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"You'll be Bored" (in retirement)

BradS

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Location
Soulsbyville, California
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When I mentioned that I hope/plan to retire next year, a few people (including my oldest son!) said, "you'll be bored".

I cannot imagine being bored. I do not recall ever being bored in my life. Even when home alone with no particular plans, I'm not bored. There's always something to see or to do.

On the other hand, I got my first job when I was 13 and I've worked continuously, I've not had more than two consecutive weeks off since graduating from college some 32+ years ago....so...I don't know. I've never really been without a job.

Am I gonna be bored?
 
I have five more years to go. I can't wait. I will NOT be bored. I am so looking forward to waking up early, any day of the week, to go and take photos somewhere. I can't wait to book a flight somewhere, anytime... instead of always summer, or Christmas, or Spring Break.... and come back when I feel like it. I can't wait to have a summer where I don't have the return to school always in the back of my mind, gnawing away at me. The question is, can I wait five more years... sigh.
 
After I retired, I was so busy that I could not figure out how I ever got anything done while I was working.

The two people who should not retire are the ones whose work is their life and the ones that absolutely hate their work. The first loves their work so much that they never developed any other interests. The second hated their work so much that they never developed any other interests. Most people as they approach retirement age do not develop new interests. Are their exceptions? Yes after a retired I got interested in amateur radio and got the Extra license, the highest in the US and started learning International Morse Code at 20 words per minute. Recently, with almost no musical back ground other than playing a turntable, I have started learning one of the most difficult instruments, the theremin, and reading music. The theremin, like the violin has not marked note locations on the strings, but it is as though the theremin has only one string, plus it is the only instrument on which one does not touch.



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Every one here has by definition, except professional photographers, outside interests and will highly likely have a successful retirement.

Enjoy your retirement and since you are in the area, give me a call and we can get together.
 

I don't hate my work, nor do I love it. I guess I'm good to go!
 
My father retired when he was 55, he's 80 now and I have never heard him complain about being board. He's always doing something, bike riding, running, working on things around the house, etc., he ran a marathon last year. I think most of us on this forum have at least one hobby, that should keep people like us entertained. If you do nothing outside of your job you will probably be board in retirement.
 
I went from ex communist country to country which is voting for communism.
Apparatchiks in my mother country canceled pensions for my generation.
Apparatchiks in where I’m now have the same. Lavish retirement for them, nothing for us, taxpayers.
So, which retirement you are talking about? My father worked until they kicked him out at 79 couple years ago. He is kind of bored, because he is worn out, physically.
 
  • wy2l
  • Deleted
  • Reason: Yes.

Yeah, it's kinda like that here too....except it's different.

My father worked for the same major corporation for his entire, 35 year, career. He retired (aka got "let go") at age 56 and got a sweet pension from the corporation - he even has health care benefits. He'll be 76 this year and is always busy golfing and doing volunteer work for various charitable organizations to which he belongs.

I don't think I have ever believed that any corporation or the federal government would give me a pension. I'm 55 and, after 32+ years of continuous employment, have comparatively little but it is enough. I'll be able to retire only because I've been able to save some money along the way and have done pretty well on some investments.

I have stuff to do, people to see and places to go...and I want to do these things while my knees still work and before my brain turns to jelly.
 
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Retire while you still have the health to enjoy it. There is nothing wrong with getting older, but getting older and not being well is not so great.
 

The communist party in Canada got hardly any votes. Not sure what you are talking about...
 
I retired seven years ago and didn't have a boring day since.retirement is totally undervalued and just great! should 've done it ten years earlier!
 
I sincerely doubt it.

I’m on a similar schedule but never even thought of the possibility of being bored.
 
Almost 7 years. Not bored for a second. Work was fun, but it was just a job. My life had nothing to do with it.
 

You had better check under your bed and your closets. Do not trust anyone who makes left turns.
 
Boredom is the offspring of laziness and lack of imagination.
 

