years, I'm still up at 5am drinking coffee, sitting in the quiet dark, watching folks on that road on their commute to work...and thanking my Father in heaven that's it's not me any longer...

5. My favorite saying has become "...All we have is time..."
> We worked hard and saved for 50 years. Time was always the enemy - too little and none to waste!
> Now we set the priorities, now we set the schedule, now we determine the deadlines!
> The little stuff doesn't matter any longer! Now we happily keep our sanity whether sitting in a waiting room for a Dr. appointment, or waiting in a checkout line.
> The passing of time no longer controls us!
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.
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And congratulations Mr. Part-Time-Farmer...now you too get to choose what is important for you...and what your new priorities will be.

Your new freedom is priceless...

 

[otlski]

I am two weeks into retirement now. Like you, I have a retainer and expect to reboot an R&D project once the company hires the right person to get it over the goal line. I am busy with a mountain of house and property things that accumulated over the last five years (I am 62). I am not missing any of it. It is weird working some project outside and to not feel rushed to make certain headway before the weekend ends, and the work week starts. I am getting more steps in per day than when I worked.

My good friend and colleague of 30 years worked his last day today. I think he will struggle more as he remained almost strictly technical and had little mangerial duties.

 

[not2old]

I'm 77 and retired in 2010 at 62. My experience is that I still have lots to do and I find that I'm so slow at getting things done that I don't get a day off anymore and never know what day it is unless I look at the calendar.

 

[Torvy]

Pace yourself. At first, I tried to do too much too quickly. I was exhausted and injuries take longer to heal after 60. Also take time to adjust to the change.

Most of us were used to trying to squeeze our to-do list into a weekend. You have more time, it's OK to use it.

I like lists; projects, goals, fun things I want to do, places I want to see.

If it wasn't for garbage day and church, I would not know what day it is. That's OK, too.

 

[Oz_Kioti]

77 here too - retired from flying in 2012. And recurring dreams? Often, about flying without a current medical certificate. My ATPL is good forever, provided it's accompanied by a current medical certificate, which I haven't bothered renewing since retiring. And in the dreams, I've been talked into flying one more time, and even in the dream, realise what a idiot I am to have been pressured into it!

I haven't flown since I retired, and don't miss it. Saw lots of places, did recurrent sim training in the States, UAE and the UK, but now just as happy as a pig in **** on the farm and not having to deal with the daily traffic grind when I worked out of Brisbane.

And the joke is that my older sister said when I retired that now, "you're your own boss - you can do as much or little as you like". There just aren't enough hours in the day to do all the stuff I want to do. I love bluegrass music, so bought a nice new banjo with the intention of sitting on the deck for an hour a day learning how to make music with it. Apart from tuning it with one of those electronic tuning gizmos, that's all I've done with it - in 13 years!!!

One day... (or to quote CCR - "Someday Never Comes"

 

[bigtiller]

Over 20 years since my last paycheck and I am flabbergasted at how expensive everything is.

I am still used to 2004 prices and I still need to figure how many widgets I would have had to build at my old job, to pay for that new toy I want.

Just have fun on your retirement!!

 

[anomad]

77 here too - retired from flying in 2012. And recurring dreams? Often, about flying without a current medical certificate. My ATPL is good forever, provided it's accompanied by a current medical certificate, which I haven't bothered renewing since retiring. And in the dreams, I've been talked into flying one more time, and even in the dream, realise what a idiot I am to have been pressured into it!

I haven't flown since I retired, and don't miss it. Saw lots of places, did recurrent sim training in the States, UAE and the UK, but now just as happy as a pig in **** on the farm and not having to deal with the daily traffic grind when I worked out of Brisbane.

And the joke is that my older sister said when I retired that now, "you're your own boss - you can do as much or little as you like". There just aren't enough hours in the day to do all the stuff I want to do. I love bluegrass music, so bought a nice new banjo with the intention of sitting on the deck for an hour a day learning how to make music with it. Apart from tuning it with one of those electronic tuning gizmos, that's all I've done with it - in 13 years!!!

One day... (or to quote CCR - "Someday Never Comes"

Practice dueling banjos. At least the first few lines. And watch Burt Reynolds in the old movie "Deliverance". Filmed in my back yard. I can't play banjo, but I can pick guitar ok.

 

[Oz_Kioti]

Ahh - Deliverance. Some substitutions went on there. Billy Redden, who played Lonnie (the boy on the deck) had a local musician reaching around him to actually "play" the banjo, but the actual banjo soundtrack was by the expert muso's Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell. (I'm told...)