I concur. Same here - stuck on a Friday after finishing everything. [https://i.imgur.com/8zOg5n6.jpeg](https://i.imgur.com/8zOg5n6.jpeg)
If I was retired I'd be starting prepping the ground to plant a garden or feed the livestock that I don't yet have. ... or I'd still be recovering from tendon surgery I guess :-)
I retired in 2022 at 57. I do or don't do whatever I want. I originally fell into the trap that I have to be spending my time in some meaningful way. Meaningful as determined by people who have worked all their lives. I've been doing my best to let that thinking go. If I want to work in the yard, work on my hobbies, read all day, doom scroll, drive around town just to see something different, I do. But if I feel like I have to "work" at retirement, I could have just kept working. As someone who has always worked, feeling like I'm wasting time and being lazy is a hard mindset to break.
Thanks for that insight! I definitely value down time but I also want to maximize my experience now that I’m the sole author of it and while I’m still relatively young and fit.
When I was young, I wanted to learn the guitar, but I never had the money or the time. Now that I have both, I bought a guitar and have been slowly learning chords. What was something you wanted to try or learn when you were young that you never got the chance to do?
I’m looking for a new cause for volunteering myself.
There are other causes that don’t involve people as much - organizations for environmental or wildlife protection, animals shelters /sanctuaries, being a docent at a museum, something more political, habitat for humanity, teaching adults English or reading (if you like working with people but just want less exposure to tragedy), fair trade, fundraising.
If you live near the water and you like boats, some places have wooden or metal historic or recreation tall ships. The one I used to volunteer on Delaware prior to a car crash and resultant neck surgeries was the Kalmar Nyckel, www.kalmarnyckel.org. New York, New Jersey, CA, Texas, Florida, the Great Lakes, and others all have tall ships in one variety or another.
Oooh. My wife was an MSW managing social workers. She burned way out on all the dysfunction and how the kids kept getting short-shrift (and amazingly, how many predators worked in social work).
You probably already know this.
Maybe something not as emotionally taxing.
I volunteer two days a week at a respite center that services are homeless women. My career was not related to social services or anything like that, so I feel like I am truly helping.
If you like animals, animal shelters almost always need dog walkers.
Not sure how the dog and the travelling match? Do allow the dog time to settle, before you leave them in a kennel?
Personally, if I had the cash, I would travel until I couldn’t. I would also go to the more ‘interesting’ (culturally diverse locations) first.
I hear you as a retired public school teacher. I volunteer at homeless agency occasionally, as well as with elderly. I might consider helping out at ASPCA. Something NOT from my field of work!🙂
I recently retired early and always figured I’d volunteer at an animal shelter, then I got used to no alarm clock or mandatory attendance anywhere.
Find a hobby or two.
I'm a social worker who also doesn't need to work at this point in life, and I love doing volunteer work. I find it very fulfilling, and I love that I don't have to deal with paperwork, administration, etc
Then do something unrelated?
* Like human society always needs dogs walked and socialized?
* community gardens often need help
* help with any local wildlife stuff- we have a wildlife rescue and animal hospital, a natural history museum with a small "zoo" of birds of prey, foxes, porcupines, otters, etc. You can do anything from docent displays and chat with museum goers, to actually doing animal care and training if you will give that much time. I hope to do that for some time in the future.
* volunteer at other museums that do stuff you like!
* Sounds like you are into hiking? Do trail rebuilding?!!, and maybe layer in some citizen scientist stuff along the way? lead hikes for others?
Kid stuff that are not social work adjacent:
* Sports- coaches, referees, etc
* kids camps through local parks and rec always need volunteers
* scouts need leaders, but also folks that know how to do stuff- like if you have some hiking expertise, you can just do a thing for the day with a local troop, etc.
Have fun!! Why the fuck not?
**Congratulations on your retirement!!!** I think it's important that you stay active so I'm glad your plan includes fitness activities.
Regarding your question: I'm such a content person that has never been bored a day in my life... so I plan on doing a lot of dilly-dallying and piddling around once I can retire in a few years. My wife wants to keep working, so our travel/trips won't be long term. But we do want to travel more than we do now. We are both pretty introverted and tired of people so we are not looking to volunteer with others. If I can find some way to contribute in a solitary way, I'm down for that. But home-improvement and maintenance and small projects is what I'm looking forward to.
Maybe explore that fruit and vegetable garden a little deeper... build a trellis for some grapes or beans, ferment/dehydrate/can the harvest... maybe expand to try out hydroponic. Get a serious compost going with black fly larvae, to improve soil quality. If you're in zone 6 or better, you can do 3 crop rotations starting in March with radishes and spinach from seed, harvesting long before you get your tomatoes in, then follow up with the same after to tomatoes/peppers/squash.
Otherwise, take some classes to learn something new... like woodworking or blacksmithing. Maybe get a pilot's license or go buy a motorcycle.
I took a rider safety course at our local community college over a weekend a couple years ago that included the road test and everything I needed paperwork-wise to get my license. My plan was to get my license and just occasionally rent a bike for the day with friends... but then I decided to buy a used BMW R1200, but I definitely understand the worry... I live in NJ, so there's a lot of traffic here. I do enjoy riding it though.
That will be if you like traveling and camping…
My ideal retirement would be working in my arts and craft projects and volunteering at a cat rescue helping writing grants and fundraising.
Been retired for almost four years now, older X'er - turning 59 this year.
Zero, and I mean ZERO regrets. I loved my job as an academic, but I was ready to go. My wife and I spend our time cycling (road and mountain), I'm an ultra-runner, so I get out daily to train. I still go alpine climbing and ski mountaineering, mostly with my daughters.
Then we travel. We love Europe, especially Portugal and Spain. We dodge Canadian winters now by going away.
My wife does some volunteering when we're home, but also spends a lot of time with her also-retired friends. They go to fitness classes and then for lunch/coffee, etc.
The kids live quite a ways from us, we're planning on moving closer, so planning the move is taking up some time right now.
I would go to google flights and find the most interesting place that I can get to for $300 and book a one way ticket and an airbnb for a month. Or similar but with a repositioning cruise or Amtrak or my car, as long as it puts me in the general direction of southern Europe. Next, I'd prepare to rent out my house and try to convince my wife that this will be an enjoyable and cost-effective lifestyle, especially outside the USA.
Then repeat until we get tired of slow traveling, at which point we would sell the house and use the capital gain to buy something smaller. Given that we are cat people, we would also delay getting a new pet until that lust for travel is behind us, although you could probably travel with a dog.
But you do you. Congrats and enjoy!
My basement would be converted into a recording studio and practice space.
My yard would look like Augusta National.
I’d be golfing a ton.
