Retirement Thread

[Mosbonian]

After the positive responses and congratulations on my Retirement thread, the idea came to me that there should be a thread that helps everyone prepare for the eventuality of retirement.

There were many great ideas, comments and great suggestions that came out of the conversation. What I would like to do is put this here as a repository for information for anyone who is:

• Ready to retire
• Close to retirement
• Beginning to plan for retirement

One of the things I came to find out is that no matter how much I had thought I was prepared for retirement, there were still things I had not pondered or prepared for.

So this thread is for all your questions, comments, advice to help others that are close to retirement.

I mean....this board is about a year and a half away from being around for a quarter of a century, and many of us who have been around are there already.

So, please feel free to contribute!

[DanT]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I'm one month from hanging 'em up as of today. But it's a 31-day month so it's still a long way off.

Congratulations, Kevin!

[scho63]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I'm one month from hanging 'em up as of today. But it's a 31-day month so it's still a long way off.

Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick..........

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by scho63

Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick..........

Are we there yet?
Are we there yet?
Are we there yet?


(Pause.)


Are we there yet?

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Are we there yet?
Are we there yet?
Are we there yet?


(Pause.)


Are we there yet?

Time for the young whippersnappers to take the lead.

[TrebMaxx]

2 months and 11 days for me but who's counting. It is getting harder to stay motivated at work, I will say that. My employees are starting to grate on me every time they screw something up. I just do a countdown of how long until I won't have to deal with them.

[Misplaced_Chiefs_Fan]

It's taken me a bit to get into a rhythm since retiring last January.

One thing that's helped is taking over some of the daily house chores simply to make more time for the rest of the family. I'll never be mistaken for a Michelin chef, but I'm defintely getting more comfortable making dinner and trying recipies I never thought I'd be able to handle.

Finally getting into a good rhythm with my writing. Just about to put the finishing touches on a novella, got three short stories started, and two novels are at various points of being finished.

Also, getting caught up on my backlog of books I've been meaning to read, DVDs I've been meaning to watch and found a couple of channels on the tube that specialize on older TV shows (esp. GRIT to catch up on those old 1950s westerns and GET - watching the heck out of Mike Hammer, Magnum P.I., Rockford Files, and Kojak.)

So, yeah, it takes a little bit and some experimenting to figure out what works, but if you don't try to force it, I think it's easy to find something that interests you enough to keep you from being bored.

[Mosbonian]

Originally Posted by TrebMaxx

2 months and 11 days for me but who's counting. It is getting harder to stay motivated at work, I will say that. My employees are starting to grate on me every time they screw something up. I just do a countdown of how long until I won't have to deal with them.

You are in something I kind of dealt with....I call it the lame duck syndrome.

Once people know you are leaving they either ignore you, listen but don't really hear you, or treat you like you are Charlie Brown's teacher. Some of them resent you because you made it to the goal line and they are so far away. The really good people are happy for you, but it also reminds them how far they are from achieving what you have worked to accomplish.

But....and here is the good part for you, that last 71 days will go by faster than you think. The last day you will spend cleaning up things, having people come by and say their farewell's and some will be truly sad to see you go.

And saying this from recent experience....you will not believe the feeling freedom that you get from leaving work for the final time. I have had lunch with a couple of my former co-workers just to catch up and the first thing they said was that I seem so happy...and even look a bit younger.

Retirement looks good on me.....and I am loving it. Here's to hoping that you get the same joy that I have now.

And what I look forward to most is the upcoming 3-peat by the KC Chiefs!

[Mosbonian]

Originally Posted by Misplaced_Chiefs_Fan

It's taken me a bit to get into a rhythm since retiring last January.

One thing that's helped is taking over some of the daily house chores simply to make more time for the rest of the family. I'll never be mistaken for a Michelin chef, but I'm defintely getting more comfortable making dinner and trying recipies I never thought I'd be able to handle.

