On retiring, what new things did you start...

[Renato1]

In saying all that I strongly believe purpose and social interactions are vital components when leaving the workforce

I go along with social interaction, but what is the purpose?

If it is something simple like ensuring the money doesn't run out while enjoying one's life of leisure, then fair enough. Otherwise I foresee possible difficulty with such an objective.

My current purpose is chainsawing the tree that feel down in our driveway, so that I can get my car out and fulfill my other purpose - getting groceries (food and drink).
Regards,
Renato

 

[burmans]

I go along with social interaction, but what is the purpose?

Now we are into philosophy, suggest you google "Meaning and Purpose", this is not an easy topic as this varies considerably from individual to individual.

Here is some links to articles as to why purpose may make you live longer
Sense of meaning and purpose in life linked to longer lifespan
Having A Sense of Purpose Helps You Live Longer
Young Or Old, THIS Is The Key To Living Longer
Find Purpose, Live Longer – Add Meaning by Giving Back - AARP The Magazine

 

[cove]

I did get a laugh from a comedian who said sex almost every day.
He then proceeded with “Almost Monday, almost Tuesday, almost Wednesday.......

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I go along with social interaction, but what is the purpose?

To give you an idea on what sense of purpose is have a read of this brief document:
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/docs/...bility/sense-of-purpose-hand-out.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Only you can work out what it is for you.

However the lack of a sense of purpose is I believe a key reason why some males curl up their toes within two years of retiring, and in particular those that did not wish to retire but were forced to.

If it is something simple like ensuring the money doesn't run out while enjoying one's life of leisure, then fair enough. Otherwise I foresee possible difficulty with such an objective.

Well that may work for you, but I personally will need a lot more than just than managing my money and meeting basic needs. That for me would be more being in limbo than being in retirement.



As to being happy...that to me goes to quality of life and to me a retirement if all I did was existing would be bland and unpalatable for myself. I could not be happy with no sense of purpose. But being happy is more than just having a sense of fulfilment. Again what makes one happy is unique to the individual.

For me personally a retirement of doing nothing (if that is truly what you only do <or rather not do!>, but as you at least travel it seems that you do more than nothing) would drive me stir crazy. Don't get me wrong, some days of just chilling will be on the agenda. But I need more please.

 

[JohnK]

I go along with social interaction, but what is the purpose?

Not important for everyone. As long as family are healthy and happy the rest does not matter.

But in saying that I will get more than enough social interaction from playing golf and having a young daughter means we'll also be involved in her social activities.

 

[cgichard]

Things I like about being retired (and living alone):
not being accountable
getting up at whatever time I feel like
going to bed in the afternoon with a new book and continuing to read until I've finished it
giving up one of two French conversation classes because it involved too much homework
deciding how much time to spend on voluntary commitments
planning my next holiday many months ahead, and then revising those plans, without input from anyone else
choosing not to bother to cook if I don't feel hungry etc. etc.

Having spent most of my life being too busy, I really relish being a person of no importance who can simply be lazy.

 

[Pushka]

I’m home alone a bit these days due the MrPs work travel. I love the luxury of not having to cook a meal and along with that the shopping. I can see my skills deteriorating though. When he retires I’ll be cooking a lot more.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Thank you for everyone's responses to date.

We have already seen that different approaches suit different people.

I look forward to reading more.

 

[Buzzard]

I "retired" on the last day of February last year. Where have the last 12 months gone? I now work only when it suits me.
Whilst I haven't done anything new since retiring, I now have more time to spend on existing interests that have been neglected. As an example, motorcycle riding and reading. I've also been busy fixing up our place getting it ready for sale. I'll also be busy soon culling the stuff I've accumulated over the years. Having a 4 bedroom house with a 4 car garage lends itself to hoarding. A big challenge for us both will be moving into a 3 bedroom townhouse where all the maintenance is performed by strata where now I do it all myself. Given that there will be a 20M lap pool at my disposal I have vowed to get fit.
I should mention that we have spent about 4 of the last 12 months travelling.

 

[amaroo]

I retired 10 years ago (aged 40) had a bugger of a time working out things like laundry and cut lunches - lasted 4 years. I started a couple of new ventures that filled a void. I’ve learnt my lesson, retirement for me is all about start ups, helping others and clipping the ticket for some decent travel.

 

[Quickstatus]

My current purpose is chainsawing the tree that feel down in our driveway, so that I can get my car out and fulfill my other purpose - getting groceries (food and drink).
Regards,
Renato

Major benefits of retirement:
Wake when finished sleeping
Live in the Now
Everything is Optional

If unable to do above then you haven’t retired

 

[Denali]

....My current purpose is chainsawing the tree that feel down in our driveway, ...

I tasked my husband with finding a tree company that would grind down a stump in the front yard.

He announced he was a manly man that was going to Bunnings to get a sausage sizzle sandwich and a very sharp axe, to chop the stump himself. Because thats what manly men do plus it would be exercise.

Yeah, I shut that down real quick although he was allowed the sausage sizzle.

