If this is what retirement is like... I aint ready

[Paul G]

Had back surgery on December 31st, New Years Eve. Have been home ever since. I am about done with recovery and therapy. I can go back to work in a few weeks, hopefully.

To tell you the truth, I am not ready for staying home every day. I am starting to get a little bored. In the beginning when I could only do very little before I was worn out and done for the day, it was kind of nice to be home. Small chores took all day and I was busy. Now that I can do more, more than what I could do a month or two ago, being home all day is no fun. I need to get back to work as soon as I am able.  

[ITSA426]

You're probably not doing it right.  I'm loving retirement.  I'm as busy as I want to be.

[70sixpkrt]

I've been retired for the last 3 years. It's a blessing and a curse. The blessing is I'm not working. The curse is I'm not working. I would rather do this compared to my old job. I was a UPS driver for 31 yrs.

[Kern Dog]

I am 3 years from reaching my 30 years in the Carpenters Union. I'm still in good health, thank the Lord.
We get periods of down time between jobs sometimes. I've been off since mid December and expect to return soon. I like time off in the Spring but the Winter really screwed with me. I'd stay up late and wake up at 11:00 AM. My motivation has been in the crapper. No specific goals or plans day after day. I think  that when I retire, I'll need to occupy myself with something, set goals and such. When each day begins without a purpose or a goal, it is difficult to feel optimistic. You hear stories about people that retire and die soon after. I have to assume that in those cases, those people were defined by their jobs and when it ended, they didn't have anything else. For me, I have built things only as a means to feed, house and cloth myself. My hobbies are unrelated to my job.

[bakerhillpins]

Had back surgery on December 31st, New Years Eve. Have been home ever since. I am about done with recovery and therapy. I can go back to work in a few weeks, hopefully.

To tell you the truth, I am not ready for staying home every day. I am starting to get a little bored. In the beginning when I could only do very little before I was worn out and done for the day, it was kind of nice to be home. Small chores took all day and I was busy. Now that I can do more, more than what I could do a month or two ago, being home all day is no fun. I need to get back to work as soon as I am able. 

I really am looking forward to retirement. I have LOTS of stuff that I want to do and have no plans to stop moving and doing. Your situation is what scares me. I have known several folks in their "golden years" that were enjoying the hell out of it and one physical issue pulled the rug out from under them. My grandfather was a painful example to watch. A back injury removed his mobility and it only took a few short years for his physical state to deteriorate.   

You're probably not doing it right.  I'm loving retirement.  I'm as busy as I want to be.

This lasts as long as you don't injure yourself. And if you don't have decent insurance it wipes you out too.

[alfaitalia]

I'm fifteen years away from retirement.....65 being the norm here. Lots work after that..through choice or necessity. Lots did not invest in a private pension plan and if you plan to try and survive on the UK state pension you better be living pretty frugally. My father still works on a farm at the age of 73...what's more impressive is that he's done virtually the same job on the same farm since he was 14...that's 59 years .and he still loves it. His father worked in that very same farm too until he died at 85 (lung cancer got him from the cigarettes..even though he gave up before I was born)...must be something about land workers being happy in their work. At least we don't have to worry about heath cover insurance as our bodies start to fail...God bless the National Heath Service. Ok we pay for it through our taxes...(not a lot though compared to what private cover costs over there)...but one major operation or some cancer treatment and it was money well spent. I don't intend to work past 65 and if my investments work ok I might stop at 60. I'm fitter than average, not overweight, don't smoke, hardly drink,  run twice a week (7 and 10 miles) and am lucky enough to be told I look in my forties ....so (all things being equal) I'm looking forward to a long retirement playing with old cars and motorcycles. Fingers crossed!

[John_Kunkel]

To tell you the truth, I am not ready for staying home every day. I am starting to get a little bored.

There's an old saying "The worst day of fishing is better than the best day of working." Same can be said of retirement, I'm on my 27th year of retirement and I miss the work I did but not my job i.e. being an employee.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

[Laowho]

Poker? You're well-situated. That's what I'm doin now after a miserable life in law. Tournaments are great and often require travel. Win-win. And the caliber of people is a huge improvement. Wish I had your back yard, specially since our boardwalk is on life support. Also kicked around Quartzsite a while prospecting. Get ye a metal detector and 4-wheeler, enjoy the desert. Or find an archaeological survey to join.

[Paul G]

John Kunkel...... 27years of retirement? My god, thats another full career. I only hope to be so lucky. You either hide your age well by keeping up with technology and staying mentally and physically active, or you retired very young. Bless your heart, keep doing what your doing since it is working.

[green69rt]

I've been retired 11 years now and digging every minute of it.  When I was working, we had a saying..." when you have enough and when you have had enough."   then you know it's time.   One big thing about retiring is have a plan on how to keep busy.   Do not retire on Friday and wake up on Monday morning with nothing to do.   That doesn't mean you have to fill every minute but have some things to keep you active.   I bought my Charger as a retirement project hobby.  That plus 30 years of projects I put off during my working like has kept me plenty busy.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

  I'm on my 27th year of retirement and I miss the work I did but not my job i.e. being an employee.

That makes you 92.

[RallyeMike]

One big thing about retiring is have a plan on how to keep busy.

I used to think this was really important too, but I've talked to enough retirees that had no plan but found their days filled anyway. Ready your health and adventurous  spirit and you'll have no problems even without a plan. The world fills in the gaps if you let it.

 

[flyinlow]

Bored Paul?....

                        In the immortal words of John Belushi in Animal House....ROAD TRIP!


Drive to PA for Carlisle or Ohio for the NATS. 4000 miles in a 45 years old car should keep you busy for a while.  Hey do both, see you there. 

[John_Kunkel]

John Kunkel...... 27years of retirement? My god, thats another full career. I only hope to be so lucky. You either hide your age well by keeping up with technology and staying mentally and physically active, or you retired very young.

Retired on my 47th birthday after 29 years on the job. Employer offered "early out" so I bit.