Retired - Now What?

One bit of advice I would pass on is to avoid the "3 sundowners before dinner" trap that has affected and negatively impacted so many retirees, male and female, outdoorsmen and indoorsmen, married and single, whoever and wherever. The 3 can easily increase to 4, then serious daydrinking, and on and on. You get the picture. Been there and done that and was lucky a good friend and a good wife pulled me back from the brink. All things in moderation is a good plan to live by. Best of luck to you!
 
'68boy said:
One bit of advice I would pass on is to avoid the "3 sundowners before dinner" trap that has affected and negatively impacted so many retirees, male and female, outdoorsmen and indoorsmen, married and single, whoever and wherever. The 3 can easily increase to 4, then serious daydrinking, and on and on. You get the picture. Been there and done that and was lucky a good friend and a good wife pulled me back from the brink. All things in moderation is a good plan to live by. Best of luck to you!
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Good words. Regardless of working or retired, excessive use of alcohol, weed or any other mind altering substance is a piss - poor idea. The night before last I gave my buddy a bottle of scotch for his birthday, so I had a drink with him (1). Last night my SIL came over for dinner as my daughter is out of town. I had a glass of wine with the meal. Those two drinks were the first I'd had in several weeks. It would be easy to get in the habit drinking too much but you can't let yourself do it.
 
Ridge Runner said:
That "HONEY DO LIST" has now been put on your "Primary To Due" list by your wife. Because now you have NO- Zero, Zip, Nile, etc, etc, excuses not to complete the "Honey Do List", ....poor ______ well.....fill in the blank.

Now....IF....I Say IF.....you can......FAT CHANCE!!....
Your wife allows you.....she may allow you two days to adjust to retirement....not likely!..... honestly she will only allow you one morning to sleep in till 8am; shower, dressed and starting your "Honey Do Lists" by 9am.

SO Much for retirement!
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Speaking of "Honey Do Lists". We were having a conversation about those this morning between my girlfriend and our Sporting Clays instructor during our weekly lesson. She mentioned I was not very handy. I said: "Au contraire, I am very handy. I see a problem or an issue then I hire the right person to take care of it. It is called delegation of responsibility."

I have the local handyman on speed dial. :ROFLMAO:
 
My advise for a successful and happy retirement is very simple and fulfilling. It starts first thing in the morning. When you wake up sit up in bed and ask yourself the following” what do I want to do today?” Then get up get dressed and go do it.
 
MS 9x56 said:
My advise for a successful and happy retirement is very simple and fulfilling. It starts first thing in the morning. When you wake up sit up in bed and ask yourself the following” what do I want to do today?” Then get up get dressed and go do it.
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Yep, do it every single day aka signal to noise ratio, i.e. signal is what you do, everything else is noise.
per Kevin O'leary.
 
Tanks said:
Speaking of "Honey Do Lists". We were having a conversation about those this morning between my girlfriend and our Sporting Clays instructor during our weekly lesson. She mentioned I was not very handy. I said: "Au contraire, I am very handy. I see a problem or an issue then I hire the right person to take care of it. It is called delegation of responsibility."

I have the local handyman on speed dial. :ROFLMAO:
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A couple of years ago, I fell off a ladder while doing a "honey-do item" and fractured a couple of vertebrae. Luckily, it only caused me temporary issues. I did have to cancel an elk hunt and delay an African PG hunt. A neighbor of mine, who was retired and about the same age as me, sent me a text saying, "Never do something on a ladder, that you can hire someone else to do it." Probably good advice to those living out the golden years in retirement.
 
375 Ruger Fan said:
A couple of years ago, I fell off a ladder while doing a "honey-do item" and fractured a couple of vertebrae. Luckily, it only caused me temporary issues. I did have to cancel an elk hunt and delay an African PG hunt. A neighbor of mine, who was retired and about the same age as me, sent me a text saying, "Never do something on a ladder, that you can hire someone else to do it." Probably good advice to those living out the golden years in retirement.
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Very good advice!

Just had a roof done and our storage shop had a few shingles that needed replacement on the fence side. Instinct and ego told me to ask them to leave some extra shingles… thought better and had them do it!

I’ve been hurt on a job. In my 30’s. Almost died. Took 2 significant surgeries and 18 months of rehab to get 1/2 way back to normal. Then about 2 more years of PT, acupuncture, and physical training to get back to about 85%. Still feel the pain now and then. Every time I shoot I feel the anchors in my left shoulder…
 
I retired the first time at 49, again at 54, and a third time at 59. I am still working part time on projects for my son’s business, but have really cut back on consulting hours.