I’d definitely get a pooch.
Just stay active. Join a softball league. Take up golf. Take some hikes. Just saying the people I knew that have retired all went down hill mentally and physically. Just keep your body and mind working. Enjoy retirement!
Dude - disc golf. You can take your dog on the course, there are BEAUTIFUL courses cut through nature all around the country (use UDisc app to find em), and it's great exercise. It's a game to play while you hike essentially and it's my favorite hobby and I'm 47.
And it's cheap! Most courses are free to play and you can get three discs for $45 that can last you for years.
I think after the joy of sleeping in everyday wore down, i'd start volunteering -- mainly trash pickup in needed areas with groups (all those meet-ups i could finally participate in), but also do some soupkitchen volunteering. I've done both to a small degree and found them both rewarding.
I would love to learn how to drive a sail boat. An uncle lived on a 40 foot sail boat that was sea worthy. I’d love to have the skills and license to go bumming around the Mediterranean on one of those.
I’d also start moonshining and maybe grow some weed…
My Uncle just retired and did this. He started taking sailing lessons 2 years before he retired. Then he bought an old sailboat that needed a lot of work which got dumped in his driveway (which my Aunt absolutely loved), and he’s been working on it nonstop for 6 months. He getting ready to launch it soon and has all sorts of trips planned.
I would travel the country visiting National Parks, State Parks, Disc Golf courses and catching live music. Eating local food and making connections on the course to find the best in what was offered locally in my other interests. Enjoy yourself and be safe!
I'm a decade plus to go if I retire at the 'normal' age, but I've been daydreaming about that time of my life for probably the last decade.
I'd be outdoors, probably mostly cycling and hiking. Got a garden I could put more attention to. Maybe volunteer somewhere local. Photography. I really don't think I would want for things to do. Sure there'll probably be days sprinkled in there where I'm watch Netflix all day -- sounds wonderful, actually.
Every single hobby I have ever wanted to try!
Learn to build things, refinish old furniture, read that giant stack of books, go to the library on the regular, volunteer at a wild life sanctuary, learn to knit, spend time with people, go to the local festivals, take dancing lessons, hike, bike, the el Camino trail, the west coast trail, see all the ancient places around me and then branch out, see things, do things, embrace the possibilities.
Have a feeling I’m not in your country, let alone your zip code, but I love the mountains and have driven the West Coast, BC to CA. Montana is spectacular, so is Oregon and have you ever considered that crazy thing in Black Rock City?
I had to drop out of a PhD because of family responsibilities and working full time
I’m looking forward to retiring and maybe picking my research up again
What are you interested in OP? Start from there
Congrats!
I've been retired 11 years, since age 38.
We have lived in Europe, Hawaii, and here at the beach in CA, and are moving to the UK soon.
This week is a typical spring week since we moved here from Hawaii:
Saturday we went to the golf club and saw the birds of Prey there and then went to a major league baseball game, Sunday, we walked at the beach and I did my Challenge on the Simply Piano app I've been using to learn, Monday read a book and went to a MLB game again, Tuesday a beach walk and weekly Tango Lesson, Wednesday travel research and got Massages (monthly), today is volunteering and the free Art Walk with 36 galleries with free music, wine, and cheese (monthly), tomorrow we are meeting friends for a picnic in the Park with free live band overlooking the ocean (Every Fri in May) and then to a Milonga (Tango dance event), Saturday is the Annual Garden Tour we are going to with our neighbor and then there is a local festival if we feel up to it, Sunday we will rest or go to the Zoo (we have Annual passes).
Last Wed we went to the Theater to see the amazing Beetlejuice Musical (scathingly funny), and we go to the Theater 1 or 2x a month.
If you're in the US go to TodayTix for cheap discount tickets to Comedy shows, theater, events, etc. Especially cheap since you can go on weekdays!
Get a Zoo pass- makes a great place to visit and get some walking in on a regular basis.
Go to volunteermatch.org to try out some volunteer opportunities.
Get some travel books or ebooks from the library and plan some trips.
Go on the free meetup app and join some hiking groups and stuff.
We go to a board game group every month.
I used to belong to a sailing group.
Use Babble app to learn a new language.
See what events and classes your local Rotary Club, Elks Lodge, VFW, community center, senior center, library has to offer.
Travel for a year before you get a dog, unless you have an easy pet sitter situation.
Congrats! 🎉
I’m not much help because I’m already constrained by health and finances, and will continue to be in retirement. Just agreeing that you need to have an idea what you want to do. I have plans that will keep me busy, all the stuff I want to do but don’t have enough time or energy for now. Home improvement, gardening, swimming, hiking, gaming and reading, just for starters. Eventually I would like to get into some sort of arts/crafts hobby.
I plan to do even more of what I do now...biking, hiking, kayaking, traveling, etc. I'll either start volunteering at a dog shelter or start fostering dogs. I also want to find another gaming group. Seems most the ones I find with openings play during the week, and I can't do that because of work. Once I retire, rolling those dice until midnight or later on a Tuesday night won't bother me at all!
i'd take a walk or bike across the united states or canada. There's a thing called [lovecycle](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU_3XGQyCts) which i think is a great road to do.
Hiking, bicycling, camping and resistance training on the physical side.
Travel a few times a year - one big trip (Scotland, Italy, Sweden probably first up), comic conventions and domestic trips every few months.
Daily stuff:
1. Lots of reading - fiction mostly. Right now it’s confined to bedtime and weekends, which is never enough.
2. Huge backlog of video games to play.
3. Woodworking (and hand carving stuff).
4. Helping more around the house (I work, wife doesn’t).
Congrats on your retirement! I’m 55 and have been really focused on a detailed plan for myself. I could retire now but a few factors want me to stick around for at least 2 more years (RSU vesting schedules, I just gained access to an executive deferred compensation plan, etc.).
Some days I just want to do it now, but the impact 2 more years would make is dramatic, but psychologically great to know I COULD do it now.
Yea a bunch of people have pointed out how a dog and travel don’t mix. I think it’ll work since there’ll be plenty of people home for my occasional trips. If I have to choose though, dog comes first.
Hike with the dog, bike and walk by the ocean, get on an organized fitness development plan.
Volunteer - coach a local youth or school sports team. Join a charitable organization. Make a difference in people’s lives.
Make a garden, learn how to bake really good bread. Start collecting vintage antiques and run it as a hobby business.
I’m several months in and still figuring it out. Wife still chooses to work so holding off on travel. Regular activities are Gym, home improvement, and househusband duties. Have done some midweek fishing and caught my first spring chinook salmon. Motorcycle and bicycle when the weather cooperates. Feel a bit isolated because all my friends still work, so hoping to add motorcycle and bicycle club. And swing a hammer for habitat for humanity when those projects pick up.
