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I'm planning for retirement right now (for me it's a year and a 1/2 away). Savings are in line for similar standard of living as working years. That's a piece I've been looking at for a while. I've looked into costs of Medicare and a Medicare Supplements, etc.
As for activities and how I'll fill my day, I know it will be an adjustment but I will say others who I know seemed to step into phase 2 pretty easily and I'm not aware of disillusionment of older relatives, friends (now so many have taken the leap), others in a life group I participate in at my church, etc. DH has been retired for six year too. I have a son in the area who I spend time with regularly and I just love that, but with his work life, time with spouse and friends, and social life, I envision spending about the same amount of time with him post retirement as pre retirement not more. Time I spend with him, though, I do have to say is such an absolute joy for me -- so cool that at the moment (could certainly change) he just lives 16 minutes away and is a regular part of my life. I guess it's something to be aware of in case it's harder for me to transition to post work than the transition my relatives, co-workers, friends, and Sunday school classmates had. I'm not someone who has a ton of hobbies (probably because my job has me spent after a day of work).
For me, I've never thought that life after retirement would like being on vacation nor did I ever want it to be. Vacation for me has been more a backdrop for connecting with family and it's always been fun for me to have a little adventure to plan and look forward too, modest or extravagant. But it's really more of a little break from the normal, not a be all and end all or a permanent way of life. I like going on vacation, but I always like coming back home and getting back into my normal routine. My only real change in vacation habits post retirement vs. when I was working I envision will be for example when I go all the way to Idaho to visit my dad who at 87 just moved out of his house and into an assisted living apartment near where my brother and his family and his niece and her family live that I'll spend a whole week out there vs. just three days (still just planning two trips a year there). I talk to my dad on the phone during morning do walks five days a week, so we have a great relationship and talk regularly.
Overall I'm not really sure what exactly to expect, but as someone who works from home in IT (It's been a good career for me, but not a passion), I'm looking a volunteer opportunities that I would like to get involved with that are way different than what I do for a job. I'm not aware of a part time job that really appeals to me, but certain volunteer activities look like things I'd like to try. Being so busy with work I won't be able to see if these are things that are a good fit or not a head of time, as I just don't have the time in my schedule to give them a shot till I actually retire, but I am trying to do some advanced research. I'm not Jewish but am so impressed with our local Holocaust Museum and their mission. I think I might like to be a volunteer facilitator in their innovation lab. I'm as a guest visiting a public session of this today to experience it on the other side to see what I think. I live in the St. Louis area, think highly of the area and what it has to offer, have visited tons of local attractions, like helping people, like talking to strangers and am also considering being a Gateway Guide volunteer at our airport (sort of the welcome / help desk at the airport). There are a few other volunteer things on my short list that appeal to me too, that I could consider if these others don't turn out to be a good fit and if I am looking for more. I'm also planning to play a little more tennis (I play regularly now). And I'm also thinking of joining a book club (have one I saw online that I might try and may also ask a friend about the one they are in). Again, for me, these are not things I have time for in my schedule right now.
Will I be exhilarated /will I be disillusioned? I don't know, but I plan to take it one day at a time. I'll have to report back about a year a half from now. I think in any change in life there can be some mourning and loss, but human beings are pretty resilient. I'm hoping my retirement transition will be as seamless as what I have observed in others who have taken the plunge. I have several co-workers though that are keeping to their careers for a long time (two are 73 and still working in positions similar to what I am doing now). With finances in order etc. that just doesn't appeal to me or sound like the way I want to go.
Maybe I'm wrong, but is this article overthinking this and getting me to overthink this too? lol
IMHO, some people who have trouble settling into retirement, expected retirement to be similar to a permanent vacation.
I'm of the opinion that productive people never retire; they just change what they do. It is rare for someone leading a purposeful work life on Friday to transition to watching re-runs of Wheel of Fortune on Monday.
In retirement, you still lead a life of purpose. You will take the skills and disciplines you learned with a lifetime in the workplace and apply them to retirement.
One friend takes it a bit too far, IMHO. He treats retirement the way he treated working back when he was a senior executive at a Fortune 500 company.
In retirement, he has a written rolling 5 year plan including objectives, strategies just as we all had in the business workplace.
He has a detailed 1 year plan including strategies & tactics tied to his 5 year plan, and he includes metrics
He has detailed, written quarterly plans
He has a very detailed monthly plan
He creates a PowerPoint presentation of his performance relative to plan each month, quarter & year ... and he gives a stand-up presentation to himself in front of a full-length mirror, complete with a letter grade on each item, and an improvement plan on how he will do better the following time period.
I'm of the opinion that productive people never retire; they just change what they do. It is rare for someone leading a purposeful work life on Friday to transition to watching re-runs of Wheel of Fortune on Monday.
In retirement, you still lead a life of purpose. You will take the skills and disciplines you learned with a lifetime in the workplace and apply them to retirement.
One friend takes it a bit too far, IMHO. He treats retirement the way he treated working back when he was a senior executive at a Fortune 500 company.
In retirement, he has a written rolling 5 year plan including objectives, strategies just as we all had in the business workplace.
He has a detailed 1 year plan including strategies & tactics tied to his 5 year plan, and he includes metrics
He has detailed, written quarterly plans
He has a very detailed monthly plan
He creates a PowerPoint presentation of his performance relative to plan each month, quarter & year ... and he gives a stand-up presentation to himself in front of a full-length mirror, complete with a letter grade on each item, and an improvement plan on how he will do better the following time period.
I've never heard retirement described that way. Your entire post reads like meeting minutes. Retirement is when you withdraw from active working life.
moguldreamer - are you retired? Some of the things you post You don't appear to have let go of that life...
Last edited by AngelWing; 02-24-2024 at 09:48 AM..
Retirement is like going to heaven. No one wants to die to get there, but if you wanna retire ... guess what? That working person needs to be taken out back and put down. The new person appears and says...Ahhhh.... freedom!, should have done it sooner.
I'm of the opinion that productive people never retire; they just change what they do. It is rare for someone leading a purposeful work life on Friday to transition to watching re-runs of Wheel of Fortune on Monday.
In retirement, you still lead a life of purpose. You will take the skills and disciplines you learned with a lifetime in the workplace and apply them to retirement.
One friend takes it a bit too far, IMHO. He treats retirement the way he treated working back when he was a senior executive at a Fortune 500 company.
In retirement, he has a written rolling 5 year plan including objectives, strategies just as we all had in the business workplace.
He has a detailed 1 year plan including strategies & tactics tied to his 5 year plan, and he includes metrics
He has detailed, written quarterly plans
He has a very detailed monthly plan
He creates a PowerPoint presentation of his performance relative to plan each month, quarter & year ... and he gives a stand-up presentation to himself in front of a full-length mirror, complete with a letter grade on each item, and an improvement plan on how he will do better the following time period.
I've never heard retirement described that way. Your entire post reads like meeting minutes. Retirement is when you withdraw from active working life.
moguldreamer - are you retired? Some of the things you post You don't appear to have let go of that life...
He describes himself as "he skis and he knows things."
I call after 80 a new stage. My balance is terrible so I walk slow and I just can't walk near as fast as I always have. I still do things but everything takes longer. sitting is desirable.
I've never heard retirement described that way. Your entire post reads like meeting minutes.
Thank you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by AngelWing
Retirement is when you withdraw from active working life.
moguldreamer - are you retired? Some of the things you post You don't appear to have let go of that life...
I stopped drawing a paycheck many years ago.
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You don't appear to have let go of that life...
