[Elisabeth]

Hello! My husband and I are planning on retiring in the next few years. I am interested in hearing other’s experience on how you found something meaningful to do with your time after leaving your 9-5 job.

This might be a very broad question, but I don’t want to make the mistake of retiring without knowing what we are retiring to, if that makes sense.

Thanks for any sharing of experience/input!

[Kelly]

Volunteering, mentoring, etc.
I’m going to start a spreadsheet of volunteer organizations I’d like to support by volunteering my time and experience

[Dave]

I don’t really believe in retiring. I think you still have to wake up with something to look forward to! A passion.

For me it turned out to be managing our properties, running an eBay store and, most fun of all for me, delivering food and groceries on this…

Note that we live in a very pedestrian, bike and e-bike/e-scooter friendly community.

[Arensdorf]

Smart focus! It’s great you’re thinking about this.
Wes Moss has a book called What the Happiest Retirees Know and maybe another The Happiest Retiree on the Block.

I volunteer at an animal shelter and a nonprofit volunteer run used bookstore. I reconnected with old friends and have standing walking dates or coffee dates (with hours of great conversation and free therapy) with a few different friends.

Solo walks with good podcasts or audiobooks, sometimes I just sit at a park on my route and enjoy the outdoors. Joined a book club.

Took up pickleball once a week with a group of friends. I visit the library regularly and spend a few hours reading and browsing.

Little Projects around the house. Gardening and propagating plants at home.

Making sourdough bread once a week. And I’m surprised I don’t have time for more stuff… I want to sew and craft more, travel more and declutter.

Retirement is awesome!!!

[Christof]

Don’t wait until retirement, figure out what you enjoy now, an identity separate from work.

Hobbies are a good place to start. Otherwise, you can aways try something new in the free time and see what catches your excitement.

[Ellen]

It’s good to have a plan, even if you end up changing it. My parents moved onto their sailboat and sailed away.

I’ll likely retire in the next 5-ish years. But for a while now, I’ve been trying to create my best life now so I’m not waiting for retirement to “really live.”

For the most part I’m assuming that when I retire I’ll just have more time to spend on my current hobbies.

In winter, I teach Alpine and Adaptive snow skiing. Spring is filled with regular yardwork and boatyard work.

I hope to hire the more sweaty parts of that out as time goes along. The cooler parts of summer and early fall are for sailing.

It would be fun to take time to volunteer with an adaptive sailing group.

The holidays are for family (but I do my hobbies with them too, so I see everyone throughout the year).

In foul weather (which I define somewhat differently than others since I like a snowy winter and cool summer temps, LoL), I like to read and knit.

My parents’ example of retiring to more of what you’re already doing and know you love is the model I’m trying to emulate. Fingers crossed!

[蔡恆華]

From what I understand, when people ask ‘what to do with my time after retire’, what they actually ask is ‘what if my money isn’t enough’.

[Raakhi]

You are close to your retirement. How exciting!!!
I’m not near to retirement yet!!

But I do have few friends and family members are retired.

What do you love to do with your spare time now?

[Olivia]

You should try a mini retirement. I have done 5 mini retirements and they were game changers!

[Author]

Posts