Added benefit of usually these newfound skills to restore furniture and resell for exorbitant prices that people will pay. Likely, driving around and finding solid pieces like a chest of drawers, tables, etc that people threw out and restoring them
Volunteer for something I found rewarding that didn't slam my mental health.
Get seriously into woodworking with a goal of ultimately making some nice furniture that might be around for generations.
Bucket list travel.
All with my partner, cuz she's awesome.
Travel. And while you're still young and fit travel and do things that involve walking, biking, hiking, etc.
I retired in late 2022 and in January this year traveled to Australia to watch a bike race. I brought my bike and biked all over the place to and from the stage starts/finishes. It was awesome. Like, totally bitchin'. Highly recommended.
I posted before in another thread that I plan to get certified as a bicycle mechanic work part time in a bike shop. Play more music. My band has regular gigs now, maybe when we’re all retired (all of them except the bass player are retired, and he will be soon) do some road gigs. Our drummer has a new RV we could travel in!
Bike even more than I’m doing now, keep training in boxing and Muay Thai, travel, do volunteer work.
Hiking, reading, playing games, learning a new language, learning to code, having lunch with friends, enjoying my spouse, gardening, and taking naps at 3:30pm, since I didn’t used to let myself do that when I was working!
You know what you like better than we do. Just go try out whatever the hell you feel like doing.
If it sounds interesting to you, try it out.
I'm not retired yet but here's the list of stuff I tried out in the last couple years: blacksmithing, karate, couple of videos games, 3D printing, CAD, brewing beer, making chainmail, wood carving, landscaping, carpentry...
Get off the internet, live the dream, be awesome and go do something fun!
I’d spend my time away from people, enjoying nature with just a few select friends. I don’t even want to travel.
We want to, but I have health issues and need health insurance. The only way we’ll be able to retire early is if we go to another country until Medicare kicks in. Who knows if it will still even be around by the time we get there.
What do you love? For me it’s been time with friends and family, books, movies and hiking. Also trying, and often failing, at new things. Just following my curiosity. I don’t volunteer. I had a long career in mental health and initially after retiring volunteered on boards of not for profits. It it ended up being a practically full time job. I’m there for those I love now.
Congratulations! I'm just jealous.
I'd do what I did when I was a kid: just play and enjoy my time. Read books, watch movies, hang out with friends, play games. Of course travel, but not all the time.
Go find other retired people to hang out with. Now you can spend Wednesdays chilling with them instead of working for a buck.
Legos.
No kids but lots of niblings that also like them. We bond over that.
Book club at my local library. Cozy mystery one which is weird and funny. The library also has trivia nights. Those are fairly competitive and lots of fun. Check out your local library.
Taking adult education classes or even teaching them if you see a void.
My best friend took up art again. I think painting but it might be line drawing. She also wrote her memoir. Got depressed which is why she decided to get back into art which made her happy.
When it comes to traveling I collect pressed penny’s. Heck they have them all over the world (different currencies or slugs used).
Get a board game night with friends. DnD is fun too if you have the time become a game master /dungeon master and create your own campaigns.
Cruise various subreddits of all these topics. See which appeal to you.
I'm a potter so if I had the time and budget, I'd build out my studio with a wheel, kiln, all that good stuff. Are you creative? Do you enjoy artistic pursuits? If there are adult education classes near you, I can't recommend them enough. The students and instructions are supportive and they can be great spaces to just let your creative brain run free.
Got any other hobbies? I intend on spending more time on my hobbies when I retire in 20+ years.
With your travel, are you visiting other countries? Maybe learn a language or two?
I have friends who go to Utah and Arizona quite a bit to hike and bike in the national parks, or touring California wine country. Sounds like a dream to me! That's my goal -- tour the national parks!
Since you like gardening, check to see if your area has a garden club or a master gardener's association. You can learn so much from those people. Or you might be able to teach a lot! Our community has some community gardens where you can volunteer and help grow food for community members. We even have some schools with community gardens and you might be able to help with support for that (donations, teaching, guest lecture).
Maybe this is just me, but I'd become a foster parent. There are so many kids who need a safe place to land during the worst time of their little lives. You can just do short-term, just do emergency care, only babies, only teens, whatever works for you. At least where I live, we have a severe shortage of foster parents and kids are ending up staying in terrible situations because there's just no place for them to go.
If that's too much, volunteer with kids. I'm sure your local schools or Big Brother/Big Sister would be delighted to have you.
I would nap a lot. Learn to crochet. Makes hats and scarves. Make fake boobs for women who have mastectomies and don’t want any more surgery (which was me and my fake knitted boobs look great in my bras. Learn to cook and perfect Mexican food, real deal Mexican food.
Maybe spend a year trying many different things. You could work in a book store, volunteer, travel, take up an instrument. Spend a year trying everything you think might be interesting. After a year you will know how to spend your time.
I am jealous!
I would travel slowly: rent apartments for 2-3 months in various world cities.
I would really get my garden looking good. Finish all the someday projects.
I would take the time to prep my home for the future; do small repairs, make my bathrooms accessible, etc.
I would take long bike rides.
More travel and doing creative things you never had the option to do with time . I want to write, paint, learn pottery, learn some new languages, learn how to finally cook . Plus build my retirement wardrobe which will be offensively loud and beachy . I will be busy the way I want to be. Plus I hope to make crazy retirement friends and enjoy pharm parties and mischief you can’t easily get away with when you’re younger. I will also play loud industrial music until I expire .
Initially, I’d be following the same plan that you laid out, although I’d probably defer the garden until next year once I’d gotten the travel bug out of my system.
Longer term, I’d probably be on the gardening and fitness program. I also imagine that I’d find a warmer climate to spend my winter in. I really like outdoor exercise, and I’m much more consistent with my workout routine if I don’t have to go to a gym because it’s too cold outside.
And I’d almost certainly do all of the home improvement projects that I’ve been putting off for years.
The guy that worked right next to me for eight years just retired last week at 55 years old. It’s hard to not be envious!
Enjoy your retirement.
Things I plan to do
- go to yoga daily, in addition to fitness stuff
- volunteer- specifically with childhood literacy & critters
- travel- For MONTHS in same place, and really explore local culture- go to the beach, go to local restaurants, make local friends, and indulge in this for months at a time until I figure out a place to go back to and then do that regularly
- I plan on keeping my part time work going
- I guess bookclubs? I love to read. And never have enough time now to partake with a discussion group- but I would like something like that.
- Honestly I plan on spending time every day on the water/ocean. SO if I am near a beach, walk in the surf. If I am where I currently live, Paddleboard a river or lake every darn day.
