Non-financial aspects of retirement

[elacsaplau]

I'm not sure if this has been covered elsewhere.

I'd be interested in getting the insights and observations of those in retirement - particularly in relation to non-financial stuff like:
- How you fill your time?
- What do you miss and not miss about the daily grind?
- Satisfaction with career?
- Advice to the working mob
- Satisfaction with life now
- Would you have done anything different in preparing for retirement?
- What "adjustments" did retirement entail?
- What are your real concerns now?
- Any good resources in relation to all of this
- etc., etc.

 

[Leper]

1. No problem filling time, gardening, reading, sleeping (as in siesta when necessary), serious walking, watch those films you've missed on dvd, listen to music + (Marty in the morning is excellent - Lyric FM), local library considers me a non paying major customer, south of Spain for several months off season marks our year, on free travel often go off to Dublin for breakfast, had lunch in Belfast once, often went to Waterford by train and returned to Cork on bus. Free Travel is great.
2. From work I miss most of the people there. The one's I don't miss are not worth missing. But, I must admit I miss many of my work colleagues and often meet them for coffee etc. But, any work I used to do is even gone from my mind.
3. I've made no secret of my low grade career in the public/civil service and my service as an unpaid trade union official. I must include this in my humorous memoirs which I'm writing for our grandchildren. My view on many people changed because of trade union activities (and not necessarily those in management). I'm under no illusion, my contribution to the service will not be remembered, I never was a Kevin Barry. My former employers owe me nothing, I owe them less.
4. Would I have done anything different in preparing for retirement:- Sure thing, I would. I should have retired from the public service before age 55 and gained employment in the private sector where I could have worked up enough SW contributions for a full SW Contributory pension.
5. Adjustments:- I had to make little or none, but our children (children-how-are-ya! they're all professionals and they had difficulty coming to terms with my retirement; this Leper is not a child minding service or a kennel service for their canine concerns). And you got to steel yourself against "Sure if you gave us a few bob now, you'd be relieved of worry later" - like I'm a cash cow waiting to be milked.
6. Major Concern:- Infection by Covid-19. I know in my late 60's I'm in the Waiting Room, but I ain't in a hurry to catch the express to the next world.
7. Good Resources:- Common Sense.

The above filled ten minutes at the start of my normal day.
Regards
Lep

 

[Conan]

The Retirement Planning Council of Ireland run an excellent pre-retirement course for those approaching retirement. Check their website

 

[Steven Barrett]

2. From work I miss most of the people there.

When my dad retired, he was upset about that aspect of it. He ran his own business for over 40 years and had a lot of customers coming into him for decades and they'd know each other quite well. It was only at retirement that he realised that their link was his business and now he had sold it, he wouldn't see them again.

Retirement has changed for a lot of people. I meet a lot of people who really enjoy the work that they do and are quiet happy to continue in some capacity well past normal retirement age. Of course, that can all change as they get older but the thought of having some sort of consulting role appeals to a lot of people.


Steven
http://www.bluewaterfp.ie (www.bluewaterfp.ie)

 

[Thirsty]

..some sort of consulting role..

or go into politics

 

[Gordon Gekko]

Excellent contributions from people.

I plan to do some work for as long as I can, even on a voluntary or almost voluntary basis.

The people who I see with the best outcomes seem to remain somewhat actively professionally.

 

[LDFerguson]

The Retirement Planning Council of Ireland run an excellent pre-retirement course for those approaching retirement. Check their website

For years it has baffled me that while there's a whole industry in Ireland which will advise people how to get financially prepared for retirement, with thousands of people employed in it (including myself), there are very few services that offer advice on the non-financial aspects of retirement. The Retirement Planning Council of Ireland is actually the only one that I know of. In my opinion, the financial and the non-financial aspects are equally as important.

 

[Cervelo]

I think I would echo a lot of what Leper says,
I have no problem filling my days some are more full then others but there's always something to do or someone to see,
you just have to go find it and go do it.
I never looked at myself as having a career as such it was more that I work for a living or have a job and it's something that I do.
And I guess for me that mindset "this is what I do" made the transition to retirement a little easier both physically and mentally
Work got replaced with cycling and the rest of the day is spent doing the usual humdrum stuff that we all love do day in day out.
I have no real concerns regarding the future other than the obvious have I enough funds to keep doing what I'm doing,
so far most things are going to plan and for the foreseeable future I have no real worries but early retirement is a risk a huge risk and as the last few months have demonstrated you can't take anything for granted and if you not willing to take that risk well then....
There are lots of sites that can give good advice re retirement and or early retirement you just have to Google them but if I was to pick a favourite or more a go to site for anything life related it would be Ted.com or TED Talks