FIRE - How to spend your time, part 2

Financial Independence/Retire Early -- Learn How!
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karma
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FIRE - How to spend your time, part 2

Post by karma »

Due to the logorrhea on the other thread, I thought I'd try to yank the topic back to its origins.

I attended one of my favorite meetings tonight - the geriatric computer club. Lots of ex-engineers and such. My kind of people. Anyway, one of the guys (ex-"we have to kill you if we tell you") is doing a newsletter for the American-Finnish community. It's just him and he attends lots of events to get copy. He was obviously having the time of his life - very enthused.

"Life is what you make of it, my friend." Stella in Silverado
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090022/

karma
peteyperson
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Re: FIRE - How to spend your time, part 2

Post by peteyperson »

Yes, this is exactly right. One does need that kind of time and freedom to pursue this. Me, I'm going to be trying to disentangle myself from such committments in order to pursue whatever I like without something holding me to one location etc. I'm therefore likely to use the net for a lot of frequent communication on set topics, so I will be free to roam and explore other interests that one gets more out of from being there on-the-ground.

To this end I'm actively reducing my possessions and going to have a rule where I recycle a book for each new book I buy and the same with DVD boxsets. My two main "stuff" purchases over time that add to the clutter. Also living more simply means I will have more cash to go out & explore. Not be such a hermit! Really the focus in on the disparate things that I know I enjoy, some inside, some outside local and some a big distance where I'll want to stay for a while & really appreciate it.

My hobbies include learning investing (obviously) and a new interest I am starting to slowly pursue in writing. I hope the latter continues to expand. I also like it because it continues the theme of being mobile. With research involved it often involves travel too which fits in nicely to the scheme.

How does that all sound to you?

P.S. "logorrhea" - Good word! I had to look it up :lol:

Petey
karma wrote: Due to the logorrhea on the other thread, I thought I'd try to yank the topic back to its origins.

I attended one of my favorite meetings tonight - the geriatric computer club. Lots of ex-engineers and such. My kind of people. Anyway, one of the guys (ex-"we have to kill you if we tell you") is doing a newsletter for the American-Finnish community. It's just him and he attends lots of events to get copy. He was obviously having the time of his life - very enthused.

"Life is what you make of it, my friend." Stella in Silverado
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090022/

karma
peteyperson
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Ported across..

Post by peteyperson »

One of the silliest things I thought I would do when I retired was to get the house completely straight. All the clutter would be gone, and would never get that way again.

I also thought I'd spend more time at museums and such, but somehow I just don't get to it. I think I need some sort of plan that forces me out of the house once a month to do something - anything - different. In fact this being non-tourist season, I may hit the Smithsonian. I understand they have new exhibits there - and I haven't been in at least 5 years. Seems like a plan.

You can get stuck in a rut, even when you're retired.

karma


What I have concluded is that if I have a list of things to do which are unconnected to the way they live their life today, I'll come unstuck. There will be a void and I'll be filling it with unproven interests. I also think it lacks the motivational push one needs when passion saving. ('Passion saving' towards FI is I think the right two words, as 'Margin of safety' are the right three words for investing).

I think one has interests that one wants to explore further. I think you just have more time to delve into them. I think that is a good place to start. You most likely will evolve - dropping some interests and adding more - but that will be a natural thing. Not the sudden switch in lifestyle which lets face it has already just been switched anyway which is a jolt to the system and takes some adjusting to. Once adjusted, takes some considerable adjusting to adjust back IMHO.

So I am not at all surprised that your home is not less cluttered and that you haven't made it to the museums yet. You're likely either sidelined with too little structure or they were not really serious interests to you before, more curiosities and a curiosity is often not enough motivation in life to pursue it. I think it has to be more than that. I've had an "interest" in a variety of subjects but most I have yet to put any focus on. It would only become part of my distant FI life if I integrated that interest into my day-to-life now.

You can get into a rut in any situation in. I think that is down to lack of direction or focus. One thinks a structureless day is a good thing, but I think one still needs some kind of backbone. Few people can handle no structure at all, they've spend too long with one.

Hopefully food to thought. Love to hear your thoughts in reply, Karma.

Petey
hocus2004
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Post by hocus2004 »

Few people can handle no structure at all, they've spend too long with one.

