Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned

   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #1,411  
I have a few more years, but most people I know find themselves wondering how they ever got anything done before they retired.
Those who don't find things to do and complain about being bored...it seems like just a short time before I read their obituaries in the newspaper.
It's probably that people who don't do anything lack the physical or mental health to stay active. The big description of ageing is, "Use it or lose it." I watch maybe four hours of TV a week. The rest of my time is spent doing something, from practicing a foreign language to metal fab and blacksmithing. I do a couple half hour sessions of aerobic walking every day just to keep the blood circulating. I'm sure my active lifestyle is how I survived last year's episode of septic shock followed by anaphylactic shock due to the antibiotic they gave me for the septic shock.

We all end up on the wrong side of the dirt. I'm not going to waste the time I have left.
 
   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #1,412  
After retirement I'm happier now than ever before in my life. I have 10 projects going on all the time as well as trying new/learning new things. Buying land, a farm is exciting. New tractor and equipment. Another new horse. Helping the wife putting up Halloween decorations. Building things. Fabricating things. Miles of trails right here to ride horses on. I've never played golf...why not now? Visiting old friends. Travel. Read.
Life is good, but you have to do things.
Good for You!!!!
 
   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #1,413  
After retirement I'm happier now than ever before in my life. I have 10 projects going on all the time as well as trying new/learning new things. Buying land, a farm is exciting. New tractor and equipment. Another new horse. Helping the wife putting up Halloween decorations. Building things. Fabricating things. Miles of trails right here to ride horses on. I've never played golf...why not now? Visiting old friends. Travel. Read.
Life is good, but you have to do things.
be careful if take up golf....you might give up everything else

golf is a 4 letter word
 
   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #1,414  
Adler's definition of work covered more than the 9 to 5 routine. His thing was nearing retirement you still have value, expertise and wisdom, you need to work to create that good life in retirement.

“Find a way to work for the sake of others and you will step up”
Dr. Mortimer Adler

I find philosophy to be of great value in this time of my life.

For retirement, conceived as a protracted vacation, is a form of prolonged suicide. It marks the first formal stage on the road to oblivion.

Dr. Mortimer Adler

Extracted from the book:
Boundless Potential: Transform Your Brain, Unleash Your Talents, Reinvent Your Work in Midlife and Beyond
By Mark S. Walton

Wow, disagree.
Working and putting away money is essential to creating a good life for you and your family.

But after that is accomplished I think one should then move on to being creative, free, and no longer accountable to someone who is making money on your labor, more money than you are being paid. Of course this assumes you will move on to doing something interesting. Including self employment if that's what you want to do, as soon as you can afford to gamble that this will succeed. (Worst case I can think of is something like 3/4 of new restaurants fail).

All of this as contrasted to that 'protracted vacation', in the worst case watching political TV all day, which is the living death your quote describes.

Look to how Europeans live. A month vacation earned for each year employed isn't unusual. That's more civilized living, compared to the few hours of vacation earned per month that is common here.
 
   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #1,416  
LOL.

I get a few of those every few years. It's crazy.

As a side note, your personal information still bleeds through.
 
   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #1,417  
Yes, but they typically do not do it until they get near the tipping point. Wages going up gets them to that point faster.
I spent some time in manufacturing (world-leading company) and we'd upgrade and automate with the introduction of a new product line.
 
   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #1,418  
With inflation, you don't really know what your expense will be in a year or 5 years. I thought things were going great a year ago and then inflation hit. Of course everybody knew it was going to happen when they started printing money. It looks like they want to keep the presses going and that is scary.
Yes, but... One knows what one expenses (<- verb). That is, the THING that one is paying out for. Having more things to expense is/was my point. Other than this, yes, there's little control over much of anything.
 
   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #1,420  
As a side note, your personal information still bleeds through.
I noticed that as well. I never do a soft screen on personal information. If I were to have taken that picture I would have set a pencil or something over the name, account number or whatever.
 
 
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