What would you do if you didnt HAVE to do anything?

Lerxst said:
It takes a certain personality to be able to retire early and just recreate, absent purpose. I've watched several family members go into retirement with plans for a life of leisure only to find they wind up craving some sense purpose. Some found purpose in becoming full time caregivers to grand kids. Some took on jobs in an area of recreational interest. Some went back part time to their former career.

My FIL is in this odd place where he has zero interest in a job but his only recreation/hobby is classic cars. He has several rental properties that all pretty much run themselves. If there's not a car show to go to or some parts to hunt down, he makes a half dozen runs to Tim's for coffee every day out of boredom.
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I dunno about the States but here it's very common for teachers to retire then come back and do supply work.

I understand the drive to do it but (and we're talking 20-30 years away here) when I finish up, that's me done with actual work as far as I'm concerned.
 
2manband said:
Let’s say you could maintain your current lifestyle but never again have to work. How would you pass the time?
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Ride my bike do some yard work read a lot play some guitar (go to the gym if Covid wasn't still a concern). This is my life of the last 7 years. I don't need the social aspects of work and hated people telling me what to do and when to do it so retirement has been a blessing. I would NEVER work again. My older brother OTOH retired a couple of years ago and is now doing a lot of different odd jobs to keep busy and supply himself with some extra cash. He has a pension and I don't but he had kids and I didn't so :shrug:
 
Lerxst said:
It takes a certain personality to be able to retire early and just recreate, absent purpose. I've watched several family members go into retirement with plans for a life of leisure only to find they wind up craving some sense purpose. Some found purpose in becoming full time caregivers to grand kids. Some took on jobs in an area of recreational interest. Some went back part time to their former career.

My FIL is in this odd place where he has zero interest in a job but his only recreation/hobby is classic cars. He has several rental properties that all pretty much run themselves. If there's not a car show to go to or some parts to hunt down, he makes a half dozen runs to Tim's for coffee every day out of boredom.
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My father retired and tried to settle into a life of gardening and fly fishing. He got bored and went back to his old hobby, writing about model trains and railroad history. That wasn’t enough so he started a YouTube channel that’s bringing in over $1,000 a month and keeps getting more popular so I guess he’s got a job again.
 
Lerxst said:
It takes a certain personality to be able to retire early and just recreate, absent purpose. I've watched several family members go into retirement with plans for a life of leisure only to find they wind up craving some sense purpose. Some found purpose in becoming full time caregivers to grand kids. Some took on jobs in an area of recreational interest. Some went back part time to their former career.
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When I was in high school the best regular substitutes were retired teachers who missed the job. And because they had decades of experience they could catch us up on all the stuff our younger teachers weren’t teaching well.
 
I would attempt to master making a half dozen or more different types of authentic Mexican tacos. Carne așada, carnitas, pollo, fish.
Grow some hot peppers. Habanero, ghost, scorpions, seranno, tepin, and more.
 
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I don't know. I thought I had it figured out, but turns out I am now kinda meh on the things I thought I wanted to do in retirement.

And that scares the shit out of because I'll be there in a few years.
 
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