I would go even a bit farther than that with the idea. It's not just that people are used to having structure. People generally like structure. I'm not being critical in saying that. I'm just trying to point something out. People sometimes like change and new things. Generally, though, they like structure.

When I worked at newsletters, every now and then there would be one that would change its format or the colors on the cover or something. Invariably you would get five negative comments for every positive one. You could spend six months developing a new format and try to make it just perfect, and people would say "Make it look like it used to!" They didn't even know what they liked about the old way. They just knew that they were used to it.

Change comes hard to humans.
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karma
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Post by karma »

When both of my parents were working, my mother would complain that she never had time to do watercolors, and that was what she would do when she retired. My father wisely replied that if she really wanted to do watercolors, she'd find a way to do them now. She never has done them in 25 years of retirement. I think that's part of what you are saying, Petey, and I think you're right. I think at least part of what you do when you retire must be related to what you do when you are working. Exercise routines, gardening, etc. All things that can be done both times. My computer club is something I've done for a long time, both while working and now retired. I can he;p them out more now, though.
I have a list of things to do which are unconnected to the way they live their life today, I'll come unstuck. There will be a void and I'll be filling it with unproven interests.


I think this is true to some extent. I occasionally run across a piece of paper where I had put a list of the 10 things I wanted to do before I die (uncluttering the house wasn't on it :)) I am amazed at how many of those things I've done (including visiting Britain). If I make a list longer than about 10, though, I probably won't do those things, mostly because they aren't a priority.

As far as unproven interests, I wanted to join a volunteer activity when I retired. I carefully researched various groups to find one I thought was a good fit. Going into the volunteer scene was very hard for me because I'm pretty introverted. I pretty much forced myself to strike up conversations with people at meetings and classes. Ultimately things worked out, and I feel I made the right choice. I know many, however, have been quite disappointed with volunteer work. It isn't easy getting a good fit.

I don't think the structure question is a problem for me. I can see how people who are used to the structure of a work week might be thrown off by too much unstructured time, but somehow it never worked that way for me. Things like exercising automatically give some structure, and since we almost always eat dinner at home, that's structure, too. What I really need to do it put a timer next to the computer so I don't spend too much time on message boards. :wink:

I'm actually having a lot of fun in retirement, and I'm even making some inroads on the clutter problem. (I swear it breeds in dark corners). Everybody finds a different way to spend retirement - some work hard at having goals and others drift along. It may just be a difference in personality.

karma
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Post by peteyperson »

I don't have anything to say in reply other than that was a good post. :lol:

Petey
karma wrote: When both of my parents were working, my mother would complain that she never had time to do watercolors, and that was what she would do when she retired. My father wisely replied that if she really wanted to do watercolors, she'd find a way to do them now. She never has done them in 25 years of retirement. I think that's part of what you are saying, Petey, and I think you're right. I think at least part of what you do when you retire must be related to what you do when you are working. Exercise routines, gardening, etc. All things that can be done both times. My computer club is something I've done for a long time, both while working and now retired. I can he;p them out more now, though.
I have a list of things to do which are unconnected to the way they live their life today, I'll come unstuck. There will be a void and I'll be filling it with unproven interests.


I think this is true to some extent. I occasionally run across a piece of paper where I had put a list of the 10 things I wanted to do before I die (uncluttering the house wasn't on it :)) I am amazed at how many of those things I've done (including visiting Britain). If I make a list longer than about 10, though, I probably won't do those things, mostly because they aren't a priority.

As far as unproven interests, I wanted to join a volunteer activity when I retired. I carefully researched various groups to find one I thought was a good fit. Going into the volunteer scene was very hard for me because I'm pretty introverted. I pretty much forced myself to strike up conversations with people at meetings and classes. Ultimately things worked out, and I feel I made the right choice. I know many, however, have been quite disappointed with volunteer work. It isn't easy getting a good fit.

I don't think the structure question is a problem for me. I can see how people who are used to the structure of a work week might be thrown off by too much unstructured time, but somehow it never worked that way for me. Things like exercising automatically give some structure, and since we almost always eat dinner at home, that's structure, too. What I really need to do it put a timer next to the computer so I don't spend too much time on message boards. :wink:

I'm actually having a lot of fun in retirement, and I'm even making some inroads on the clutter problem. (I swear it breeds in dark corners). Everybody finds a different way to spend retirement - some work hard at having goals and others drift along. It may just be a difference in personality.

karma
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