Finding purpose and avoiding boredom in early retirement
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- Опубликовано: 10 авг 2024
- Some of our biggest concerns when considering early retirement was what would we do with our time, would we be bored and how would we would cope with the lack of purpose of a non-working life?
18 months after retiring from teaching at the age of 51, we are ready to share our journey with you and take you through step-by-step what we have done to keep ourselves active and maintaining our sense of purpose in retirement.
We are Richard and Jackie and we live in the UK. We retired from teaching at the age of 51 in the summer of 2022. Our plans for early requirement include relocating to the Yorkshire Dales, developing our forever home and travelling the UK, Europe and eventually the world in our VW campervan Nelson.
Please subscribe and like our videos if you like what you see.
Check out our blog earlyretirementwanderlust.com
Many thanks,
Richard & Jackie
Timeline
00:00 Introduction
00:48 We are earlyretirementwanderlust
02:48 Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in early retirement
04:24 Personal Identity in early retirement
08:57 A daily focus on purpose in early retirement
11:16 Maintain positivity in early retirement
14:16 Follow your dreams in early retirement
14:39 Be patient in early retirement
I too am a recently retired teacher, in Canada. My story is a little different though- my wife passed away from cancer in the fall of 2022. I was off work that year on sick leave and needed more time so took another year (leave of absence). Last month I made the decision that at 53 (now 54), I am done teaching. After putting everyone and everything else first for years, I am now putting myself first and it feels good to do so. A great deal of my time for the past year and a half has been dealing with the estate and all that comes with it. It honestly felt like a part time job. That thankfully is now settling down and I am finding I have more time for myself. I do a bit of volunteering, I hike, read, work on my hobby (stamp collecting), and now travel more- day trips but also farther abroad. Great channel you have, glad I found it.
Hi Jeff- we are so sorry for your loss. We have both sat here in shock at what you have had to deal with. Thank you for sharing this with us. It is good that you now feel ready to start devoting time to yourself. I found when I was dealing with everything to do with my Dad and brother passing away, it was when I had time to slow down I then had the space to grieve in my own way. We firmly believe that out of trauma can come growth, no matter how painful it may feel at the time. The time you are now finding for your own interests and volunteering will pay back in bucket loads. I have found a similar comfort in hiking and getting out into nature. It is my happy place, my therapist and my playground!
We are so pleased that you found the channel and hope we can keep coming up the goods for the community that is building around the channel.
Thanks again for the comment and take care. Richard & Jackie.
Have a look at Trusted Housesitters for retirement adventures best wishes
I am 69 years old, danish, and retired almost four years ago. I am a french teacher and a watercolor and other painter. Only, I never retired entirely! I have private pupils on a one to one basis, mostly online, and on a high level. This is perfect for me as some of my dearest hobbies are related to french culture and grammar. This means my hobbies have a purpose: I try to be the best possible french teacher. And now I have the time for it, as I mostly only have a few students. At the same time, I have lots of time to paint, and I even find that my teaching and preparing for this has a very possitive effect on my painting, as well as social life, outdoor hiking etc. And of course, seeing my grown-up children.
Having some work to do, and a very meaningful one, makes my freetime much more valuable. And it keeps my mind sharp! Without having to sacrifice anything.
Very true words, you definitely need something that you feel is valuable to do to maintain your sense of purpose and we know as we get older we will find that purpose in other ways. We love being learners and are embracing the time now to learn more creative skills that we did not have time for. Richard has inherited a whole carpenters work shop from his dad that we have not even started with yet! Many happy years to come I think!
You guys have a great outlook on life. We, like you, don’t know what BORED means as we do so much together in our early retirement that we find there isn’t enough time in a day to do all that we want. Our motto is: Live today like there could be no tomorrow - Love life. Irvine & Karen.
So true, love your motto ♥️
I am not retired, I’m 24 and my husband and I are very active, and your videos are so helpful. Thank you for sharing the way you are approaching life because I think from all ages we all can lean.
Thank you - such kind words. We are certainly trying to embrace all that life has to offer us!
So true about only surrounding yourself with positive people.Absolutely love your use of acronyms - I’ll definitely be pinching the BMW one. 😂
We are really lucky our family have been supportive of our decision and we can choose who we surround ourselves by. It does make a difference to your outlook 😊
How nice to be that free. I as a single woman retired at 64 to care for a 97 year old.
