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 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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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...)

 

[Duds13]

Congrats! I don't have any advice because I'm not there yet, but I imagine, as a few people have mentioned, that you will try to get everything done all at once. You'll now have 5 extra days to get everything done that you used to cram into a weekend plus the extras.

My wife and I just had our annual review with our financial advisor and it's looking REALLY good for me to be done in a couple of years. My wife will work a little longer to maximize her pension, so I will hop on her insurance during that period. I'll be 57-58 when I retire, so it feels good to see the plan coming together after maxing out 401k contribution for so many years.

Best of luck to you and keep us posted on your new life!

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

So many pearls of wisdom, I plan to take with me, thank ya'll.

While in IT it was common to have a punch list. I'd always push through that list determined to finish it in record time. I do have to overcome that mind set of getting it done despite taking lunch or leaving early. I'm in it for the long haul.

Wifey has not worked a public job for over 11 yrs now. She has acclimated to it well, she has lots of projects lined up, unfortunately they start with "WE"... . She has been a good model of staying busy either around the house or helping family with dr visits, cooking meals, baby sitting.

I was telling my wife, it seems so strange to think after about 50 yrs of working and never NOT having a job, it will be an adjustment. Before my overall focus was to help the company I worked for or companies as a consultant. That is one reason I planned to change the family farm (wifes) from tobacco, corn, beans to something that brings healthy happiness to others. Fruits!

I tried to buy tools over the last 10 yrs that can make it so one person can run the farm. So I think I have all the tools I "need" and plan to sell off some old surplus stuff.

Hunting and fishing are important to me and have been all my life but I am also kinda excited about the woodworking. I have watched a lot of inspiring videos egging me on to give em a try.

Lastly with my 4 grand children and 1 Gg son I get to spend more time with them. Looking forward to pass down some "Poppyisms".

Please keep the wisdom/ideas rolling in, I'm a listening.

 

[dodge man]

I’ve found that if you have something to do, like a work project, go to the store, help clean house etc for 2 to 3 hours that will fill up your day.

 

[Duds13]

My wife is giving me a hard time about retiring before she does. I just say to her, just think you will never have to go grocery shopping again. And that house cleaner you always wanted will now be me. I will have no issue going to the grocery store very early in the morning before anyone gets there, and it wont bother me to spend a few hours each week cleaning inside the house.

 

[not2old]

Congrats! I don't have any advice because I'm not there yet, but I imagine, as a few people have mentioned, that you will try to get everything done all at once. You'll now have 5 extra days to get everything done that you used to cram into a weekend plus the extras.

Good luck with that!

 

[Duds13]

Good luck with that!

So you can't fit weekend chores into a full week?

 

[deserteagle71]

I was 70 years old when I retired. I could have retired earlier but I had a job I really enjoyed and looked forward to going to most days. And I worked with some really great people...and that's what I missed most of all when I finally quit going to work. The camaraderie - the teamwork- the friendships. That was 9 years ago.

But I had some long-term projects I needed to complete around my homestead - pretty much full-time jobs in themselves - and those kept me busy for a few years. Now those are done, and with winter coming on, pretty much leaving me house-bound, I'm seriously thinking of getting at least a part time job, just to keep myself busy. I'm the type of person who has to keep busy all the time...too much idle time is not good for me!

I'm also an outdoors person and the one big advantage of being retired is that now, if the weather is nice, I can stop what I'm doing and head for the desert and the mountains. Seems that when I was working, all the good weather was always during the middle of the week. On my days off it was raining, snowing, or blowing! Now I have time to do the exploring I love to do...like finding this very remote crash site of a WWII B-24 bomber in southern Oregon:

 

[Oaktree]

Congrats on your new retirement! Lots of good points here.

I've been semi/mostly retired since 2012. I was 62. It was a bit "forced" in the sense that the company I worked for went into bankruptcy, and I was not retained by the new owners who bought the business at fire-sale prices. Wasn't exactly brokenhearted over that.
I did do contract work for them, and for a couple other related companies in the area, still doing it to some extent but things are winding down. In fact, this year wife and I did a road trip, and I essentially told everyone that I'd be unreachable for the duration. It felt weird, but good at the same time.

Several posters have commented on the "how'd I ever have time to do all these projects and still hold down a fulltime job?". Very true. Of course you can pick away at projects, you don't need to go all in to get it done over a weekend anymore.
Got an old childhood friend who retired about the same time as me...has no hobbies, projects, etc., lives in suburbia. Basically spends his day in front of the tv or on Facebook, etc. Sad.

75 now, don't know how many years I have left...no man on either side ever made it to 85 (father came the closest), so I'm trying to make the most of every day I have left. One thing that I do that greatly decreases stress levels is to almost totally ignore news/current events, and avoid political discussions. No minds are ever changed so why get all worked up about it?

EDIT: One piece of advice; keep an open mind, don't let yourself become a crabby old man stuck in some mythical good old days.

 

[EscapedSuburbia]

Congratulations, you're going to love it. You can wake up in the morning and after a cup of coffee decide to work on a project around the property, go fishing, take the dog for a walk, or do nothing at all. It's your choice. For the first year or so my wife would ask me every morning, "so what are you going to do today?" My answer was always, "whatever the hell I want." What baffles me is when I see people go back to work because they're bored or need "purpose". Trading money they don't need for time they can't get back.

 

[kenmbz]

Congrats and have fun not reporting in!
I still have 4 years since my son is still in college.
Keep busy !