I grew up on a farm so land comes naturally to me. We built a house on our farm. I can hunt out the back door and have targets at 100, 200, 300, 600 and soon 800. Land management is very satisfying. We have planted 40,000+ longleaf pines and roughly 3,000 oaks. I manage heavily for wild quail, turkey and deer. I spend a lot of time on a tractor and chainsaw.

We love to travel, and have been spending a lot of time in Europe. We are also very involved at church.

The thought of living in a subdivision taking care of a manicured yard and home maintenance is enough to make me sick to my stomach. I’m not built like that. I need something to do, I need to be outside, and I want to shoot a lot, not just on once or twice weekly trips to a range.
 
Excellent topic!

I don’t know if TED Talks are a thing anymore, and I found 90+% of them to be utterly ridiculous. But two were presented on this exact topic, one by a man, the other by a woman. Both said that retirement will happen in stages. The first…”Woo hoo, I’m on permanent vacation!” The next few included essentially a grieving stage after the loss of your former life. But both concluded that the final stage in this adjustment involves other people. Serving, connecting, helping, whatever works for you. But it’s being outwardly focused that will bring you the most fulfillment in retirement.

They were dead-on, I thought. 40 years in the cockpit with Uncle Sam and a major airline, so how was I going to do anything else? It was a process, and I’m happier now than I ever was while working.

One final thought…. you’ve GOT to let go of your former titles and the importance of those positions. And guess what?…. Someone younger and probably brighter is doing that work now, and nobody cares that you’re gone. 15 minutes after your nice retirement ceremony and/or send off, they’ve already moved on. It’s just life. So it means being important now to those who matter the most… your family and friends. Experience retirement with them, however you choose.
 
Could always try to break into porn in the senior division? They might need a stunt guy.

An x-friend of mine is now doing fashion naked photography (it looks like porn to me). He's in his 60's, and I said "dude, don't you think you are too old for this?"

His wife died, so I guess it isn't as creepy as I did it.
 
MD Driver said:
Excellent topic!

I don’t know if TED Talks are a thing anymore, and I found 90+% of them to be utterly ridiculous. But two were presented on this exact topic, one by a man, the other by a woman. Both said that retirement will happen in stages. The first…”Woo hoo, I’m on permanent vacation!” The next few included essentially a grieving stage after the loss of your former life. But both concluded that the final stage in this adjustment involves other people. Serving, connecting, helping, whatever works for you. But it’s being outwardly focused that will bring you the most fulfillment in retirement.

They were dead-on, I thought. 40 years in the cockpit with Uncle Sam and a major airline, so how was I going to do anything else? It was a process, and I’m happier now than I ever was while working.

One final thought…. you’ve GOT to let go of your former titles and the importance of those positions. And guess what?…. Someone younger and probably brighter is doing that work now, and nobody cares that you’re gone. 15 minutes after your nice retirement ceremony and/or send off, they’ve already moved on. It’s just life. So it means being important now to those who matter the most… your family and friends. Experience retirement with them, however you choose.
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Starting to do just that. Spend more time with friends and family…
 
NIGHTHAWK said:
After 35 plus years as a Union Steamfitter, I retired the day I was eligible (end of Nov 2025). Talking to my financial planner, he asked “Now what are you going to do?”. My reply was; collect my pension and stay on as a construction manager. “Why he asked?” “Because you can afford to not work”…. I didn’t have a good answer!

I’ve worked since I was 12 years old and most of that was laboring of some sort. I don’t know how not to work. I’m up everyday at 4:30am and enjoy routine. My longtime girlfriend is younger and will likely continue to work for the next 15 years.

I’ve got plenty of things I like to do and have flexibility in my work schedule to include vacations when I want to take them.

I know I want to have a small ranch type property 50 - 200 acres, where I can spend time hunting or fishing from, relaxing, working on it, and have a nice trophy room.

There are several of you on AH that I respect and admire for a lot of reasons. You appear to have nice life balance and I’m certain that is what I’ve striving for. To include: finding or building my dream property and house, traveling to hunt and fish, maintaining my health, spending quality time with friends and family, pursuing old interests and new hobbies, and having “that” balance.