Very well put, Sirius. But I'm another "exception". I do very meaningful (to me) work at a high level, and it's very pre-occupying. Nevertheless, I always found time for my family, above all, even if it meant sacrifices in other areas, and continued my interest in photography, cooking, woodworking, fly fishing, fountain pen collecting/restoration, and many other areas.

Now that we are empty nesters and my wife has retired, we have a little more time to pursue our interests, especially those we share - mostly photography and cooking. We may not ski or canoe as much as we did when those were family activities, but that gives us more time to focus on the things we can still do well without straining our bodies as much.

I've worked a lifetime in the non-profit field, and my retirement savings are not yet adequate at age 67. I intend to work as long as I'm at the top of my game (which I think I still am) and can be productive, even if I eventually reduce my hours or move toward a consultant model.

My brother is two years younger than I, and he has a "jailhouse calendar" on his office wall, marking off the days until he can retire. He's accumulated a lot more of a bank balance, and I hope he lives to enjoy it. But I still believe that doing work that's meaningful and satisfying for your fifty-odd years of working, while carving out enough time for your family and interests is the best approach, at least for me. There are no one size fits all answers, and I hope everyone reading this comes up with their own.

Andy
 
You would be lucky to be bored, I don't see a pathway to ever being able to retire for the majority of people my age (40s) and younger, not at this point anyway.
Good luck in your retirement. If it were me and I had a choice, I'd keep a pathway to employment open, you might miss the company/hobby money.
But seems like full retirement is a popular option here and I can certainly see how that could be - if you have funds to travel and to goof around then you are a lucky man, have at it!
 
I'm retired from a job that I pretty much enjoyed. But it involved too much travel. I don't miss nearly as much as I thought I would. Now I wake up wondering what day it is rather than what city I'm in.

Boredom is a self inflicted wound. Even lacking hobbies there is always something more to do and more to learn.
 
A fascinating instrument. I built one in high school but never used it as an instrument. I had trouble with the limited field size of the antennas and so didn’t use it much. I think the plans came from an old Popular Science article. In fact the photo copies we made were the old ‘negative’ versions when copiers were first created.

As for retirement I did that 2 years ago. I enjoyed the work but it wasn’t my “life”, just a job to support myself. Until recently I’ve been working PT and now wonder if I really need to continue PT work somewhere. Want to spend more time with wifey and film. Choices, choices.
 
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Paid off at 50 with a couple of years abroad soon after and that was it. An MSc for 1 year paid for by the EU was fun. 22 years later I am juggling photography, model railways and motorcycling. Too many books as well thanks to book fairs, bookshops and museums. Mainly above topics, plus planes (l had to draw the line somewhere, so plane books only)
 
I've heard people say that... "You would be bored". I could live 10 lifetimes and not run out of things to do and that's only what I've thought of so far. Given more time I'd just generate more interests.

But, not likely I'll be retiring before expiring at the rate I'm going so it's a moot point.
 
I've been retired for well over 12 years now. Not boring at all. Like everything in life it's much to do with your outlook, drive, interests, what you put into it and most importantly some given plans. I've never been idle my entire life. So, it's easy for me to dodge the slumps. I do have a brother that after retirement went back to consulting merely as a need to be active. He golfs and fishes but needed more. I find between 2 photo social media sites and 2 selling sites and my weekly photo outings I remain busy. Not so much I feel it's a job or "work". I can stop and nap when required, but never burned out like my 45 years of work with 35 years of those in the 7-24-365 telecommunications industry.
Enjoy your time off. Many never live to see the day. Thankfully I'm a lucky soul who has made it in the vertical position.
 
I'm only ever bored at work. Then again, I've never linked my self identity to my job. My job is what I do to make money. It has nothing to do with who I am.

If work wasn't boring, then you'd be paying them to do it. That's how amusement parks work. I don't think anyone would pay money to do what I do M-F 8-5.
 
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