What made you 'pull the trigger'?

geoffers4

whitehartal said:

But what both of us are struggling with is wondering "what do we do now"? We travel a fair bit (we have a villa abroad that we now intend to spend  6 months of the year in), but we're constantly thinking "what's our purpose now"?

I'm 3 months into early/active retirement and thinking about this question a lot, so would love to hear other people's thoughts. Of course the answer is "do whatever you want while you are in good health" but some inspiration from others could be handy.

So far my time has been entirely taken up with preparing our house for sale as we are re-locating to be closer to family and elderly parents in particular. So our "purpose" to an extent will be supporting the old folks a bit. But beyond that I suspect that "purpose" can be whatever takes your fancy - and it doesn't have to be 1 big thing, it might be a number of small but interesting things. So far my list includes;
* work on physical fitness, weekly parkrun, entered the Great North Run for the second time
* long stays in the Canaries in the winter months particularly, and working more on my Spanish which is very average
* I'm a moderator for an online forum, so I can do this wherever I am
* I'm part of a Mindfulness meditation online group, so again can do this from anywhere
* once we've relocated - joining some groups to meet new people and try new things
* finding ways of 'putting something back' eg volunteer or support a charity that resonates
* pushing myself to learn new things - toying with the idea of renovating a classic Mini with no.1 son for example

What "purpose" do other active retirees pursue?

SouthCoastBoy

Not retired yet but when I am I intend to do the following, some of which I do already

Running

Cycling

Walking south west coast path

Swim every lido in uk, this has already started 

Bridge

Golf

Spend feb in australia every year, specifically sydney and mollymook

Surfing in australia 

Indoor bowls during winter months

kipperman

geoffers4 said:

whitehartal said:

But what both of us are struggling with is wondering "what do we do now"? We travel a fair bit (we have a villa abroad that we now intend to spend  6 months of the year in), but we're constantly thinking "what's our purpose now"?

I'm 3 months into early/active retirement and thinking about this question a lot, so would love to hear other people's thoughts. Of course the answer is "do whatever you want while you are in good health" but some inspiration from others could be handy.

So far my time has been entirely taken up with preparing our house for sale as we are re-locating to be closer to family and elderly parents in particular. So our "purpose" to an extent will be supporting the old folks a bit. But beyond that I suspect that "purpose" can be whatever takes your fancy - and it doesn't have to be 1 big thing, it might be a number of small but interesting things. So far my list includes;
* work on physical fitness, weekly parkrun, entered the Great North Run for the second time
* long stays in the Canaries in the winter months particularly, and working more on my Spanish which is very average
* I'm a moderator for an online forum, so I can do this wherever I am
* I'm part of a Mindfulness meditation online group, so again can do this from anywhere
* once we've relocated - joining some groups to meet new people and try new things
* finding ways of 'putting something back' eg volunteer or support a charity that resonates
* pushing myself to learn new things - toying with the idea of renovating a classic Mini with no.1 son for example

What "purpose" do other active retirees pursue?

I've been following this fascinating thread for a while. My wife and I chose to simultaneously retire about 18 months ago - me at 58 and her at 56. We have been incredibly lucky and the financial side of retirement is not really an issue, especially as we often get the most pleasure from the least expensive things ( think flask of home made coffee, going for a walk and drinking the coffee with a great view over the Surrey Hills)

However, the "so what" feeling has been the hardest to overcome especially for me. I think it's incredibly easy whilst working to dream of the day of retirement and escape from stress etc, but when the honeymoon period is over there is quite a chasm to overcome. You get accustomed to always having a next step to work to - be it marriage, children, promotion etc and when these steps run out?

Whilst I can't claim to have 100% cracked it, my 2p worth is

1) use your time to build up social networks. I love going out cycling/running/volunteering with some local groups but in particular appreciate the social aspect- having coffee with mates does wonders for MH. This takes time - so best to start now.

2) Have goals - we all needs these to motivate us. Some of mine are to improve my parkrun time, improve my fluency in French. I think you need a mixture of long term goals in addition to short term goals as well.

3) I still love the "naughtiness" of going to the cinema on a Monday morning, or just spontaneously taking the train somewhere last minute. Doing the walk that you saw in a Sunday supplement a while back. 

4) We worked out eventually how to get the 6 month visa for France, so we ( like we did last year) will be off to France in our camper van in mid May till September. We take the bikes, walking stuff etc and just relax into it.

5) I do think the mental part is the hardest - try and get into the carpe diem mindset. Don't spend your time worrying about the future, and in particular give yourself permission to, for example, sit and read for two or three hours without doing something "useful". Don't "toy" with ideas - go and do it!