What was/is your retirement experience like? What would you do differently?
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@NIGHTHAWK
Depending on your age and the extent of HARD PHYSICAL labour you did it may come back to bite you in the arse.
Worn joints and arthritis will be your nemasis.
You can be feeling fine and full of beans one day and a few months time your are almost a cripple. It's that quick.
How do I know, easy. Lats year I was walking around the USA, and the British isles now I'm struggling to walk around the shops. Have to see a surgeon in Monday to see about getting arthritis cleaned out of my knees.
Do as much as you can now and enjoy it. Tomorrow may be to late.
Bob
 
NIGHTHAWK said:
Turned 55 late last November
I reload
Fish
Belong to a gun club
Exercise
Train/work with our dogs regularly
Go to shooting schools every other year.

My goal is to get some bucket list trips in to
Include more hunting and fishing:

Spain
More Africa
Greenland
Alaska
Canada
Australia
Mexico
Many US States

Intend to get more training for sporting clays
Join a waterfowl club
Get in better shape for Alpine/mountain hunting.
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@NGHTHAWK.
With that list plus finding your block of land and building a house where are you going to find time to work.
Enjoy life whilst you can and have the financial measures to do so.
I'm looking forward to my wifes retirement. She said what will I do. I told her anything she likes, it's time after 40++++ years to enjoy doing what you want not what corporate wants. It's a big world out there enjoy it, catch up with friends, family history, start playing the piano agin.
Whatever you want do while you can. You are going to be dead a long time so enjoy living.
Bob
 
NIGHTHAWK said:
See that is a great question. Talking to my old friend and real estate broker. His advice is to have a moving target if I were to continue to work. I see that as buying a ranch or least a second home near really good fishing. He also told me, I’ll know when it’s time to stop.

My job does allow me time off when I need it and it is rewarding in a lot of ways. I actually enjoy it. There is a component that allows me to participate in charity events and BD activities that relate to my hobbies…

Even though I’ve been planning for some time, I can’t believe the day has come. I guess it’s nice to have some options for now.
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@NIGHTHAWK
Older age has a habit of creeping up on you
One minute your 20, ten foot tall and shatter proof. You blink and your pushing 60 with a body that ain't what it used to be and some ugly old fart looking back at you in the mirror when you shave wondering where that young fella went.
Time disappears before we know it don't waste it. You can't bank it for use later.
Enjoy it.
As I tell people
It ain't dying I'm afraid of
It's not living life and enjoying it that worries me.
Bob
 
Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:
@NIGHTHAWK
Older age has a habit of creeping up on you
One minute your 20, ten foot tall and shatter proof. You blink and your pushing 60 with a body that ain't what it used to be and some ugly old fart looking back at you in the mirror when you shave wondering where that young fella went.
Time disappears before we know it don't waste it. You can't bank it for use later.
Enjoy it.
As I tell people
It ain't dying I'm afraid of
It's not living life and enjoying it that worries me.
Bob
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Amen, Mate!
 
Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:
@NIGHTHAWK
Older age has a habit of creeping up on you
One minute your 20, ten foot tall and shatter proof. You blink and your pushing 60 with a body that ain't what it used to be and some ugly old fart looking back at you in the mirror when you shave wondering where that young fella went.
Time disappears before we know it don't waste it. You can't bank it for use later.
Enjoy it.
As I tell people
It ain't dying I'm afraid of
It's not living life and enjoying it that worries me.
Bob
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It doesn't creep up on you it just slams you into the face when you least suspect it.

Both my friend and I realized it even more this past week on a javelina hunt down in Arizona.

Both of us are 73
 
JimP said:
It doesn't creep up on you it just slams you into the face when you least suspect it.

Both my friend and I realized it even more this past week on a javelina hunt down in Arizona.

Both of us are 73
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@JimP
And nobody warns you about it.
When young we lived hard, played hard and partied hard.
Now we are paying for it.
When we were young WHS stood for work harder stupid not work health and safety.
Bob
 
NIGHTHAWK said:
I really appreciate all the advice. Especially everyone that shared their stories, plans, goals, and experiences. Very helpful and informative.

Thank you!
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@NIGHTHAWK
One thing no one has mentioned to you yet is in retirement you will definitely travel a lot more.
It's just a pity a lot of that travel will be to doctors and specialists for help with aches and pains you got from being young and dumb
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
Bob
 
Tanks said:
I think having a partner much younger is one of the keys to staying young. I, jokingly, always add our ages and divide by two. So, I am not really 69 now, I am 58. ;)
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@Tanks
My dad used to say
Son your only as old as the woman you feel.
Just don't get caught by the wife.
Bob
 
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