Finally getting into a good rhythm with my writing. Just about to put the finishing touches on a novella, got three short stories started, and two novels are at various points of being finished.

Also, getting caught up on my backlog of books I've been meaning to read, DVDs I've been meaning to watch and found a couple of channels on the tube that specialize on older TV shows (esp. GRIT to catch up on those old 1950s westerns and GET - watching the heck out of Mike Hammer, Magnum P.I., Rockford Files, and Kojak.)

So, yeah, it takes a little bit and some experimenting to figure out what works, but if you don't try to force it, I think it's easy to find something that interests you enough to keep you from being bored.

I actually have become a part time "Picker"....doing it just enough to keep me occupied. I will never become a millionaire doing it, but dang it is fun when you sell something you have purchased, repaired and resold.

I also set time to watch TV too...but mine is watching the Discovery+ channel and all those shows there, along with watching all the YouTube channels that shows all the Abandoned Places.....

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

For those who have been retired 6 months or more. did you find that keeping a semi-regular schedule helps ease into retirement or did you give yourself a year to figure out what the hell to do with the rest of your life?

Staying up and binging something on a work night does hold a little fun. Those poor slobs are getting out into traffic, dealing with overbearing bosses, insane deadlines and unsatisfied customers or suits.

My wife was a teacher, retired "officially" as of tomorrow. The teachers have to report and start work for the new year on Friday. We are going to the beach.

I've been retired for 9 months and other than an immediate trip to Roatan that allowed me to sleep-in a little longer (other than the travel days), but after that I found that the internal clock still worked. I used to start work around 4:45a, but teleworking allowed me to sleep until 4:30a and shower later in the day.

So I'd say let nature take its course, your internal clock will adjust over a few months. I'm still a 6:30-7:00am person, but that's because I don't want to sleep away my retirement.

Just my $.02

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Are we there yet?
Are we there yet?
Are we there yet?


(Pause.)


Are we there yet?

Retirement is everything you ever imagined it was and a lot more. It's freaking amazing...

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by TrebMaxx

2 months and 11 days for me but who's counting. It is getting harder to stay motivated at work, I will say that. My employees are starting to grate on me every time they screw something up. I just do a countdown of how long until I won't have to deal with them.

I actually had planned to retire 12/31/2023 but something came up with the grandson and, addly, it opened an opportunity for me to go on a dive trip that I had written off because it was going to happen the same week as the grandson was due. Well, long story less long, being a premature baby allowed me to go on the trip and that made it make no sense to keep the 12/31/2023 date intact. SO I really didn't have a lot of time to get unmotivated with all the work that needed to go into planning for subordinate staff to cover for me for a longer than "he's out diving for a week" vacation. But I did become less and less worried about things as my folks started taking over while I was still there so they could ask questions..

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

SO I really didn't have a lot of time to get unmotivated with all the work that needed to go into planning for subordinate staff to cover for me for a longer than "he's out diving for a week" vacation. But I did become less and less worried about things as my folks started taking over while I was still there so they could ask questions..

I was a contractor in I.T. so I didn't have an office to retire from. Because of the short term memory loss issues I had to retire a year or two before planned.

I'd like Arrowhead Kingdom to survive past me. I think we are already there but I had already started to turn it over a couple of years ago to others before my health issues.

I created a leadership crew to run things. Been going well. I'm still involved but letting others take the lead. I'm not involved in the road tailgates and events this year. We has planned big push this off season to expand our international chapters beyond the 6 countries we are already in. But, now even though I have the extra time these days, I just don't have the passion that would take to pull off.

So far, I'm finding that I like having no daily responsibilities beyond feeding myself.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Misplaced_Chiefs_Fan

It's taken me a bit to get into a rhythm since retiring last January.

One thing that's helped is taking over some of the daily house chores simply to make more time for the rest of the family. I'll never be mistaken for a Michelin chef, but I'm defintely getting more comfortable making dinner and trying recipies I never thought I'd be able to handle.