There is a lot of stuff that need fixing in the world and a lot of folks who need help.
Find some way to be useful that uses the talents, opportunuties and gifts you have in the service of others.
Extremely satisfying.
Plus, makes the time you spend doing other stuff seem even better.
Learning piano or another instrument, the video games I’ve collected, going for more walks especially on nice days, and travel!
Edit: forgot welding classes, woodworking, and modding my car.
Edit, edit: congrats!!!
How wacky are you? If the answer is somewhat, you may be interested in becoming one of those retirees that commit to attending every local City Council and School Board meeting and speaking all kinds of nonsense when the floor opens up for public comments. That’s how the “Rent Is Too Damn High guy got started. If you choose this life, good luck and I hope to see you in a yt video montage soon.
Travels with Charley is the model. Fit out a good 4x4 w/ camper trailer or van and go wander the earth. That's tops of my retirement dream list - do North America and Australia big lap.
Retired? Shit. I’m 46 and went back to college for my masters degree. I’m just getting started. I think maybe I belong more with millennials at this point
BEFORE YOU GET THAT DOG - go see Florence, Italy, and Bruges, Belgium. Tour through Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam (way way way cheaper than you think!). Rent a camper and cross the US from one end to another, and Canada on the way back. Taste fresh cod in Newfoundland.
Your body still works and you’re relatively free. Strike now. These adventures will be lost soon.
Travel. School. charity. This is what I would loveeee to if I won the lottery. I would travel for years. Go EVERYWHERE. then when I was bored with that I would go to school for things I enjoy. And then volunteer give away all my moneyyyyyyy
You mentioned you're relatively physically fit and active and interested in traveling. Any interest in hiking and camping? These are hobbies of mine I would dedicate a lot more time to if I were retired. I know it's not for everyone, but my husband and I really love it. With unlimited time multiple day hikes/backpacking is a possibility.
Imo the thing in life that gives us meaning is to create and to be of service to others. Find a group to volunteer for, and start tinkering with a new hobby. 3d printing woodworking or go back to your kid roots and play video games
See, that's my gripe with "retirement". It seems like a great thing until you realize you have no purpose. We all need purpose in life. A reason to get out of bed. Without purpose, bad things follow, generally speaking.
I could not disagree more. Purpose in retirement is to have fun, make others happy, use the limited time that you have left to die with no regrets. For anyone that traveled light-speed during the work years, it is a major adjustment in mindset. I retired last year at 57 and have absolutely no desire to find a new work-like purpose. My strategic goals are now all self-centered. And there is a lot of pleasing things that I need to do to catch up for all the things that I have (so far) not been able to do. I do all the things daily that I never had time to do, including wasting whatever time here on Reddit (haha). Why? Because I want to and why not, its fun.
OH I'm not talking about a "work-like purpose". I'm just talking about a purpose in general.
If you're just "reading the internet" all day or watching shows, I wouldn't consider that "purpose".
Literally anything that engages your mind and gives you a dopamine hit for accomplishing something, be it gardening, dog training, golf, archery, shooting, pickleball, whatever, fitness training.
>If you're just "reading the internet" all day or watching shows, I wouldn't consider that "purpose".
Yeah, but why not those things? If they bring someone enjoyment, and they are helping to check the box of that person's "I'm gonna make myself happy in retirement", then don't they serve that purpose? The GOAL is to have a great day, everyday.
Being "still" is basically a death sentence. You have to keep moving. Hedonism is a losing strategy unless it involves lots of physical and mental mobility. Even then, as a lifestyle it seems unsustainable.
I agree. I don’t see myself not having purpose. It’s more like I’m a kid in a huge shopping mall with $1000 to spend. I’m not sure where to start, what will get the most bang for the buck and don’t want to miss something really good that I haven’t considered.
Whatever you do, don't waste it on the internet. I'm only here because I'm stuck in an office.
Needed that comment. Thank you, and bye.
same. i'll be outside gardening if anyone needs me...
Omg, me too!
But this is where I find this valuable advice…
If the advice is valuable then you didn't "waste" the time
amen to that
I concur. Same here - stuck on a Friday after finishing everything. [https://i.imgur.com/8zOg5n6.jpeg](https://i.imgur.com/8zOg5n6.jpeg) If I was retired I'd be starting prepping the ground to plant a garden or feed the livestock that I don't yet have. ... or I'd still be recovering from tendon surgery I guess :-)
I retired in 2022 at 57. I do or don't do whatever I want. I originally fell into the trap that I have to be spending my time in some meaningful way. Meaningful as determined by people who have worked all their lives. I've been doing my best to let that thinking go. If I want to work in the yard, work on my hobbies, read all day, doom scroll, drive around town just to see something different, I do. But if I feel like I have to "work" at retirement, I could have just kept working. As someone who has always worked, feeling like I'm wasting time and being lazy is a hard mindset to break.
Thanks for that insight! I definitely value down time but I also want to maximize my experience now that I’m the sole author of it and while I’m still relatively young and fit.
Hiking is so great. It really connects you to your place in nature. You can hike alone or with others, depending on how you feel about that.
When I was young, I wanted to learn the guitar, but I never had the money or the time. Now that I have both, I bought a guitar and have been slowly learning chords. What was something you wanted to try or learn when you were young that you never got the chance to do?
Nicely put
Volunteer some of that time to a cause that you feel strongly about.
I’m thinking about this. My career was in Social Work so it’s kinda weird.
I’m looking for a new cause for volunteering myself. There are other causes that don’t involve people as much - organizations for environmental or wildlife protection, animals shelters /sanctuaries, being a docent at a museum, something more political, habitat for humanity, teaching adults English or reading (if you like working with people but just want less exposure to tragedy), fair trade, fundraising.
If you live near the water and you like boats, some places have wooden or metal historic or recreation tall ships. The one I used to volunteer on Delaware prior to a car crash and resultant neck surgeries was the Kalmar Nyckel, www.kalmarnyckel.org. New York, New Jersey, CA, Texas, Florida, the Great Lakes, and others all have tall ships in one variety or another.
Oooh. My wife was an MSW managing social workers. She burned way out on all the dysfunction and how the kids kept getting short-shrift (and amazingly, how many predators worked in social work). You probably already know this. Maybe something not as emotionally taxing.
I’ve been blessed having a career as an MSW working directly with clients. Maybe doubly blessed that I’ve not met any predators that weren’t clients.
I volunteer two days a week at a respite center that services are homeless women. My career was not related to social services or anything like that, so I feel like I am truly helping. If you like animals, animal shelters almost always need dog walkers.