 

[OATEK]

I have found that life gets in the way of retirement so far, and all the plans I made for building a model railway for example, are still on hold. I have pursued the get-fitter part of the plan, dropped some weight and got the blood pressure sorted out. But daughter & son-in-law have decided to return to UK to work, and we have had DAU/Grand-daughter at our place for months while SIL sorts things out at the other end. No spare time in the day for hobbies between exercise, getting granddaughter to/from School, various household chores etc. Mind you, quality time with granddaughter before she goes is valued.

Naturally, this has also thrown future travel into disarray with most trips requiring a UK component again. I guess the only really active retirement activity that is going well is the travel planning, with first major post-retirement trip in June, and I am re-working about three trips ahead to see where the UK can be fitted in amongst the places already down to visit.

Always been a bit of a loner, so not desperate to join a boys group as such, although I know I can get plenty of that by volunteering for work at the Rail Museum I belong too. Like others, I still do some work, and I am on a Government panel that brings me some regular assignments which will help support travel over the coming few years.

I am the lucky owner of a defined benefits pension from my 30years in NSW Government, and a tidy income stream for 18years in the private sector so have the confidence that the plans can be put into effect (once I get my train room back).

 

[Buzzard]

To answer the actual question posed by the OP, I/we started living on a tighter budget.

 

[Renato1]

Now we are into philosophy, suggest you google "Meaning and Purpose", this is not an easy topic as this varies considerably from individual to individual.

Here is some links to articles as to why purpose may make you live longer
Sense of meaning and purpose in life linked to longer lifespan
Having A Sense of Purpose Helps You Live Longer
Young Or Old, THIS Is The Key To Living Longer
Find Purpose, Live Longer – Add Meaning by Giving Back - AARP The Magazine

Thanks for the links.
The last one encourages becoming religious and working longer.

I do notice in them the suggestion of being/feeling "worthwhile", as opposed to feeling worthless.
I suspect that people who feel worthless a lot of the time don't live as long.

I avoid the issue by deliberately trying to neither feel worthless nor worthwhile - which are pretty often two sides of the same coin.
http://davidmills.net/index_files/Overcoming-Self-Esteem.pdf

Regards,
Renato

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I go along with social interaction, but what is the purpose?

Not important for everyone. As long as family are healthy and happy the rest does not matter.

But in saying that I will get more than enough social interaction from playing golf and having a young daughter means we'll also be involved in her social activities.

Many would consider the above two items in bold as being what would provide many with a sense of purpose.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

To answer the actual question posed by the OP, I/we started living on a tighter budget.

Thank you. However with this thread I am more interested in lifestyle aspects than financial ones and that was my intent. So fitness, new hobbies, interests, social groups, volunteering..... and even say part-time work if the prime reason are factors such as interest/ satisfaction/ social contact rather than the money. Or a sea-change, tree-change, becoming a grey-nomad to caravan/caop around Australia (or indeed international as well)


Though it may well be too of course that as a lifestyle choice you decided to live a simpler less expensive life.

 

[Renato1]

To give you an idea on what sense of purpose is have a read of this brief document:
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/docs/...bility/sense-of-purpose-hand-out.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Only you can work out what it is for you.

However the lack of a sense of purpose is I believe a key reason why some males curl up their toes within two years of retiring, and in particular those that did not wish to retire but were forced to.



Well that may work for you, but I personally will need a lot more than just than managing my money and meeting basic needs. That for me would be more being in limbo than being in retirement.



As to being happy...that to me goes to quality of life and to me a retirement if all I did was existing would be bland and unpalatable for myself. I could not be happy with no sense of purpose. But being happy is more than just having a sense of fulfilment. Again what makes one happy is unique to the individual.

For me personally a retirement of doing nothing (if that is truly what you only do <or rather not do!>, but as you at least travel it seems that you do more than nothing) would drive me stir crazy. Don't get me wrong, some days of just chilling will be on the agenda. But I need more please.

I see that we are having a good discussion here.
Having a sense of purpose is fine. When I was working - and I enjoyed my jobs - my ultimate purpose was to have as much time off as was reasonable while working, while accumulating enough money so that one day I could spend all my days as "days off work". I worked to live, not lived to work.

Having a sense of purpose in the manner you desire is fine - so long as when inevitably something goes wrong in undertaking that purpose, or the day comes when you are no longer capable of achieving that purpose, you don't make yourself miserable about it.

When I say "I do nothing", I really mean that I do nothing that most other people who are big on doing things would consider "worthwhile". Stacks of people have asked me why I don't get a part time job, or become a consultant (i.e. do something they consider "worthwhile") and my answer is that No - I prefer to do nothing (i.e. nothing they believe is worthwhile). I own 12 telecopes, I love going to the beach, I love planning trips, I love doing trips, I love shopping and I have a big block that needs maintenance. My time is filled in.
Regards,
Renato

 

[get me outta here]

Just be prepared for teenage hood when they are reticent to have their oldies around. Don't take it personally.

Not important for everyone. As long as family are healthy and happy the rest does not matter.

But in saying that I will get more than enough social interaction from playing golf and having a young daughter means we'll also be involved in her social activities.

 

[Renato1]

Not important for everyone. As long as family are healthy and happy the rest does not matter.

But in saying that I will get more than enough social interaction from playing golf and having a young daughter means we'll also be involved in her social activities.

I think that you are on a very similar wavelength to me on this retirement matter.
Regards,
Renato