Was retirement for you a good or not so good choice?

[winnietrey]

I understand, and do not question, the reason folks retire. Job stress, health, want to do something different.

For some I think, it was the best thing they ever did, for others not so much.

I think, I fall in the latter category. I like my job, I have no real hobbies, I enjoy all that much. I take a lot of time off, and travel, we are healthy. I think for me, retirement could be one of the worst things I could do. Just wondering if anyone else feels the same. With my personality I think I would be bored stiff

[harley4275]

Retired from the auto industry ,quality dept ( that rv builders do not have.) 12 yrs ago at 47 yrs old ....love it . Only live once. ??

[Splashers3]

I've only been been retired since mid-Feb, after 36+ years with the Dept of Navy - 6.5 yrs were on active duty.

So far I have been busy just about every day. I do not miss going to work at 0400, but I do miss the great folks I worked with over the years. I was a flight test engineer and we worked long hours in some interesting locations, testing some pretty cool systems, to save the lives of our warfighters.

Wife is still working, but has summers off. We look forward to seeing more of the USA and Canada.

[TomG2]

Twenty years ago, one hundred employees called me "Boss". Today, nobody does. This is better.

[mt1729]

The best thing my wife & I ever did!! Wouldn't change a thing.

[Bobbo]

Wildride64 wrote:
I retire on May 28th, after 21 years as an active duty Soldier,

Thank you for your service.

Wildride64 wrote:
I am so ready to slow down and enjoy our grown children (10)

They know what causes that now.

Wildride64 wrote:
and our grandchildren (8 currently and 3 more due by December). I have been away from my Family way too much over the years and missed so many of our kids' milestones...I have a lot of catching up to do. My DW and I plan on traveling more, golfing more and fishing more. I can see how in the future I may look into some volunteer activities to keep engaged, but my career was never who I was nor did I let it define me. One door closes and another one opens, or two or three. I will say that I miss Soldiers and the friendships that I have made over the years...it's just time time to eveolve those friendships and make new ones.

[ppine]

I love being retired. I quit working at age 50 in 2000. I have lots of hobbies and stay busy in the outdoors, working on my yard, teaching kids to ride horses and working with a service club. Every once in awhile I like to give a talk or lecture on forestry.

I feel sorry for people whose lives are defined by their work and little else. Most of them struggle with free time and contentment. It is my specialty.

[Wildride64]

I retire on May 28th, after 21 years as an active duty Soldier, I am so ready to slow down and enjoy our grown children (10) and our grandchildren (8 currently and 3 more due by December). I have been away from my Family way too much over the years and missed so many of our kids' milestones...I have a lot of catching up to do. My DW and I plan on traveling more, golfing more and fishing more. I can see how in the future I may look into some volunteer activities to keep engaged, but my career was never who I was nor did I let it define me. One door closes and another one opens, or two or three. I will say that I miss Soldiers and the friendships that I have made over the years...it's just time time to eveolve those friendships and make new ones.

[Toolguy5]

I retired at the end of 2013. I don't regret a minute of it.
I loved my job and I worked for a GREAT company. The position I was in I had to deal with a lot of unreasonable and less motivated individuals. Did not care for that aspect.

Fast paced growing company that was difficult at times to keep up with demand. After 30 plus years it started to take its toll. I miss the company and all the great people that I worked with.

[SpeakEasy]

My answer is colored by the fact that I have always viewed my "work" as my vocation. In other words, I believe I was "called" to do what I did for my career. I saw it as a ministry and as a purpose for my life rather than just a way to earn a living.

When it came time to consider retirement, finances were only a part of the picture.

My employer offers a benefit called "bridge to retirement." It's a three-year program when you can step down to part time in stages. You choose the fraction you want to work. The first year I chose 1/2 time. The second year I chose 1/3 time. Next year I'll be 1/4 time.

The first year was sort of nice, but sort of difficult. It was nice to have more free time, but I struggled with a couple of things. First I felt guilty all the time for not working as much as I was used to. (Remember my first paragraph above.) After a while I didn't feel much guilt, but I started having a hard time figuring out a new purpose for my life. I didn't (and don't) want to just live for myself, but that is certainly what comes most easily. I still haven't fully figured out what to do about that.

Lately I haven't been feeling guilty or too purposeless. It's been a good year. We did a lot of traveling and a lot of seeing family. I like that. I still have a pretty substantial bucket list.

My father lived to be 92, and my mom is still going strong at age 91. That makes it easy to imagine that I'll have a similar long life. However, I'm increasingly aware that there are no guarantees. I'm learning to live more on a day-to-day basis and enjoy the moment. I think it's a more healthy outlook than I've had before.

Good or not-so-good choice? Mostly good, but it's been a learning experience.

-Speak

[OldRadios]

I was forced into retirement six years early (at age 58).
Best thing that ever happened to me.
Was scary for about a month or two until I realized that it cost me quite a bit to work. (vehicle, food, clothes, etc.). Got a good pension out of the gate and not having the 9-5 job allowed me time to make quite a bit from my hobby. Now eight years later I'm actually better off than I was when I was working.

Funny, I had a high stress job and my wife said I was a changed person two weeks after I left.

[bikendan]

Xrayburg wrote:
It is awesome.....

Holy Thread Resurrection, Batman!:B

[pnichols]

This was an interesting older discussion thread.

My attitudes about work and retirement can be summed up as follows:

- Work is always "just work" and as such is a necessary evil.

- Given that, being born independently wealthy is the ultimate.

- When imagining what they would have done had they been born independently weathly, I suspect that very few would honestly say that they still would have spent a lifetime showing up to do the job that they did.

- I've always assumed that the decision on "when to retire" was obvious ... retire as soon as one was financially able to no longer require the pay from their work.

- I can think of dozens of things I would have liked to have done with my life rather than report to the job that I had for over 30 years ... even though "my job" was actually a "career" directly related to the type of education that I chose.

- Work was not "my life". What I did after work, on weekends, and vacations was my life.

- I've always believed that one should work in order to live instead of living so that they can work.

Given the above ideas, while I was working myself and my DW made a whole bunch of lifestyle decisions and choices so as to ensure a rich and rewarding life when finally able to live the ultimate way .... "in retirement".

[Bobbo]

Retirement for me was a WONDERFUL choice, but I had been planning and saving for it for 40 years, and was completely out of debt and owned my home. (I will hit 2 years retired on Aug 2.)

[avan]

I stopped working 27 yrs ago and haven't looked back. Nearly 15 of those years were spent full timing up and down, back and forth across this great country. That was followed by 7 yrs living and fishing on the Gulf in SW FL and now I'm back full timings. It's good.

[Xrayburg]

It is awesome.....