Finally getting into a good rhythm with my writing. Just about to put the finishing touches on a novella, got three short stories started, and two novels are at various points of being finished.

Also, getting caught up on my backlog of books I've been meaning to read, DVDs I've been meaning to watch and found a couple of channels on the tube that specialize on older TV shows (esp. GRIT to catch up on those old 1950s westerns and GET - watching the heck out of Mike Hammer, Magnum P.I., Rockford Files, and Kojak.)

So, yeah, it takes a little bit and some experimenting to figure out what works, but if you don't try to force it, I think it's easy to find something that interests you enough to keep you from being bored.

Thats really cool.

[Woogieman]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

I've been retired for 9 months and other than an immediate trip to Roatan that allowed me to sleep-in a little longer (other than the travel days), but after that I found that the internal clock still worked. I used to start work around 4:45a, but teleworking allowed me to sleep until 4:30a and shower later in the day.

So I'd say let nature take its course, your internal clock will adjust over a few months. I'm still a 6:30-7:00am person, but that's because I don't want to sleep away my retirement.

Just my $.02

I lived on Roatan for a year just before the bank crisis...the $ god's saw to it that I would not retire early. What did you think of my fair island? MY ISLAND!!

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I was a contractor in I.T. so I didn't have an office to retire from. Because of the short term memory loss issues I had to retire a year or two before planned.

I'd like Arrowhead Kingdom to survive past me. I think we are already there but I had already started to turn it over a couple of years ago to others before my health issues.

I created a leadership crew to run things. Been going well. I'm still involved but letting others take the lead. I'm not involved in the road tailgates and events this year. We has planned big push this off season to expand our international chapters beyond the 6 countries we are already in. But, now even though I have the extra time these days, I just don't have the passion that would take to pull off.

So far, I'm finding that I like having no daily responsibilities beyond feeding myself.

Right on, brother. I'm beyond blessed because outside of the ailments a former Navy diver has in his late 50s, I'm good to go. A few back issues, but I don't think many active people get into their late 50s without some kinds of aches, pains, and some arthritis poking its way into reality, and it's nothing that working smarter than harder doesn't get around. I too was I.T. for most of my life, worked from home, was blessed beyond belief to have leaders under me who made my life pretty darn easy and allowed me to take time off and not worry for even a minute about what I'd be returning to. Sure networking has it's tough days, wide area networking comes with added stress of whining users, but at the end of the day you adapt to they bullshit, ignore the noise, and focus on the mission.

That said, like you, it's awesome to have near zero corporate responsibility. Technically I still work because I teach scuba, but it's a passion, it's easy, it provides LOTS of travel with offset costs, and I can do as much or as little as I want. I knew that this passion of mine wasn't something most people can do at a high level into their 70s, so when the younger son graduated from school I knew it was time to get out of the corporate bullshit and start living the wonderful life that ~50 straight years of working, starting as a paperboy, have provided. Sometimes I wish I had retired in my early 50 mid 50s, but I didn't want to retire until we knew what the younger son was going to pursue as a career. As soon as that was done I never looked back.

Egypt with the younger son is going to be epic... I don't think I've been so excited to go on a trip as I am for this one. And in a proud dad moment, I'm more than sure I'm going to pause for a moment when we splash for the first time on 9/1/2024 that while his early diving career is different than mine was, at that moment, I'm be diving with my son who will be more qualified in some areas of the industry than me. Yeah, I'm smiling ear-to-ear. And I'm going to certify him in both wreck and advanced wreck diving in the north Red Sea - something I told him he'd have to wait for. It's time, now he just has to show me that he's ready to complete the certification.

I'm not sure what the last part has to do with retiring, but for me it does, it's one of the milestones I had set for myself, if he was ready (and wanted to endure dad being a bit of a prick for the advanced cert), so I'll allow it!