I retired 1 year, 1 month ago.........so I guess that officially I am not "newly retired".  I am however still in adjustment, as last Sunday night I still had excitement that I didn't have to go to work the next morning!

I do enjoy spending my time working on and fixing my own problems...instead of everyone else's problems.  I enjoy not having to go to City Council, Planning Commission, Code Enforcement Board and Board of Adjustment meetings for 3 cities (I was the City Engineer for 2 cities and a county, and the City Engineer/Zoning Administrator/Building Inspector for 1 city).

I have not been bored and I am always able to find something to do.  I get to do the maintenance on my house, yard and vehicles when the weather allows and the work is convenient.  If it is 92 degrees - I don't need to work in the yard and can work in the house or garage (like today and the next 3 days).  If it is a good day for riding my motorcycle - I can do that at will and ride during the week when there is less traffic (avoiding downtown and rush hour traffic).

My wife and I just got back from a 2 week trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan......we never took a trip that long in the entire 29 years we have been married!  It was unhurried and we could take our time getting to and from the things we wanted to do and see.

I have been getting chores done that I just could not get to while I was working.  I have been able to clean out some junk and get some unused stuff sold.

So I can definitely say that I am enjoying retirement and recommend it for those folks who have the ambition and drive to keep doing things and enjoying life.  Retire as early as you can afford to - use your good health years wisely and don't wait until you are too old and unhealthy to enjoy having a weekend that lasts all week/month/year!  

I retired early at 60 (five years ago).  I, too, felt the pressure of unfinished paperwork, reports, and such leading up to "that day".  Since I announced my retirement date to my boss 7 months in advance I realized that everything could not be finished or completed before I left.  I had to accept that fact and walk away on schedule.  When I got home that afternoon, I had a hard time believing that I no longer had a job. But, plans were already in motion, and we were relocating out of state to a new house in only three weeks.  My new job was packing and planning the logistics of such a move (we lived in that home for 22 years!).  My world didn't start to slow down for several months, but finally coming to grips with the fact that I don't report to anyone anymore was quite liberating.

Side note:  I have more unfinished projects now than I have had in my entire working life.  

Congratulations Ruttly

Yeee-Haaa for ya !  

I retired 17 years ago and have already "Forgot" how to work !   Well , until the hay needs cut and bailed or the Bush-hogging needs done or the fences need repaired ... some times I wonder if I'm really retired ?  

But now

I don't have to get permission to take a 3 day ride ... well ... the wife has to approve all 3 day rides ... ?      For the longer rides the Cows have to approve them too.  

Sometimes , its just hard to win !  

I still don't want to get another job that is every day , this "Starting when I want every day is just to good !  
............

The wife and I took a 200 mile bike ride today out on the 55mph roads , and stopped in some neat little shops along the way ... Retirement life is good !  

I had a forced retirement, Medical.  I was in my late 40’s then and the whole process just felt like something was torqued out of place.  I felt relief that that part was complete, but there was also the “what do I do now ?” wanderings.  There were also guilt feelings that I was unable to hold a full time job, like I had just quit and walked off.  It took a good while to get it all settled in my mind and heart and was able to be at ease with myself on this.  
It’s tiring to wrestle with yourself.
Thankfully God is sovereign.  Everything has its time and place, He knows where I’ve been, where I am now, and where I’m going.  Trusting Him sure makes for a smoother ride on what is often a bumpy road.

Ruttly

Thinking on Lancers reply , YES.

1.  Do at least one good deed daily !   Very important for you mind.

2.  Do at least one chore for Jehovah every day , even more important for your soul.

3.  Join some place like "Planet Fitness"($10/month) and take a bike ride there every day that its not raining.   For your self !  

Welcome , to everyday is Saturday World !    



 

I will be retiring soon, after almost 43 years with this company.
Last day of work is 09/01/2023
I still have the odds n ends benefits (Legal, life insurance, etc )through September, so I will be working on my wills and such during that time.

Get rid of stuff in office.
Change over internet.
Empty storage space.

401k has been rolled over.   (except for the little snippet from my last pay checks)  Financial guy says I can make enough from investments so I can maintain life style.

Social Security is coming in.

Medicare is engaged.

I will still be in my office chair every morning.. because Duncan (the cat) needs to be combed.. and he expects it at that time.

So... are all my ducks lined up????
I don't know..  I think some are missing and one of them is a pigeon.
The CFO is scared that I will be bored.
I'm just .. curious.   What will it feel like?
The only vacation days I have taken in the past years were when the Savages invaded the Texas Hill Country.

Ruttly...  I wish us both the best!!!!  

Wow , that makes me feel loved. An overwhelming response from SS’s heavy hitters , Thank you all. While not a lot of things stress me out , but having to move my tools has always stressed me out. I am giving most away to coworkers and both of my son in laws , still leaving me enough tools to work two jobs and build bikes too. I’m sure it will all find a home for them all. It’s my first project is the tool thing. Getting thru all the paperwork and red tape crap is getting easier but what a challenging process for me , not a polished skill by far. While having my taxes done he gave me a card for a retirement/investment specialist. Thinking I only needed this guy for a IRA roll over , boy was I wrong. Needless to say I hired him , he is guiding me thru the pensions , health care and S.S. and my questionable decision making skills. Beware , most pensions you are permanently stuck with your decisions. Going to see him today , my keep me going in the right direction team  is Gene retirement specialist, John tax specialist and Grant handles the family trust , all within about a 3 block area not far away. So no worries I’m in skilled hands. I am nowhere near done with this reply but I gotta go get some stuff done.
  We all take pride in different things , I’m hella proud of the in the depth & numbers of the replies. Thank You !