Making the change to retirement, sucks..

by Ron

Just 27 more days until my retirement date. Its by choice but still unsettling. I found the comment by Dan from MN to be pretty true:

"If you want to be happy, be happy. If you want to work, then work, but if you really want to retire, then do so happily, and get off your ass, quit whining, and make this time of your life the best there is. Because, I don't know if you know it our not, but the next thing in your life, after retirement is DEATH."

I get it if someone has to have some help with depression but a lot of it really is the sudden realization that you have to create your own life.

Look, the first 20 years of my life was growing up and going to school. School was not an option...it just was. I had my "work" and was involved with a lot of people both my age and older.

Then the next 42 years I went to work. Not an option...it just was. Again, had my "work" and involved with a lot of people.

Now in retirement, I will have to create that "school/work" schedule. I WILL HAVE TO CREATE IT. And that is the part that is difficult.

How will I fill that 40-60 hour workweek and create that social enviroment? Creating the purpose and social life fomerly provided by school/work is the biggest bump in the road.

For me, I've already set three small activities in place to help me in the transition from work to retirement but by no means does it fill a 40 hour week. About 10 hours a week but its a start. I remember a lot of people saying that school sucked and that work sucked but they had to do it.

Well, retirement might suck but you have to do it .... so go create your retirement!


Comments for Making the change to retirement, sucks..

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Making the transition is hard
by: Mike

I am new to this site and enjoy reading some of the comments everyone has posted. My challenge is making the leap from working to staying at home.

Besides the PANIC on worrying about the funding, there is an empty feeling inside on realizing all my friends are all over the country and not hear to meet and have coffee with.

I never took the time to cultivate friendships close since I was always on the road. It is a shock to realize what should be a great next step in life, call retirement, turns out to be something that is scaring the heck out of me.

I have a huge whole with being lost trying to find an identity, who am I now, and now sit back looking way to much at the stock market. Anyone else gone through this?

What is the secret sauce?
retirement
by: Anonymous

I hear you on retirement. I just retired 3 months ago and am scared to death. Worried about what to do and the endless question.. did we save enough to last.

you wake up one morning to find that all your friends are not in the same town since you built them through work and not close to home.

this is harder than I thought it would be and am working hard to work my way through the change. Has anyone else gone through this?
Life's last hurlde
by: Anonymous

Yes, retirement is the third and last hurdle in life. People are different and cope with it in different ways.

Sometimes, due to health, family or financial reasons, the hurdles are difficult to get over.

According to a recent report, lonliness in the elderly/retired is a big problem in England. I, myself, am coping with retirement and managing to occupy my time fairly well. Also try to stay healthy by doing regular exercise.

But, I do miss the camaraderie of the workplace. We just need to accept that not everyone is the same.

This is not a critism of the main message
posted.
Well.....
by: carolyn

Having been prone to depression on and off all my life - work was the one thing that kept me sane and stable as well as structured.

I have now found that without work it is up to me to create things to do 7 days a week and I have done okay volunteering with the Toronto Humane Society and meeting friends for lunch but for some reason my threshold of boredom is terrible and I can't seem to fill the time.

This has resulted in a severe depression where I am now seeing a doctor and am trying a medication to help me.

I never expected this to happen but although at first I loved retirement, my sister then got very ill, and that triggered a depression which has now been ongoing for 6 months - this is an illness, not a weakness so please understand that.

I hope to be well and I keep looking ahead to that day. Had I known this would happen I would never have retired although most of my friends have - and they are fine with it - its just me and my illness. I feel lost and scared.
Retirement vs Options
by: Irwin

I couldn't agree more with this post.
Retirement is just another hurdle
to overcome before the final act.

If we made it through our teenage years and then made it through our adult years, retirement should be a piece of cake.

But, it is now "our" time so it is up to us as to whether we want to be happy, be sad, be depressed, or whatever.

I was down-sized at age 55, found another job that lasted less than one year and thus at that time decided to "live" our retirement dream.

Nobody's schedule to follow but our own.

Retirement living is all about making the remaining years of our lives what we want them to be. Nobody is going to do it for us.

Remember, the final stage is death. There are no "do-overs".
Retirement sucks
by: Nancy

I liked your comments. Made a lot of sense to me.

Yes, retirement sucks, but I have to do it!

A different way of looking at it from the way I have been which is to regret leaving work and regretting all the missed opportunities in my past jobs.

Also, with the Thanksgiving holiday, I'm reminded to be thankful for what I have instead of focusing on negativity.

I am thankful in my retirement that I have a wonderful hobby which I can immerse myself in which is quilting. I also have an opportunity to play in a concert band at church so I am practicing on my flute.

Thank you for your comments and giving me a new perspective.
Kudos to you, Ron!
by: Wendy

YOU TOTALLY GET IT!

It's OUR time and we get to finally DEFINE OUR OWN LIFE -- our lifestyle!

Really -- it rocks!

Maybe we spend less, maybe we nap more, maybe we find a perfect home business, start a weekly get together (maybe a band), teach kids, whatever-it-is -- its YOURS!

Best Wishes! You are on the right path -- already!

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