CloesUnc

I agree very much that we need things to do in retirement. I have a technical/academic background, so being a nerdy type I'm not into pounding gym machines, but I like a good walk and exploring the countryside.

My partner and I would like to buy a motorhome at some point to travel the country, but she is still working full time. She has lots of flexi time and she generally takes a long weekend each month, so we manage to get away at least once a month.

Other I do, and want to do more of, include:

1. Spending more time with my piano. I have a small repertoire at the moment, which I can play through albeit certainly not to expert standard, so I want to work on that. And I have a few new pieces I work on. This is the main thing I do that requires a lot fo discipline...if only I could find it. :-) 

2. Electronics repair, especially old vintage synthesizer keyboards. I managed to bring two back to life in the last two weeks, and I fixed a DAB radio which wouldn't switch on. So I'm still using some of the knowledge I gained from my previous studies and work, and it's very satsifying when you manage to bring something back to life that could otherwise end up in a skip! My next big project is to repair my failed iPad Pro, which is failing to charge. Never done it before, so it will take studying various Youtube videos and online tutorials and a lot of bravery! Haha!

3. I bought a Kobo e-reader a few months back to replace a broken Kindle. I have just started reading all 55 H.G. Wells novels, which I bought from the Kobo Store for a grand total of £0.99. So far read the Time Machine and The Wonderful Visit, now onto The Island of Doctor Moreau.

4. I would like to work more on my French...very much a beginner, but have had many false starts over the years.

5. I would really like to do a creative writing course, I love the idea of coming up with my own universe set in some fantasy or Sci Fi realm. I'm a fan of Terry Pratchett, The Witcher, Lord of the Rings etc.  I will have a go and if nothing comes of it so be it. At least I can say I had a go...this was my thinking when I took up golf! Ha!

6. I work part time in a pub...this really helps the social aspect. I found that I'm quite sociable afterall! Seeing familiar faces and having some sort of regular grounding and pattern really helps me with organisation. I found that my love of keeping house (which I do more of as my partner still works) really helped me settle into the sort of work required to look after a pub. I open up for the afternoon shift and I'm in charge of an entire pub for a few afternoons every fortnight!

7. Check out the local branch of the University of the Third Age (U3A) (there is a website for this). This site advertises numerous interest groups. And I know that near me there are walking groups, of various ability. So i'm going to look at that.

8. Explore the wide variety of courses offered by "Udemy" online. Lots of teachers willing to provide various online courses in a huge variety of subjects, costing from a few tens of pounds to free. There's a review system so you can spot the good courses. 

And no doubt numerous other things that will spring to mind as fancy takes me. 

Daffodil1234

I've really appreciated people sharing their views of "what do we do now" /  "what aims to go for in retirement".  This is something  I've been thinking about - not yet retired but maybe in 2 years. 

I agree that people need variety and some form of goal / interest in whatever form that takes.  I'm currently thinking about how to set up a combination of:

1) Something physical - fitness, exercise, some goals around that, sports / gym - things that benefit health.

2) Something mental - could be Udemy, MOOCS, U3A, studying a language,  maybe linked to (3)

3) Some sort of project I'd enjoy (not quite sure what as yet).

4) Something "giving back" to the world, could be a form of volunteering.  Although not in a charity shop !

5) As part of all the above I hope - making connections with people.  Once people leave work, it's rare to maintain a true connection with colleagues (unless they aren't really colleagues but they are already friends).  Therfore having some social interaction / working with people in some way.

6) Time together with my spouse;  and also time where we are both separate and doing our own thing, according to different interests / hobbies.  I think it's also a good idea not to be permanently glued together 24/7.

I also came across someone's blog where he had set out rules for himself in retirement, I recall one of them was - Avoid travelling anywhere in rush hour where at all possible, as you no longer have to !  I like the idea of that.

pensionpawn

CloesUnc said:

I agree very much that we need things to do in retirement. I have a technical/academic background, so being a nerdy type I'm not into pounding gym machines, but I like a good walk and exploring the countryside.

My partner and I would like to buy a motorhome at some point to travel the country, but she is still working full time. She has lots of flexi time and she generally takes a long weekend each month, so we manage to get away at least once a month.

Other I do, and want to do more of, include:

1. Spending more time with my piano. I have a small repertoire at the moment, which I can play through albeit certainly not to expert standard, so I want to work on that. And I have a few new pieces I work on. This is the main thing I do that requires a lot fo discipline...if only I could find it. :-) 

2. Electronics repair, especially old vintage synthesizer keyboards. I managed to bring two back to life in the last two weeks, and I fixed a DAB radio which wouldn't switch on. So I'm still using some of the knowledge I gained from my previous studies and work, and it's very satsifying when you manage to bring something back to life that could otherwise end up in a skip! My next big project is to repair my failed iPad Pro, which is failing to charge. Never done it before, so it will take studying various Youtube videos and online tutorials and a lot of bravery! Haha!