We know how lucky we are at the moment and are really thankful for it. It must be so hard at times x
It seems strange to some people but this is the single biggest question for early retirement!
It’s definitely the biggest question we have been asked and something we have spoken to so many people about. There are so many ways apart from work to give your life purpose 😊
I think it's also important to be open to new purposes presenting themselves. You never know where life will take you. One day (if we live long enough) we will all have to hang up the hiking boots and find joy in simpler ways of living. Being happy in your own skin will go a long way toward making those final years just as enjoyable.
So true! Richard has also developed a love of writing and regularly has articles published in travel magazines. We may just transfer our new skills and passions to a different purpose. We may even decide we want find different kinds of part time work for the social aspects eventually. Who knows where life will take us all! It’s part of the adventure
My husband and I will retire next year in our 50s and your honest reflections and sharing has been such an inspiration. Who you are as individuals and as a couple has greatly impacted your experience in the positive. Thank you for sharing yourselves and your journey!! Oh...and btw...Jackie, your long, sharp-edged bob is so cute on you! Just had to add that (woman-to-woman).
Thankyou for your really kind words, we by no means think we are experts but by maintaining a positive outlook we are enjoying early retirement life 😊 I did chuckle about my hair as I have only had it cut once in 18 months 🤣 but Thankyou as I had actually straightened it for once! Hope your retirement plans go as you want, we still laugh that we don’t have time to fit everything thing in.
I looked forward to retirement
People asked what are you going to do when you retire at 63
I seriously answered absolutely nothing
The first few months of doing nothing were wonderful till I started drinking and sleeping most of the time
Luckily I pulled out of that pattern and found a volunteer position I love, I even get to travel occasionally all expenses paid in my new "job"
Speaking for me and several other retirees iv spoken to you must have something to do in retirement or you won't live long
Thank you for sharing your experience. You are so right - we didn't realise how much our relocation and renovation helped us in the first year and doing our RUclips channel and travel is what gives us our focus for now. I am sure what we do will evolve as we get older but we will endeavour to keep finding things that give us purpose.
Thank you very motivating
Thank you ☺️
I just discovered your channel and love it! I work in healthcare and am concerned with what else would feel quite as meaningful. We're retiring gradually and I'm starting to see that there's a lot more that's gotten squeezed out. I'm also seeing how important it is to prioritize my own health.
Thanks Laura- we share your view of retirement. There are so many things that we have realised since we retired that we were seemingly blind to when in the working world. Rather worryingly, I couldn't see what a negative effect work was having on my overall health and wellbeing. After less than a couple of years of retirement we are in a completely different place.
Thanks for the comment. 👍
I am finding your vlogs really helpful to focus me. It’s 3 years since I took early retirement at 52 and I’ve got to the point where I keep thinking I should have routine and purpose maybe just to justify the early retirement to others. Watching these got me thinking I do have some routines even if I didn’t feel I did (it’s nice to see someone else has a leisurely start to the day like me and I love a coffee shop 😂). I volunteer as an online reading partner for a charity which gives me some purpose. I’ve now decided that my first three years have been my present to myself after working from 16 in the same job and my next three years focus will be planning adventures ready for when my husband retires! Thanks.
Thank you ☺️ sometimes you do need just abit of you time - Richard is more routined than me and always has been. It will feel different again for you when your husband retires and you can get away and like you say planning those adventures is definitely part of the fun.
Inspiring video, when i retired I felt a complete loss of purpose, and became very negative, I wish I could have seen this video years ago, we now have a campervan and have traveled around a great deal of wester Europe and love our van. Great video.
So many people had said this and when we were preparing to retire it was one of Richards fears. It’s amazing how much a campervan can change your life’s and fill your time with a purpose, you can probably tell we love travel and discovering the world around us on a budget! Happy travels 🚐
I’m really enjoying the videos. Very helpful. I’m exactly at this cross road….61yo ..considering next steps towards retirement ….possibly easing into it by reducing to 3days per week rather than finishing work cold Turkey
We have absolutely loved being early retired - even after 21 months 😊
@@earlyretirementwanderlust it’s winter in New Zealand 🇳🇿 and I work from home in my mortgage free McMansion but all I can think about is hitting the road to hike and swim …..you are making it very tempting ….I’m realising if I don’t start now ..I might leave my run too late.
