What to do with all your time?

cfw1994

I thought it might be interesting to get some perspectives from the hive mind here running: might help others.  

We all know that those who have bitten the bullet almost all wonder how they had time to work, but perhaps this thread could give others ideas?   

Not wanting to focus on the financial aspects - most threads here do that, perhaps understandably, and many things need money….but some don’t, or don’t need much 🤷‍♂️

I stepped away from the coalface (well, keyboard) in May 2020 after an active time in the world of IT.
I was talking with another pal recently about his looming retirement.  He does have a lot of hobbies, but was still unsure what he will do with his time.  

We went on a ‘retirement seminar’ offered by a local IFA firm a few years ago.  Lovely afternoon tea, but they did focus a lot on the 21 slots you have to fill (morning, afternoon, evening, 7 days a week), & I guess my mate is mentally figuring that out 🧐

I began on Day 1 by reinvigorating my love for cycling 🚴‍♂️
I’m not very fast, & have never been one to pedal in a group who have a weekly ride (still not), but took on an awesome solo LEJoG, with a few pals joining me for bits of it.  Since done a couple of others, and off soon with a pal for a mini adventure - circular ride, camping in the middle.  Little adventures!

Partner and I enjoy festivals, and camping…. we have thrown ourselves into a few in the past 30months - great music, some good comedy, only one horrendously cold and wet day (Latitude this July 👀).  Discovered https://www.concertarchives.org - a *briliant* site to log all your gigs/festivals, etc.  Spent a few hours since Radio 2 in the Park the other weekend popping ours in.  Go on, take a look!

Comedy nights and Beer festivals also get my personal vote as a fine way to spend an afternoon/evening, from time to time….got to avoid drinking too much though 🍻

We enjoy films and some TV, including (gasp, dirty secret) late afternoon quiz shows (frequent watches of HoG, Chase and even Tipping Point….shhh 🤭).

It’s good for the soul to do some volunteering, & mine is split: one half helping a popular volleyball club to operate.  Even wrote a Club Constitution the other day, with help from ChatGPT & Volleyball England.  Might be my last year or so for actually playing, mind 👀 …the other half is with young people for DofE (supervising and sometimes assessing Gold expeditions) 🏕️

Outside of that, as we all know, there are always things needing doing around the house & garden.

Oh, & holidays that can be taken off-peak…..we snapped up 2 month 1st class Interrail tickets in their crazy ‘50 year sale’ last year, and had the most incredible time rolling around 10,000km, 68 places and 14 countries 🚂🚞🚠🚟



So….what other ways have you found to spend their time, filling those 21 slots?

eastcorkram

@cfw1994

Great post. Sounds like you're not going to be bored ! It's a pity there aren't more posts about this. Or if anyone knows of another forum about such stuff, maybe could share a link. 

I'm 64 this year, and still working full time. I've no idea what I'll do in retirement. Even though I'm thinking of stopping at some point between 64 and 65, mainly just because I'm tired of it. Don't really have any hobbies. Little to no interest in holidays. Neither of us are social people. Literally don't have any kind of social life really. Not particularly wanting to change that either. 

So I guess I'd be looking to discover a solitary hobby ! 

SVaz

Grandkids 🤣
I’m not retired yet but I’ve drastically cut my hours and gone self employed so I work where I want, when I want ,  about 15 hours a week during the summer but it will ramp up when the bad weather starts,  people are always shocked when their boiler packs up after not running the heating for months.   Then it will be the heady heights of 25-30 hours a week (the horror) . 

Unfortunately, due to childcare/school run  commitments and the fact that our Daughter is a Teacher,  we can’t yet take advantage of cheap holidays,  not for the next 6 years anyway.
At the moment I’m replacing all the old radiators in our house, 3 down, 5 to go.  

When I retire properly in 6 years,  we might buy a camper van / day van.  

Runner_Duck

Outdoors - cycling and walking.  Indoors Family History is a real time filler. Done properly - by this I mean checking and validating every person/event and not just adding chunks of someone else's tree to yours as the names and dates more or less fit, it can be a real challenge and keep the mind active.  Every month more and more records are put on line so ancestors can be found.  I've been researching for 22 years and have 5300 people in my tree, with some lines going back to the 1700's.

Universidad

I will suit retired life, if I'm lucky enough to get there. I've never required structure to find interesting ways to engage myself. I've never required a stick held over me in order to try new things. I've never been bored once in my life, except when forced to do something I didn't want to do. I am a born potterer. I live in hope that my time will come!

HumberFlyer

I retired early, aged 57, 13 yrs ago. the first 6 months was just enjoying doing nothing..... then I started twiddling my thumbs on what to do. I'm not a tele watcher. I thought of building a model railway layout... that kept me occupied some of the time, went out cycling, took up photography. After 5 yrs I took a 2 night job delivering fast food...... I actually look forward to that every week. My old job was delivering and meeting people.... hey, I'm now doing it again, it's great. 2 yrs ago I took up kayaking (now own 3) and a spot of camping along with it. I like to make small vids each time and upload to YT..... Video editing can be a long process to master but gives me something else to do. Still a fair way off occupying myself for 16 hours every day............ but am content with retirement now.  

LHW99

Sill work part time a few days a month, have a local cinema that shows both new, and old silent films (with organ accompaniment), then there's walking, making home-made jams & wines, freezing home-growns, grandchildren, hobbies ..........and reading posts here

Not too much problem filling the time in my case!

IdrisJazz

I don't feel this is something I should worry about, given the below, but I still feel like some days will feel long and aimless.

I'm 47 and have plenty of hobbies:
* I tend to read a novel a week
* I've been teaching myself Welsh, and actually starting a weekly class this evening. Aiming to become fluent.
* I play in a table tennis league
* I play a number of musical instruments. I might look to join a function band again in retirement, if I can cope with the late nights
* I enjoy birdwatching, and in the last couple of years have started to actually go out specifically to do this.
* I'm a trustee for a charity
* Regular walks/runs (ran 400 miles in 2020 and 2021, but have dropped some way off that now)

I'm kind of wondering how I manage to hold down a full time job and look after 2 kids with this going on! And these are all cheap or free activities so should all be sustainable.  My mum had gone a bit Lego mad in her retirement, and can certainly see myself following suit!

I do enjoy having some structure in life, so might draw out some kind of "timetable" of the 21 slots as it gets closer. To make the most of time, rather than as a chore!

Ciprico

I'm surprised no one has mentioned pickleball, one of the fastest growing sports in the world, especially for those of us getting on a bit...

quirkydeptless

I spend all my time on the MSE Forum

mcn99

I am on my last OMY or maybe TMY. And this worries me. I currently have an easy IT job that just pays too much to walk away.

Apart from walking and cycling I don't really do much, I too plan to cycle LEJOG again once I finally pull the pin. But just worried I would be really bored especially when the weather is crap.