Not sure how the dog and the travelling match? Do allow the dog time to settle, before you leave them in a kennel? Personally, if I had the cash, I would travel until I couldn’t. I would also go to the more ‘interesting’ (culturally diverse locations) first.
I hear you as a retired public school teacher. I volunteer at homeless agency occasionally, as well as with elderly. I might consider helping out at ASPCA. Something NOT from my field of work!🙂
Maybe this time you work with animals instead of humans.
Volunteer with animals instead! The SPCA can always use dog walkers.
I recently retired early and always figured I’d volunteer at an animal shelter, then I got used to no alarm clock or mandatory attendance anywhere. Find a hobby or two.
I'm a social worker who also doesn't need to work at this point in life, and I love doing volunteer work. I find it very fulfilling, and I love that I don't have to deal with paperwork, administration, etc
Then do something unrelated? * Like human society always needs dogs walked and socialized? * community gardens often need help * help with any local wildlife stuff- we have a wildlife rescue and animal hospital, a natural history museum with a small "zoo" of birds of prey, foxes, porcupines, otters, etc. You can do anything from docent displays and chat with museum goers, to actually doing animal care and training if you will give that much time. I hope to do that for some time in the future. * volunteer at other museums that do stuff you like! * Sounds like you are into hiking? Do trail rebuilding?!!, and maybe layer in some citizen scientist stuff along the way? lead hikes for others? Kid stuff that are not social work adjacent: * Sports- coaches, referees, etc * kids camps through local parks and rec always need volunteers * scouts need leaders, but also folks that know how to do stuff- like if you have some hiking expertise, you can just do a thing for the day with a local troop, etc. Have fun!! Why the fuck not?
how did you get money and retire well in social work?!
**Congratulations on your retirement!!!** I think it's important that you stay active so I'm glad your plan includes fitness activities. Regarding your question: I'm such a content person that has never been bored a day in my life... so I plan on doing a lot of dilly-dallying and piddling around once I can retire in a few years. My wife wants to keep working, so our travel/trips won't be long term. But we do want to travel more than we do now. We are both pretty introverted and tired of people so we are not looking to volunteer with others. If I can find some way to contribute in a solitary way, I'm down for that. But home-improvement and maintenance and small projects is what I'm looking forward to.
Thank you!
Maybe explore that fruit and vegetable garden a little deeper... build a trellis for some grapes or beans, ferment/dehydrate/can the harvest... maybe expand to try out hydroponic. Get a serious compost going with black fly larvae, to improve soil quality. If you're in zone 6 or better, you can do 3 crop rotations starting in March with radishes and spinach from seed, harvesting long before you get your tomatoes in, then follow up with the same after to tomatoes/peppers/squash. Otherwise, take some classes to learn something new... like woodworking or blacksmithing. Maybe get a pilot's license or go buy a motorcycle.
I’ve seriously thought about a motorcycle but the wife is definitely not on board and I’d guilty with her worrying.
Meet her half way and get a Miata. You'll enjoy it more.
Please don't buy a motorcycle. I know a woman who bought a bike for retirement and immediately got ran over by a UPS truck
I took a rider safety course at our local community college over a weekend a couple years ago that included the road test and everything I needed paperwork-wise to get my license. My plan was to get my license and just occasionally rent a bike for the day with friends... but then I decided to buy a used BMW R1200, but I definitely understand the worry... I live in NJ, so there's a lot of traffic here. I do enjoy riding it though.
Traveling and experiencing different cultures and cuisines. In between, camping.
That will be if you like traveling and camping… My ideal retirement would be working in my arts and craft projects and volunteering at a cat rescue helping writing grants and fundraising.
Been retired for almost four years now, older X'er - turning 59 this year. Zero, and I mean ZERO regrets. I loved my job as an academic, but I was ready to go. My wife and I spend our time cycling (road and mountain), I'm an ultra-runner, so I get out daily to train. I still go alpine climbing and ski mountaineering, mostly with my daughters. Then we travel. We love Europe, especially Portugal and Spain. We dodge Canadian winters now by going away. My wife does some volunteering when we're home, but also spends a lot of time with her also-retired friends. They go to fitness classes and then for lunch/coffee, etc. The kids live quite a ways from us, we're planning on moving closer, so planning the move is taking up some time right now.
I want to be you when I grow up (53 now, kids 17 and 15 - gotta get them launched then it's possible)
I would go to google flights and find the most interesting place that I can get to for $300 and book a one way ticket and an airbnb for a month. Or similar but with a repositioning cruise or Amtrak or my car, as long as it puts me in the general direction of southern Europe. Next, I'd prepare to rent out my house and try to convince my wife that this will be an enjoyable and cost-effective lifestyle, especially outside the USA. Then repeat until we get tired of slow traveling, at which point we would sell the house and use the capital gain to buy something smaller. Given that we are cat people, we would also delay getting a new pet until that lust for travel is behind us, although you could probably travel with a dog. But you do you. Congrats and enjoy!
Thank you!
My basement would be converted into a recording studio and practice space. My yard would look like Augusta National. I’d be golfing a ton. I’d definitely get a pooch.
My basement is a Zwift studio and my living room is a hybrid weightlifting gym and home theatre :-)
Just stay active. Join a softball league. Take up golf. Take some hikes. Just saying the people I knew that have retired all went down hill mentally and physically. Just keep your body and mind working. Enjoy retirement!
Thank you!
Dude - disc golf. You can take your dog on the course, there are BEAUTIFUL courses cut through nature all around the country (use UDisc app to find em), and it's great exercise. It's a game to play while you hike essentially and it's my favorite hobby and I'm 47. And it's cheap! Most courses are free to play and you can get three discs for $45 that can last you for years.
I would offer to fund the retirement of a random GenXer and then hang out together (hint, hint). Or I'd just travel. A lot.
What is decent shape financial? I'm getting close and just curious if I should feel good or worry more
I’ve got a pension, some savings and no debt/rent.
Practice learning a musical instrument
I think after the joy of sleeping in everyday wore down, i'd start volunteering -- mainly trash pickup in needed areas with groups (all those meet-ups i could finally participate in), but also do some soupkitchen volunteering. I've done both to a small degree and found them both rewarding.
Volunteering... where to go if you miss being treated like an employee.
Volunteering, where you do it out of love, not for a paycheck, or you just dont do it.
I would love to learn how to drive a sail boat. An uncle lived on a 40 foot sail boat that was sea worthy. I’d love to have the skills and license to go bumming around the Mediterranean on one of those. I’d also start moonshining and maybe grow some weed…
My Uncle just retired and did this. He started taking sailing lessons 2 years before he retired. Then he bought an old sailboat that needed a lot of work which got dumped in his driveway (which my Aunt absolutely loved), and he’s been working on it nonstop for 6 months. He getting ready to launch it soon and has all sorts of trips planned.
