Need a new job, sort of.

I've been close to 'retiring' for about a year. Wife and I are talking about it off and on. We knew that we are not the type to just call it quits, sit and home, and watch tv all day. We both enjoy cycling, but there's only so much of that you can do.

Enter the pandemic zone....

I'm still working, but at a much reduced capacity, maybe 5-10% of normal. So I'm getting a BIG dose of 'retirement life' right now: stay up till 1-2am, sleep till 8-ish, make a few calls, send a few emails, eat lunch, ride bike, shower, goof off around the house, eat dinner, more goofing off, watch star trek, more goofing/pc games, youtube surfing, go to bed.

Currently, I can't get too far from home due to working from home and being on call. Afterwards... I have more options, and and DREAMING of the day I'm NOT on call anymore.

This is really sucking... I can handle it for the time right now, but clearly I need some new 'job' to start preparing for when I finally call it quits. Am fortunate enough to not need the money... just something to do. For those that have gone through the same... I'm all ears.

Location? Experience?

Leisure time is not for everyone. I took to it like a duck to water, and still feel I don't have enough time in the day to do all the things I like. But many freak out at the first hint of boredom and actually come to fear those moments of quiet, undirected time. It's not for everyone, and if you are already uncomfortable even when you're not fully retired, you might want to reconsider. It may not get easier, and you may come to regret it. Good luck!

I'm in the south. Currently am in IT, but formal education is Mech Engr and Physics. I've never _not_ worked full time. Don't have enough hobbies to stay busy.

Before long, working will be practically pointless. I can sell my company and walk away. I loath being on call 24x7x365.

What can I say other than, life is tough sometimes. You can always bartend if you get that bored. Most people these days work to survive. If it is, they still have their jobs at this point.
I know some people who are full time employed and still homeless. Suck it up buttercup.

Reading what you have posted(prob reading wrong as usual!). It sounds like you have it spot on, near retirement but still bringing some cash in. Seems like a good place to be, few short hours when suits, fill other time with interests etc.

A few who i know who tend to retire a little early(around 59/60) other than minding grand kids, seem to get bored. They start over looking for part time work to pass time or bring a little extra in. If you can manage(so it seems) easy enough, maybe just carry on with what your doing. Only thoughts, wish you the best

L. Ron Hubbard, the Scientology guy, wrote a book entitled "The Problems of Work"
His take is: One HAS to work at something or they will go crazy.

One however does not have to work for financial reward, but must work at something.
A person in solitary confinement might work at designing an elaborate residence in his mind, or something.
One might work at a hobby.

He also said something along the lines that twice a year for a week, a person with a stressful mental job, should swap places with a person with a very physical job, and vice versa. Each will come to appreciate his own job better.

I have a friend who retired in his early to mid fifties, and after a few years, discovered that it was more expensive to stay retired than he anticipated. He went back to work, but as the Potomac River Keeper. A bit of a switch from his previous occupation, but one he found quite rewarding.

The world is changing, and teachers are stressed to the max, I believe that virtual learning will become more of the norm. Perhaps there will be centralized produced educational materials, and are pushed to the local school districts, and the teachers, no longer have to spend their time, each creating teaching plans, but rather spend their time, coaching students, AFTER the students, viewed the virtual materials.

I remember, more about Pearl Harbor, and Midway, from watching "Tora Tora Tora" and "Midway" than from reading about them in high school.

Sorry for rambling to make a point. You may do well to consider, how would you like to change the world, or community?

Of course there is always being a greeter at Walmart

Try being a land scaper. Not just a lawn care guy but instead the sort who would be a grounds keeper for a very wealthy person.

I fell into that one summer when I was furloughed in my job and really enjoyed it. I was asked to rehab a couple of lawns where an irragation line had been installed, flower beds had become unkept and other maintenance needed to be done. It was great. Outdoors without a time clock, each flower bed was a new canvas, the before and after on the maintenance etc.

Just don't make the mistake of making it a job. In a few weeks at one yard all of their neighbors wanted to hire me. It was nice to be complimented like that but it was a hobby so I declined by quoting a ridiculous price I knew they would not want to pay. Plus that made them even more envious of the neighbor I was helping. What they did not know was when the guy I was working for said "how much do I owe you this week" my reply was "whatever you think I earned put it in the church plate this Sunday"……

Lanscaping can be year 'round too. When to trim, how to trim, when to fertilze, when to mulch, etc. There's a lot to learn too so you can feed the mind when not excersizing the body.

Do something that you enjoy and the time will fly by!

I retired 7 years ago this summer and I wished the last 7 years working had gone as quick.

I expanded one of my hobbies into a small business back in 1995, while I was still in full time employment. It's not enough to make a living, but it more than tops up my pension, I can do as much or as little as I want.

One of my friends sold his home, got rid of as much as possible and put what they needed to keep into storage and now travel the world home sitting for people, it's amazing how many people want to go away for a few months but have properties that need upkeep or animals that need looking after.