3. I bought a Kobo e-reader a few months back to replace a broken Kindle. I have just started reading all 55 H.G. Wells novels, which I bought from the Kobo Store for a grand total of £0.99. So far read the Time Machine and The Wonderful Visit, now onto The Island of Doctor Moreau.

4. I would like to work more on my French...very much a beginner, but have had many false starts over the years.

5. I would really like to do a creative writing course, I love the idea of coming up with my own universe set in some fantasy or Sci Fi realm. I'm a fan of Terry Pratchett, The Witcher, Lord of the Rings etc.  I will have a go and if nothing comes of it so be it. At least I can say I had a go...this was my thinking when I took up golf! Ha!

6. I work part time in a pub...this really helps the social aspect. I found that I'm quite sociable afterall! Seeing familiar faces and having some sort of regular grounding and pattern really helps me with organisation. I found that my love of keeping house (which I do more of as my partner still works) really helped me settle into the sort of work required to look after a pub. I open up for the afternoon shift and I'm in charge of an entire pub for a few afternoons every fortnight!

7. Check out the local branch of the University of the Third Age (U3A) (there is a website for this). This site advertises numerous interest groups. And I know that near me there are walking groups, of various ability. So i'm going to look at that.

8. Explore the wide variety of courses offered by "Udemy" online. Lots of teachers willing to provide various online courses in a huge variety of subjects, costing from a few tens of pounds to free. There's a review system so you can spot the good courses. 

And no doubt numerous other things that will spring to mind as fancy takes me. 

I have a very similar background to yourself in some respects, although definitely not musical and only programming languages! In retirement I know I will eventually find the time / energy to recapture my enjoyment of reading, exploring the countryside (locally and abroad), get more involved with my wife's gardening passion (with some electronics projects...) and explore cooking beyond the barbecue. I think it's really important to have existing interests, that you are presently unable to fully enjoy fully, to retire to, rather than look around for something to "enjoy" and / or fill the time. I have just again reduced my hours at work so I'm effectively on a 50% contract now, which is a nice glidepath to eventually landing!

Yankee24

We just met with our ifa yesterday and have put the wheels in motion for 3 years time. 56 and 59.  We had a lightbulb moment a month ago.  We moved to Buckinghamshire to raise our family.  Cute cottage, 4 bed, old dogs…. We hate gardening (pay someone) and don’t want to learn golf.  One adult child in the USA permanently.  One in London, could move.  Everything we do is London based.  So instead of downsizing to a small bucks town with good london links, we are downsizing space, paying more and moving back to zone 2.   Complete change from English cottage to a warehouse roof terrace in the east end.  We are joiners, so we will reinvent….   Instead of ballroom, we will pick up salsa.   No pets, join a gym.  Prob no car, zip car if req.      the realisation was that we have already passed inheritance to the kids.  The Monte Carlo analysis shows that we still have money and a house at age 94. (Who wants to live that long!) so take an additional 200k, lob it into the London pad price instead of taking equity out and love the city life we are doing now,but without the one hour, !!!!!! are we going to make the last train angst!

CloesUnc

Yankee24 said:

We just met with our ifa yesterday and have put the wheels in motion for 3 years time. 56 and 59.  We had a lightbulb moment a month ago.  We moved to Buckinghamshire to raise our family.  Cute cottage, 4 bed, old dogs…. We hate gardening (pay someone) and don’t want to learn golf.  One adult child in the USA permanently.  One in London, could move.  Everything we do is London based.  So instead of downsizing to a small bucks town with good london links, we are downsizing space, paying more and moving back to zone 2.   Complete change from English cottage to a warehouse roof terrace in the east end.  We are joiners, so we will reinvent….   Instead of ballroom, we will pick up salsa.   No pets, join a gym.  Prob no car, zip car if req.      the realisation was that we have already passed inheritance to the kids.  The Monte Carlo analysis shows that we still have money and a house at age 94. (Who wants to live that long!) so take an additional 200k, lob it into the London pad price instead of taking equity out and love the city life we are doing now,but without the one hour, !!!!!! are we going to make the last train angst!

Sounds very much like a plan! Enjoy!

Sunnylifeover50plan

I'll focus on the soft stuff. We stopped working December 2019, I took redundancy from a well paid IT role in a UK bank. My wife stopped working in Admin. Main reason was health. I've had many operations on my back since late teens. The last one, about 5 years ago, by a plastic surgeon reconfigured the affected area by moving flesh about to reinvigorate the vascular quality of the site, was a success. No relapses. I also suffered with a colon issue, requiring some removal, and heart disease - this meant I am less optimistic about life expectancy.