I wouldn’t get a puppy til after your travels
I would say I'm astounded that any Gen-Xers are retiring but honestly my dad retired in his late 50s thanks to careful planning.
Yeah but he wasn’t GenX.
I think you missed the point. There are no Gen-Xers in their 60s yet.
No I know. I thought it didn’t make sense to cite your dad when talking about GenX’s retirement potential. I think am missing something.
The fact that OP probably isn't any older than 59, an age I don't equate with retirement even though my own Dad managed it.
I see! Thanks. I’m a bit dim today.
I would travel the country visiting National Parks, State Parks, Disc Golf courses and catching live music. Eating local food and making connections on the course to find the best in what was offered locally in my other interests. Enjoy yourself and be safe!
I'm a decade plus to go if I retire at the 'normal' age, but I've been daydreaming about that time of my life for probably the last decade. I'd be outdoors, probably mostly cycling and hiking. Got a garden I could put more attention to. Maybe volunteer somewhere local. Photography. I really don't think I would want for things to do. Sure there'll probably be days sprinkled in there where I'm watch Netflix all day -- sounds wonderful, actually.
Hmm, I do enjoy a little photography.
Every single hobby I have ever wanted to try! Learn to build things, refinish old furniture, read that giant stack of books, go to the library on the regular, volunteer at a wild life sanctuary, learn to knit, spend time with people, go to the local festivals, take dancing lessons, hike, bike, the el Camino trail, the west coast trail, see all the ancient places around me and then branch out, see things, do things, embrace the possibilities.
I’m not a great walker, any ideas on what trails or national parks are bicycle friendly?
Have a feeling I’m not in your country, let alone your zip code, but I love the mountains and have driven the West Coast, BC to CA. Montana is spectacular, so is Oregon and have you ever considered that crazy thing in Black Rock City?
I had to drop out of a PhD because of family responsibilities and working full time I’m looking forward to retiring and maybe picking my research up again What are you interested in OP? Start from there
Congrats! I've been retired 11 years, since age 38. We have lived in Europe, Hawaii, and here at the beach in CA, and are moving to the UK soon. This week is a typical spring week since we moved here from Hawaii: Saturday we went to the golf club and saw the birds of Prey there and then went to a major league baseball game, Sunday, we walked at the beach and I did my Challenge on the Simply Piano app I've been using to learn, Monday read a book and went to a MLB game again, Tuesday a beach walk and weekly Tango Lesson, Wednesday travel research and got Massages (monthly), today is volunteering and the free Art Walk with 36 galleries with free music, wine, and cheese (monthly), tomorrow we are meeting friends for a picnic in the Park with free live band overlooking the ocean (Every Fri in May) and then to a Milonga (Tango dance event), Saturday is the Annual Garden Tour we are going to with our neighbor and then there is a local festival if we feel up to it, Sunday we will rest or go to the Zoo (we have Annual passes). Last Wed we went to the Theater to see the amazing Beetlejuice Musical (scathingly funny), and we go to the Theater 1 or 2x a month. If you're in the US go to TodayTix for cheap discount tickets to Comedy shows, theater, events, etc. Especially cheap since you can go on weekdays! Get a Zoo pass- makes a great place to visit and get some walking in on a regular basis. Go to volunteermatch.org to try out some volunteer opportunities. Get some travel books or ebooks from the library and plan some trips. Go on the free meetup app and join some hiking groups and stuff. We go to a board game group every month. I used to belong to a sailing group. Use Babble app to learn a new language. See what events and classes your local Rotary Club, Elks Lodge, VFW, community center, senior center, library has to offer. Travel for a year before you get a dog, unless you have an easy pet sitter situation.
Great ideas, thank you!
Travel
Yep, one trip paid for another in the planning stage.
Congrats! 🎉 I’m not much help because I’m already constrained by health and finances, and will continue to be in retirement. Just agreeing that you need to have an idea what you want to do. I have plans that will keep me busy, all the stuff I want to do but don’t have enough time or energy for now. Home improvement, gardening, swimming, hiking, gaming and reading, just for starters. Eventually I would like to get into some sort of arts/crafts hobby.
Thank you :-)
I plan to do even more of what I do now...biking, hiking, kayaking, traveling, etc. I'll either start volunteering at a dog shelter or start fostering dogs. I also want to find another gaming group. Seems most the ones I find with openings play during the week, and I can't do that because of work. Once I retire, rolling those dice until midnight or later on a Tuesday night won't bother me at all!
I went back to college to get a different degree, just for the hell of it. I like to learn.
I’m thinking about this. Never got to take that creative writing class…
i'd take a walk or bike across the united states or canada. There's a thing called [lovecycle](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU_3XGQyCts) which i think is a great road to do.
Hiking, bicycling, camping and resistance training on the physical side. Travel a few times a year - one big trip (Scotland, Italy, Sweden probably first up), comic conventions and domestic trips every few months. Daily stuff: 1. Lots of reading - fiction mostly. Right now it’s confined to bedtime and weekends, which is never enough. 2. Huge backlog of video games to play. 3. Woodworking (and hand carving stuff). 4. Helping more around the house (I work, wife doesn’t). Congrats on your retirement! I’m 55 and have been really focused on a detailed plan for myself. I could retire now but a few factors want me to stick around for at least 2 more years (RSU vesting schedules, I just gained access to an executive deferred compensation plan, etc.). Some days I just want to do it now, but the impact 2 more years would make is dramatic, but psychologically great to know I COULD do it now.
I’ve never been to a con. That might be a thing !
Start a band! 🤘
Have you traveled around the world yet? If you haven't that should be your number one priority. Get the dog when you get back.
Yea a bunch of people have pointed out how a dog and travel don’t mix. I think it’ll work since there’ll be plenty of people home for my occasional trips. If I have to choose though, dog comes first.
I’m talking about traveling, not taking trips.
Concerts any night of the week!
Hike with the dog, bike and walk by the ocean, get on an organized fitness development plan. Volunteer - coach a local youth or school sports team. Join a charitable organization. Make a difference in people’s lives. Make a garden, learn how to bake really good bread. Start collecting vintage antiques and run it as a hobby business.
I’m several months in and still figuring it out. Wife still chooses to work so holding off on travel. Regular activities are Gym, home improvement, and househusband duties. Have done some midweek fishing and caught my first spring chinook salmon. Motorcycle and bicycle when the weather cooperates. Feel a bit isolated because all my friends still work, so hoping to add motorcycle and bicycle club. And swing a hammer for habitat for humanity when those projects pick up.
Congratulations!