Really enjoyed this, lots of really good topics and advice thanks 😊
It is something we do talk about and hopefully our curiosity for learning will always give us a sense of purpose and what we do will probably change over the years. And that’s Ok!
Different situation in that we had planned the same but didn't quite reach it, however I fully relate to what you're saying here. You have a great outlook and attitude to life and well done for going for it. Looking forward to following your 'journey'. ATB, Sue.
Thanks, the best laid plans never go as you think! Leaving earlier than we planned has left us time richer but a little more financially challenged. We know what we would rather have 🤣🚐🥾
Great vLog guys. Very inspiring.
Thank you ☺️
Excellent video, very inspiring 🙂 Thanks, Andrew
Thanks, we are still loving our retirement journey 😊
@@earlyretirementwanderlust So am I! 😀
Brilliant Attitudes! I wish you both well in your adventures and i now have a T6.1 modded out as an adventure van to do similar non scheduled drive aways. Unfortunately i still work at 53yrs, But fingers crossed!
Thank you ☺️ we are really enjoying our freedom and are appreciative of the opportunities we now have! We loved planning for the weekend, getting meals ready and packing the van up on a Thursday so we could get away most weekends when we were working 🚐 enjoy your travels
Really interesting video .
Thank you
I also took early retirement at 50 and find so many people think it's weird. I had to find structure to my day and became the list queen! I also decided to become a SUP instructor and am an HML in consolidation. Seriously in 4 years my life has changed so much and it took me a year to readjust.
Being retired is certainly very different especially from such frenetic jobs that were all consuming. We are just enjoying the luxury of time! We do like to feel we have a little bit of structure, particularly Richard who has always been a lists person 🤣 RUclips gives us this for now 😊
It did take some readjustment and I'm now pestering my husband to give up work too. He is scared as it's his identity (as was mine which was probably the hardest thing to accept, I was just a bod)
I'm beginning to wear him down and will be showing him this video later 🤣
Really pleased to have just found your channel as finally there is something for people like me. Thank you!
Next year is the road trip France in the van for the first time
You will love France in the van 🚐 it is so easy and laid back with some stunning historical places and villages with aires. For some people retirement is a really scary prospect as your identity is what you do. It is strange telling people we are retired and they just say ‘you don’t look old enough’ and even stranger filling in official forms ticking the retired box 🤣
Well done on your outlook to life.
I am going to take on board some points you make.
So you are still teachers lol.
Good luck in do. everything you do
Good
Thank you, we are glad you found something you could take away from the vlog. There’s obviously still abit of teacher left in us 😊
My in law's, both retired teachers took advantage of option to take retirement in late 80's, whilst in their early 50's. it's lot of years to fill, both been retired longer than worked!! My observations as son in law is need to be part of something, being socially useful is key (like teachers). Think you'll find your activities won't keep you sufficiently stimulated for next 35 years!!! People give you purpose.
Absolutely true. And we know as we get older we will slow down travelling which is one of the reasons we chose our location as there are lots of voluntary opportunities and social groups we can join. There is also a strong community in the village. We also haven’t ruled out that we may want to do part time work or seasonal jobs in the future as nothing at this age is irreversible! Who knows what the future will bring us but it is really exciting!
Loving the videos.
The finding purpose section was interesting - any further info on your daily planning & selective attention?
Thanks for your kind words Sally. I am continuing to keep up my daily routines and daily gratitude remains a central pillar in that. I find that focusing purely on the things that I am grateful for really helps in keeping things positive. Spending time travelling does have its challenges in keeping routines going, but I guess some routine is better than no routine.
Have a good week. R
Don't do it. I retired at 40, since then I've done a BSc in Archaeology, built a 10x70 foot boat, sold that and built a four bedroom house.
Stay at work and take it easy.
🤣 who knows what the next few years will bring. We have already renovated a cottage in the dales that we love living in. Garden project is next summers job
planning to retire too at 40 (just a few years away). IT Consultant (working non stop even on holidays and weekends)
We’ve learnt to play Saxophone 🎷 and joined a band…. we’re terrible! But it doesn’t matter as we’re retired and our income isn’t dependent on making good music 🎷🤪
I am finding these videos fascinating. Glad l came across them today. Watched a few of them already.
Sounds like you have got a rewarding and exciting time ahead.
Thank you ☺️