There are all sort of opportunities for folk when they have nothing to tie them down.

If you are in the south start making better carpenter bee traps. I'll buy em. : D

bigburly912 said:

If you are in the south start making better carpenter bee traps. I'll buy em. : D

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We've had a problem with armadillos lately. What about trapping those?

ven said:

Reading what you have posted(prob reading wrong as usual!). It sounds like you have it spot on, near retirement but still bringing some cash in. Seems like a good place to be, few short hours when suits, fill other time with interests etc.

A few who i know who tend to retire a little early(around 59/60) other than minding grand kids, seem to get bored. They start over looking for part time work to pass time or bring a little extra in. If you can manage(so it seems) easy enough, maybe just carry on with what your doing. Only thoughts, wish you the best

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I'm thinking like something 4 days a week for maybe 4-6 hours. Leaves plenty of time to cycle and a free day. Maybe just flip burgers of something.

Problem is... after running a company for 20+ years, it's really hard to 'downshift'. I see missed opportunity everywhere I look when I think about working for someone else... drives me nuts. If I could handle being around that type environment... would take a while to acclimate.

Dave D said:

Do something that you enjoy and the time will fly by!

I retired 7 years ago this summer and I wished the last 7 years working had gone as quick.

I expanded one of my hobbies into a small business back in 1995, while I was still in full time employment. It's not enough to make a living, but it more than tops up my pension, I can do as much or as little as I want.

One of my friends sold his home, got rid of as much as possible and put what they needed to keep into storage and now travel the world home sitting for people, it's amazing how many people want to go away for a few months but have properties that need upkeep or animals that need looking after.

There are all sort of opportunities for folk when they have nothing to tie them down.

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Interesting. That could be a really cool thing. I've got just the client (currently) that might be a foot-in-the-door into that market.

Wife and I had considered traveling in the USA for ~6 months of the year and then coming back home the other half. Summers in the gulf coast can be rough.

What about a consultant type job. Help startups and such with it work

Everyone's interests and abilities are different, of course, but I know a very clever mechanical engineer who spent a lot of time during his early retirement on inventing and building various useful parts and tools ... simply as a hobby, I don't think any of them were profitable per se, but he enjoyed problem solving and working with hand tools to actively create something tangible.

Another smart and successful retiree, without formal education, taught himself carpentry skills and now builds absolutely gorgeous furniture. Gives most away as gifts to friends and relatives, maybe takes on a (very) few custom pieces for little more than the cost of materials.

Those are only the first two examples I could think of from among my close acquaintances. Anyway, for someone in as fortunate of a situation as you describe, the possibilities are nearly limitless ... congrats !

turbodog said:

I'm thinking like something 4 days a week for maybe 4-6 hours. Leaves plenty of time to cycle and a free day. Maybe just flip burgers of something.

Problem is... after running a company for 20+ years, it's really hard to 'downshift'. I see missed opportunity everywhere I look when I think about working for someone else... drives me nuts. If I could handle being around that type environment... would take a while to acclimate.

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There are likely nonprofits in your area that need managerial and leadership talent.

archimedes said:

Everyone's interests and abilities are different, of course, but I know a very clever mechanical engineer who spent a lot of time during his early retirement on inventing and building various useful parts and tools ... simply as a hobby, I don't think any of them were profitable per se, but he enjoyed problem solving and working with hand tools to actively create something tangible.

Another smart and successful retiree, without formal education, taught himself carpentry skills and now builds absolutely gorgeous furniture. Gives most away as gifts to friends and relatives, maybe takes on a (very) few custom pieces for little more than the cost of materials.

Those are only the first two examples I could think of from among my close acquaintances. Anyway, for someone in as fortunate of a situation as you describe, the possibilities are nearly limitless ... congrats !

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There are worse problems to be sure...

I make rustic, turn of century chairs, but that's hard on the hands.

I had figured that when this time came... I would be ok with working/volunteering maybe 1 day a week or so. Looks like that needs to be 3-4 days a week. I'm asking myself why I worked so hard all this time if the payoff was a lie.

Where's my cake?

Had thought about business consulting. You get to go in lots of places, learn about them in detail, and make recommendation/changes.

Will see who's still in business after the dust settles from covid.

turbodog said:

.... I'm asking myself why I worked so hard all this time if the payoff was a lie....

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I'm having a difficult time understanding this sentiment.

It sounds like complaints of having been successful enough to be able to retire comfortably ?

Building a profitable business requires great focus, but all of that energy and effort may have afforded you a rare opportunity to think and act more broadly.

In any case, I wish you the best of luck.

You've mentioned cycling and travel in a couple of posts here ....

What about cycling through all fifty states ?

Or organizing some sort of a big cycling event ? (sorry, I don't know much about cycling, but something like a race or a rally or whatever) . Maybe could be a fundraiser for a charity with meaning for you ?

Or any of a million other combinations of your interests ?

Trying to brainstorm, so help us out here