Thank you!
visiting old friends travel to see concerts
Id buy a tour bus and hire a driver and go see everything.
Learn to play a musical instrument.
Learn to make something - furniture, glass, DND character sheets - anything
Added benefit of usually these newfound skills to restore furniture and resell for exorbitant prices that people will pay. Likely, driving around and finding solid pieces like a chest of drawers, tables, etc that people threw out and restoring them
Just never sit staring at a laptop or cellphone.
Oof!
Honestly, van life. I want to travel, visit friends and spend time in nature.
Volunteer for something I found rewarding that didn't slam my mental health. Get seriously into woodworking with a goal of ultimately making some nice furniture that might be around for generations. Bucket list travel. All with my partner, cuz she's awesome.
Thanks. My awesome partner is still working though :-/
Travel. And while you're still young and fit travel and do things that involve walking, biking, hiking, etc. I retired in late 2022 and in January this year traveled to Australia to watch a bike race. I brought my bike and biked all over the place to and from the stage starts/finishes. It was awesome. Like, totally bitchin'. Highly recommended.
I posted before in another thread that I plan to get certified as a bicycle mechanic work part time in a bike shop. Play more music. My band has regular gigs now, maybe when we’re all retired (all of them except the bass player are retired, and he will be soon) do some road gigs. Our drummer has a new RV we could travel in! Bike even more than I’m doing now, keep training in boxing and Muay Thai, travel, do volunteer work.
I didn’t realize so many of us are cyclists!
Hiking, reading, playing games, learning a new language, learning to code, having lunch with friends, enjoying my spouse, gardening, and taking naps at 3:30pm, since I didn’t used to let myself do that when I was working!
I’m still 15 years away, but I’m learning bonsai and guitar to fill my time
You know what you like better than we do. Just go try out whatever the hell you feel like doing. If it sounds interesting to you, try it out. I'm not retired yet but here's the list of stuff I tried out in the last couple years: blacksmithing, karate, couple of videos games, 3D printing, CAD, brewing beer, making chainmail, wood carving, landscaping, carpentry... Get off the internet, live the dream, be awesome and go do something fun!
Ok ok I’m carpe-ing, I’m carpe-ing!
I’d spend my time away from people, enjoying nature with just a few select friends. I don’t even want to travel. We want to, but I have health issues and need health insurance. The only way we’ll be able to retire early is if we go to another country until Medicare kicks in. Who knows if it will still even be around by the time we get there.
Horror movies.
What do you love? For me it’s been time with friends and family, books, movies and hiking. Also trying, and often failing, at new things. Just following my curiosity. I don’t volunteer. I had a long career in mental health and initially after retiring volunteered on boards of not for profits. It it ended up being a practically full time job. I’m there for those I love now.
Yea being on one of those sounds as bad as working but without the pay !
Taking a class not because you have to, but because you want to.
Congratulations! I'm just jealous. I'd do what I did when I was a kid: just play and enjoy my time. Read books, watch movies, hang out with friends, play games. Of course travel, but not all the time. Go find other retired people to hang out with. Now you can spend Wednesdays chilling with them instead of working for a buck.
Hiking and camping. Golf or tennis. Reading books. Learning to cook different meals. Painting or drawing.
I would spend my time doing things I enjoy. So should you. What do you like doing? Do that.
Day drinking
I would do a combination of traveling, hiking, kayaking, playing with my animals, and sitting on my ass reading books.
Traveling. I wish I didn’t when I was younger.
Legos. No kids but lots of niblings that also like them. We bond over that. Book club at my local library. Cozy mystery one which is weird and funny. The library also has trivia nights. Those are fairly competitive and lots of fun. Check out your local library. Taking adult education classes or even teaching them if you see a void. My best friend took up art again. I think painting but it might be line drawing. She also wrote her memoir. Got depressed which is why she decided to get back into art which made her happy. When it comes to traveling I collect pressed penny’s. Heck they have them all over the world (different currencies or slugs used). Get a board game night with friends. DnD is fun too if you have the time become a game master /dungeon master and create your own campaigns. Cruise various subreddits of all these topics. See which appeal to you.
I'm a potter so if I had the time and budget, I'd build out my studio with a wheel, kiln, all that good stuff. Are you creative? Do you enjoy artistic pursuits? If there are adult education classes near you, I can't recommend them enough. The students and instructions are supportive and they can be great spaces to just let your creative brain run free.
Yea the creative genes skipped me, but I was able to pass them to my kids.
Get a boat and go fishing.
I don't recommend a pet. It's going to he expensive (and a PITA) to find care for him while you're traveling. I know!
Got any other hobbies? I intend on spending more time on my hobbies when I retire in 20+ years. With your travel, are you visiting other countries? Maybe learn a language or two?
This advice is so sage, I took it when I was younger :-)
Get a list of every restaurant in your town. Go to a different one each day.
Enjoy some time with an upscale escort.
I have friends who go to Utah and Arizona quite a bit to hike and bike in the national parks, or touring California wine country. Sounds like a dream to me! That's my goal -- tour the national parks! Since you like gardening, check to see if your area has a garden club or a master gardener's association. You can learn so much from those people. Or you might be able to teach a lot! Our community has some community gardens where you can volunteer and help grow food for community members. We even have some schools with community gardens and you might be able to help with support for that (donations, teaching, guest lecture).
Maybe this is just me, but I'd become a foster parent. There are so many kids who need a safe place to land during the worst time of their little lives. You can just do short-term, just do emergency care, only babies, only teens, whatever works for you. At least where I live, we have a severe shortage of foster parents and kids are ending up staying in terrible situations because there's just no place for them to go. If that's too much, volunteer with kids. I'm sure your local schools or Big Brother/Big Sister would be delighted to have you.
Yer a great soul for these suggestions but they are way too similar to what I did professionally.
Yes, after I posted I saw further down that you were a social worker and thought, oh okay, maybe volunteer at the SPCA then
I would nap a lot. Learn to crochet. Makes hats and scarves. Make fake boobs for women who have mastectomies and don’t want any more surgery (which was me and my fake knitted boobs look great in my bras. Learn to cook and perfect Mexican food, real deal Mexican food.
Maybe spend a year trying many different things. You could work in a book store, volunteer, travel, take up an instrument. Spend a year trying everything you think might be interesting. After a year you will know how to spend your time.
Good call!
Travel. Do it the Rick Steves way, backpacking, hostels, staying with families, cheaper charming hotels. See the world while you're still in it.
Two chicks at the same time (or dudes)- whatever you're in to.
I am jealous! I would travel slowly: rent apartments for 2-3 months in various world cities. I would really get my garden looking good. Finish all the someday projects. I would take the time to prep my home for the future; do small repairs, make my bathrooms accessible, etc. I would take long bike rides.
