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I'm the same, but enjoy being busy and productive. My ancestors were very industrious hard workers, too.
So do I, but I also enjoy down time. I never devoted my life to my work, never needed work as a reason to get up early and enjoy my day, never defined myself by my job or needed to work to feel valuable to society.
In retirement I was recently offered a part time job which would have been a dream job for me before retirement. I turned it down. I don't need the responsibility or the need be on a schedule. Why throw a wrench into my retirement life?
At the same time, I did my job and did it well before retirement. I've never been unemployed and never been fired from any work I ever did going back to the age of 17.
I spent parts of growing up and young adulthood in Italy. Almost everything would close down mid day so people could go home and eat the mid-day meal with their families and many people would take an afternoon nap too before going back to work for a few more hours. That was normal life. It's a different life philosophy and way to live. I still sometimes take afternoon naps now.
These days, I help with the local animal shelter and humane society. I'm a member of the city's architectural review board, and the historical society. I attend weekly meetings at at the museum regarding various things going on and will be officially joining the local men's club this week which meets once a month for breakfast and brings in a guest speaker. I've met some very nice and kind people since I moved to this town.
So I do things and am involved, but involved in what I enjoy doing and devote as much time as I want to, to those endeavors.
If I were in your shoes, I would foster a dog or cat, especially an older one. I know you love animals as much as I do.
Last edited by marino760; 03-12-2024 at 04:28 AM..
So many say volunteer. That is just giving free labor to an organization in hopes that you somehow feel satisfied by that.
Connect your activities to what you value. Don’t know what you value? Then you have been a zombie all your life. Time to think about matters to you. Clarity of purpose leads to clarity of actions.
Right, that's the definition of volunteer! And guess what, if you don't feel satisfied, there are plenty of other opportunities around. Help out with kids, with seniors, play with puppies and kittens, pick up litter, maintain trails - whatever you love, there is likely a volunteer opportunity around it (except drinking, lol.)
So many say volunteer. That is just giving free labor to an organization in hopes that you somehow feel satisfied by that.
Connect your activities to what you value. Don’t know what you value? Then you have been a zombie all your life. Time to think about matters to you. Clarity of purpose leads to clarity of actions.
Depends on the volunteering....and depends on our view of things and of risk.
The 12-14 years I spend as an unpaid diver for a shop I see as an Apprenticeship, gaining the knowledge of the industry, having sponsorship to be places, getting great deals on opportunity and equipment. HOWEVER, when I was going thru a CJ class on how to fill out a police application, I was told to list that as volunteerism since the concept of an Apprenticeship is so archaic.
Now, come full circle, I am in the same position, just a higher level diver. I moved to it because I no longer have the energy to run a full fledged diving operation. Getting to the point of it, I no longer have all the energy it takes, week after week, to be that responsible for people's lives, to make such decisions about their lives, on my own.
But there too, stepping back, one can find value where one has the knowledge and the command responsibility to know when they have to step back and let others take the lead.
Your purpose in life is to have sex and reproduce half your DNA in a new human being!!! It is called the biological imperative.
IF you don't want to have sex and reproduce yourself in retirement, well, you need to decide for yourself how you want to "buck the science" and advance your own selfish needs.
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Thanks for starting this thread OP. I am planning to retire in 17 months, so am in the process of looking at what I'd like to try doing in retirement. I've done the planning for the financial part, but not that what do I do now part.
Purpose for me: "You have been blessed so that you may be a blessing."
In everything you do, you can make the world a better place. A kind word and a smile go along way even in daily interactions with people. I'm like you though, I don't know what exactly that's going to be. My job has been a reasonably good fit for me and pays well (IT Analyst), but I don't want to continue in that at retirement (want to mix things up and do something completely different).
I'm looking a volunteer options and the one thing that I may try is being a greeter at the airport and at the convention center, helping guests. I'll probably add an additional tennis game. (I play once a week in the winter now and twice a week in the summer.). I think I'd like to join a book club. That's all I've figured out so far though. I'm looking for more things to have a on short list of things I might like to try. I like having a little structure in my life. I'm looking at this thread with interest as I need more ideas.
I retired early at 55. I originally intended on ramping up a part-time interest after retirement but soon discovered that moving it to a full-time endeavor was more time consuming and less lucrative than my previous full-time job. After 15 months, I came upon a part-time job which fit well with my real estate and building interests. That was nearly 5 years ago and I have been fortunate enough to continue working for a company that allows me to maintain a very flexible work schedule where I am given a high level of autonomy.
Since a young man, I often reflected and moved in the direction of what I felt my purpose was but at the same time maintained what I referred to as my personal "List of 10," that is 10 things that I am interested in and have or can obtain the skills and knowledge to make it happen. I am still doing so today but age has also brought with it the wisdom of a more refined inner voice which evaluates whether certain interests are worth the time, effort, and especially financial commitment pursuing. A central theme that runs through many of my decision regarding which pursuits I follow is whether it will have a positive or negative effect on my health and well being.
A good purpose in life is helping a lot of people.
When I buy a soda in a can - I helped a lot of people. I helped the chemical ingredients workers that created the carbonated product, helped the aluminum workers who manufactured the can that encapsulated this carbonated product, helped the truckers and warehouse companies that stored and delivered this can to the store, helped the workers in the retail mall or convenience shop where I got the can.
So I'll stop there and get my purpose in life because right now, I needed a quick refreshment.
Thanks! I’m going to go help the people who grow hops and barley, the brewery workers and the servers who bring me a tall frosty glass of beer!
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. I'll be 65 soon with normal blood pressure and normal blood sugar too. No medications for me, at least yet.