We've been in Spain for a few years now, having sold up in the UK, we bought a modest house 8 miles from the med. 

We take our dog to a dog beach 3 or 4 times a week where she swims and then we go to the human beach weather permitting. We walk and visit the many street markets. 

I took on the role of community president to fill my time and make use of some of the change management/ generic skills I have. This keeps me ticking over producing document packs and managing budgets/ supplier relationships. 

We miss family at times, especially around Christmas, mothers day & birthdays but are generally pretty content here. It's not much cheaper than the UK for day to day living but houses (resale) are much cheaper, especially as we came from the SE of England.

For us the climate here is much better for the body and mind than the UK, loads of natural light, the greens from the orange and lemon groves and the blue sky and sea.

I'm 54 in June and plan to start drawdown from my SIPP in 2024, we already drawdown a modest monthly amount from my wives SIPP and have allocated cash outside of any wrappers to bridge the gap between now and 2024 + SP age (yes we have done all the forecasts in the government site). 

Since we moved here we've lost a brother (42), 2 cousins (mid 50's), and an uncle - 74. Covid and the difficulty accessing health services on time was likely a contributing factor in these deaths but not covid itself.


 

  

bluenose1

Daffodil1234 said:

I've really appreciated people sharing their views of "what do we do now" /  "what aims to go for in retirement".  This is something  I've been thinking about - not yet retired but maybe in 2 years. 

I agree that people need variety and some form of goal / interest in whatever form that takes.  I'm currently thinking about how to set up a combination of:

1) Something physical - fitness, exercise, some goals around that, sports / gym - things that benefit health.

2) Something mental - could be Udemy, MOOCS, U3A, studying a language,  maybe linked to (3)

3) Some sort of project I'd enjoy (not quite sure what as yet).

4) Something "giving back" to the world, could be a form of volunteering.  Although not in a charity shop !

5) As part of all the above I hope - making connections with people.  Once people leave work, it's rare to maintain a true connection with colleagues (unless they aren't really colleagues but they are already friends).  Therfore having some social interaction / working with people in some way.

6) Time together with my spouse;  and also time where we are both separate and doing our own thing, according to different interests / hobbies.  I think it's also a good idea not to be permanently glued together 24/7.

I also came across someone's blog where he had set out rules for himself in retirement, I recall one of them was - Avoid travelling anywhere in rush hour where at all possible, as you no longer have to !  I like the idea of that.

I too have been thinking about how to make sure I have a variety of activities/ interests in retirement. There is a USA podcast I listen to and he said research shows the least happy retirees on average have less than 2 interests and the most happy had just under 4.
Re your points
1) i like going the local gym to do weights so will continue with that with the aim of reducing muscle loss due to aging, I also want to start doing yoga as can feel myself getting stiffer despite flexibility stretching I currently do.
I enjoy running in our local woods so want to maintain doing that. I also keep reading pickle ball is really taking off in USA so might give that a go, as noticed they have a local group.

2). Not sure what something mental will be for me, have toyed with the idea of learning a language, though know how difficult it is, and not sure I would be interested enough. Maybe I could take up something musical, though as  the recorder is the only thing I have ever played maybe not

3) I want to get back into knitting and sewing so that would be a hobby I would enjoy. We are getting a pup in next few months so that will be like a project, you wouldn’t believe how many puppy behavioural books and videos we have watched already as we don’t want a dog that will take over our lives, possibly famous last words.

4) Have volunteered a lot at Park Run so may do something like that. I don’t want to feel obliged  to volunteer though and make too many commitments. 

5) Agree important to have social interactions, think  I may join a rambling club and possibly some groups in U3A. 
I still meet up with friends I met up through past jobs over 20 years ago, WhatsApp has made that much easier.

6) My oh and I do a lot of walking, meals out, several holidays a year together etc, though he also plays / watches football and golf so do a lot separate as well. As I have got older I am more and more conscious that one of us will be left alone when the other dies, so really important to have a separate interests/ life. A widower on a podcast said recently “we all know how the movie ends” and it really hit home with me

Similar to not going out in rush hour we intend to have our meals / days out midweek when everywhere is quieter and the weekend spent on local walks in our nearby woods/ pottering in the garden etc. There again we may not have much choice as we live near a popular beach/ tourist destination and it can be practically gridlocked if we venture out on sunny weekends/ Bank holidays etc. Worth it to us though as we love living here and as the village with various shops, coffee bars etc is a 10 minute walk could be worse. 

My main rule is I want to be able to say “no” without any guilt, and enjoy the retirement I want to have.