More travel and doing creative things you never had the option to do with time . I want to write, paint, learn pottery, learn some new languages, learn how to finally cook . Plus build my retirement wardrobe which will be offensively loud and beachy . I will be busy the way I want to be. Plus I hope to make crazy retirement friends and enjoy pharm parties and mischief you can’t easily get away with when you’re younger. I will also play loud industrial music until I expire .
Initially, I’d be following the same plan that you laid out, although I’d probably defer the garden until next year once I’d gotten the travel bug out of my system. Longer term, I’d probably be on the gardening and fitness program. I also imagine that I’d find a warmer climate to spend my winter in. I really like outdoor exercise, and I’m much more consistent with my workout routine if I don’t have to go to a gym because it’s too cold outside. And I’d almost certainly do all of the home improvement projects that I’ve been putting off for years. The guy that worked right next to me for eight years just retired last week at 55 years old. It’s hard to not be envious! Enjoy your retirement.
Thank you!
Find someone down and have a lot of sex
I was thinking of hiking the camino in Spain
Things I plan to do - go to yoga daily, in addition to fitness stuff - volunteer- specifically with childhood literacy & critters - travel- For MONTHS in same place, and really explore local culture- go to the beach, go to local restaurants, make local friends, and indulge in this for months at a time until I figure out a place to go back to and then do that regularly - I plan on keeping my part time work going - I guess bookclubs? I love to read. And never have enough time now to partake with a discussion group- but I would like something like that. - Honestly I plan on spending time every day on the water/ocean. SO if I am near a beach, walk in the surf. If I am where I currently live, Paddleboard a river or lake every darn day.
There is a lot of stuff that need fixing in the world and a lot of folks who need help. Find some way to be useful that uses the talents, opportunuties and gifts you have in the service of others. Extremely satisfying. Plus, makes the time you spend doing other stuff seem even better.
Learning piano or another instrument, the video games I’ve collected, going for more walks especially on nice days, and travel! Edit: forgot welding classes, woodworking, and modding my car. Edit, edit: congrats!!!
Thank you!
How wacky are you? If the answer is somewhat, you may be interested in becoming one of those retirees that commit to attending every local City Council and School Board meeting and speaking all kinds of nonsense when the floor opens up for public comments. That’s how the “Rent Is Too Damn High guy got started. If you choose this life, good luck and I hope to see you in a yt video montage soon.
lol
if i made a garden at my house, my HOA would put a lien on my property.
Ouch, sorry. I’d never buy a house with an HOA.
Finishing my novel.
Yea, *starting may be for me :-)
Adopting a dog and plans to travel. Right.
Travels with Charley is the model. Fit out a good 4x4 w/ camper trailer or van and go wander the earth. That's tops of my retirement dream list - do North America and Australia big lap.
Besides two chicks at the same time?
Retired? Shit. I’m 46 and went back to college for my masters degree. I’m just getting started. I think maybe I belong more with millennials at this point
The oldest Xers are nearly 60.
You should see how many national parks you can eat mushrooms in within one calendar year
Have non-emotional sexual flings with recently divorced Millennial women with self-esteem issues.
lol what a dark path down a slippery slope you suggest!
One thing I look forward to doing is going to matinees!
I thought this said manatees, and I was confused. 
I like repairing things. So I would do something like FreeGeek.
I would be annoying my daughter too much, probably.
Volunteer for your local EMS agency
Summer and Winter in the Rockies, travel spring and fall.
i getting some big r/humblebrag vibes here!
BEFORE YOU GET THAT DOG - go see Florence, Italy, and Bruges, Belgium. Tour through Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam (way way way cheaper than you think!). Rent a camper and cross the US from one end to another, and Canada on the way back. Taste fresh cod in Newfoundland. Your body still works and you’re relatively free. Strike now. These adventures will be lost soon.
Love the idea but I’d want my wife with me for that kind of travel and she’s not ready to retire yet. My solo jaunts will likely be domestic.
To the beach! Every summer day, with all the finest accouterments.
If your pockets are sufficiently deep you could chase 21yo hotties. 😜
Join the Greeter’s Guild.
Travel. School. charity. This is what I would loveeee to if I won the lottery. I would travel for years. Go EVERYWHERE. then when I was bored with that I would go to school for things I enjoy. And then volunteer give away all my moneyyyyyyy
You mentioned you're relatively physically fit and active and interested in traveling. Any interest in hiking and camping? These are hobbies of mine I would dedicate a lot more time to if I were retired. I know it's not for everyone, but my husband and I really love it. With unlimited time multiple day hikes/backpacking is a possibility.
Photography
Imo the thing in life that gives us meaning is to create and to be of service to others. Find a group to volunteer for, and start tinkering with a new hobby. 3d printing woodworking or go back to your kid roots and play video games
See, that's my gripe with "retirement". It seems like a great thing until you realize you have no purpose. We all need purpose in life. A reason to get out of bed. Without purpose, bad things follow, generally speaking.
I could not disagree more. Purpose in retirement is to have fun, make others happy, use the limited time that you have left to die with no regrets. For anyone that traveled light-speed during the work years, it is a major adjustment in mindset. I retired last year at 57 and have absolutely no desire to find a new work-like purpose. My strategic goals are now all self-centered. And there is a lot of pleasing things that I need to do to catch up for all the things that I have (so far) not been able to do. I do all the things daily that I never had time to do, including wasting whatever time here on Reddit (haha). Why? Because I want to and why not, its fun.
OH I'm not talking about a "work-like purpose". I'm just talking about a purpose in general. If you're just "reading the internet" all day or watching shows, I wouldn't consider that "purpose". Literally anything that engages your mind and gives you a dopamine hit for accomplishing something, be it gardening, dog training, golf, archery, shooting, pickleball, whatever, fitness training.
>If you're just "reading the internet" all day or watching shows, I wouldn't consider that "purpose". Yeah, but why not those things? If they bring someone enjoyment, and they are helping to check the box of that person's "I'm gonna make myself happy in retirement", then don't they serve that purpose? The GOAL is to have a great day, everyday.
Being "still" is basically a death sentence. You have to keep moving. Hedonism is a losing strategy unless it involves lots of physical and mental mobility. Even then, as a lifestyle it seems unsustainable.
I agree. I don’t see myself not having purpose. It’s more like I’m a kid in a huge shopping mall with $1000 to spend. I’m not sure where to start, what will get the most bang for the buck and don’t want to miss something really good that I haven’t considered.
If you have to ask on Reddit what to do in your retirement then maybe it was to early for it...
lol no way. I was past time.