Retiring Questions

September 2026

The other day, someone asked me how I liked retirement. Ok, to tell the truth, everyone asks me that. It’s almost a daily inquiry. I have only been fully retired for about 2 years, but I have become an expert at defending the practice. People think I must be miserable. “Don’t you miss working?”, they say. “How do you keep busy?”  “You must be so bored”.  Granted, I am relatively young to be retired.  But I am exceedingly happy, and I have had plenty to do.  Is it different?  Well, yes, it is!  Today I’m pondering just that.

For me, the key element is time.  I now have more of it to do the things I always wanted to do when I didn’t have the time or energy left to do them.  There are so many things that fall into this category.  Like spending quality time with my wife, just chatting, listening to her talk about her day and interests. I truly delight in her stories.  Sadly, through 40+ years of marriage, I never seemed to be able to pay full attention, nor garner joy in this.  That is, before retiring.  Our daily breakfasts together, competing at Wordle, with me strumming at the guitar while she eats her egg whites and toast, are a treasure and a great way to start the day.  At least they are for me! 

Being around my adult children and grandchildren is also fun.  Not always, but most of the time!  I enjoy wrestling with my grandson or taking walks with him to a stream near our home to throw stones in the water. I love having the time for these things. My wife and kids are not used to seeing me so relaxed, so I think it makes them think I’m getting old. Which probably scares them a little.  I also think when they watch me tinker around the house, just doing any number of random things, makes them think I’m unhappy or bored. Truly, I am neither.  I really love having time to do, or not to do, these little chores. I’ve also been cooking so much more and everyone in my family is enjoying that with me. 

Importantly, I have been taking the time to experience the outdoors.  Long walks around our neighborhood.  Watching and feeding birds.  Hunting mushrooms. Being a gardener. Pulling weeds. Growing things has always been a passion.  This year I have had time to do it right.  My yards have never looked better. The tomato plants on my deck are yielding a good crop, albeit enjoyed mostly by the deer and racoons.

We have a second home by Lake Michigan, and I love the water.  Watching big cargo ships arrive.  Long walks on the beach or merely sitting there just looking around. I like collecting pieces of driftwood and making walking sticks. Sitting on the deck with a glass of wine and friends to share it with is something I never took enough time for. Yes, I have played some golf, but much less than I thought I would.  I’ve also done some fishing and extensive playing of my guitar. Things I always wanted to do but never felt I could “waste” the time doing.   Which is so refreshing!

And you know what? I also don’t have to rush to finish everything.  Which makes even mundane tasks a lot more palatable. I can choose to be busy or to do nothing at all. A few times a week I take an afternoon nap.  Something I never did, nor saw the value of, while I was in my work life. And within all of this there is little, or no, guilt. Again, it’s about time. 

Obviously, it is really easy listing the things I am enjoying in my retirement. It is also pretty easy listing those things I don’t miss about the work world I left behind. In fact, I have quite an inventory. Yet, I suspect anyone that has endured a corporate environment like I did for 35+ years, would have a similar list. But here I go anyway! 

I don’t miss meetings and presentations. Employee performance evaluations and calibrations. Talking about the same things over and over. Making sure everyone is “aligned”, even to simplest decision. I don’t miss acting happy and enthusiastic when, all too often, you’re not. No, I was never miserable, but there is a certain amount of acting we all must do to succeed, isn’t there?  At least there was for me.

I don’t miss having work come home with me, affecting the way I feel in the rest of my life. And watching how it impacts those around me.  And not in a positive way.  I don’t miss feeling guilty when I am not at work or not doing work. Yes, I could go on and on.  How about budgets, negativity, schedules, and deadlines? How about constant business travel and overwhelming political correctness? These things all lead to a stressful existence, unhealthy lifestyle, and poor sleep. Did I mention how well I sleep now?

I also have so much I am looking forward to. More things I never had time for.  Volunteering, hiking, and boating.  Maybe even skiing again?  At least getting fit enough to make it an option.  I look forward to extended vacations. I have already begun travel planning. We just returned from a trip to Maine and now I am planning a European adventure for the spring. I also want to finish the many bits and pieces of writing and wisdom I have started but never finished.  Now that I have the time, I also have the inclination! 

I have also renewed some friendships and continued coaching and mentoring people from my former work life.  Which are some of the things I truly loved about working.  Now that I think about it, I am actually a little too busy!  And there are still things on my list that I haven’t got to yet.  Lots of them.  And now I have the time, the health, and the resources to make them happen. Why wait until your health fails before you start to live?

I get it, some people do not have the means to retire. And I feel sorry for them. Nevertheless, many people seem to think you must be working to enjoy life.  To have a purpose. And we should keep pushing until we are too old to take pleasure in life’s next chapter. What are we waiting for?  Having put 40+ years of career behind me I’d like to “work” at something different now.  I hope everyone is ok with that.  Truly, I don’t mind what everyone thinks.  I’ll keep happily answering the questions. If this is miserable, then I am looking forward to a whole lot more of it!